Address : 3161 Wayne Dr Diberville, MS 39540
A DIPLOMATE OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROLOGY, INC.
ANGELOS B. VAMVAKAS, M.D.
Psychiatric Treatment
Screening: After you contact the practice, Dr. Vamvakas will call you for a screening session by phone. He will ask questions about your goals, wishes, and previous treatment history. He will then assess whether your needs can be served by this solo private practice.
Initial Evaluation: This is a 60-minute face-to-face session that allows the doctor to form a professional opinion and propose a treatment plan.
Follow-up Sessions: These are 10- to 15-minute face-to-face sessions to assess progress and adjust medications. Minimal psychotherapy is included. Sessions are scheduled at 4-, 8-, and 12-week intervals and may occur in person or through telehealth. Stable patients have an opportunity to schedule their appointments in 6-month intervals but only if their medication regimen does not include controlled substances.
Suboxone Treatment
Screening and Initial Evaluation: See above.
Induction Phase: Patients who wish to switch from opioids to Suboxone begin with 24 hours of abstinence from opioids. Based on the initial evaluation, Dr. Vamvakas then prescribes a small initial dose of Suboxone. The Suboxone dose is subsequently adjusted upward, with the goal of suppressing all opioid cravings.
Stabilization Phase: Abstinence from all addictive substances is monitored through urine drug screens, and the Suboxone dose is further adjusted as needed.
Maintenance Phase: Once a stable Suboxone dose is reached, treatment will continue with routine follow-up sessions. See above.
Recovery from Addiction: Treatment with Suboxone is only an adjunct to the main recovery effort, which involves a complete reorientation of one’s goals and priorities, as well as ongoing improvement in self-understanding. Involvement with Narcotics Anonymous’ 12-Step Recovery program is strongly encouraged, but lack of participation will not prohibit the continuation of Suboxone treatment.