BEHAVIORAL HEALTH Q&A

What is behavioral health? Behavioral health describes the connection between your behaviors and the impact they have on your physical, mental, and emotional health. Behavioral health disorders can cause a pattern of disruptive or destructive behavior that can worsen over time and can possibly have a negative influence on your life and the lives of those around you. 

• Autism
• Eating disorders
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

The providers offer comprehensive diagnostic evaluations to identify the type of behavioral disorder you have. They also customize treatment plans to help you manage your condition in the long term. When should I seek help for a behavioral health condition? You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation for behavioral health at New Dawn Psychiatric Care if you have persistent thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that are out of your control or make it difficult to excel in school, work, or relationships. The providers recommend that you get an evaluation if you experience:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Learning challenges
• Severe mood swings
• Poor focus and concentration
• Social challenges or self-isolation

In addition to a comprehensive behavioral health screening, your provider may order blood work and other lab tests to rule out underlying health conditions that can negatively affect your emotional and mental health. Based on the results of your test, your provider creates a treatment plan to help you stay in control of your behaviors and improve your overall sense of well-being. What treatments does behavioral health include?

Because there is a wide range of behavioral health conditions that you can experience, New Dawn Psychiatric Care customizes a care plan to your unique needs and challenges. Typically, therapeutic strategies like psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), help you understand your condition. Therapy helps identify negative behaviors and thoughts affecting your behavior and quality of life.

Your provider may also incorporate coping strategies so that you can better manage your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Some conditions like ADHD may also require medication to improve your concentration and relieve symptoms. Your provider closely monitors your progress with medication and can make adjustments as necessary. You may benefit from additional supportive resources to help you thrive at work, school, and in social situations.