For many individuals, a heart diagnosis doesn’t just affect physical health, it changes how they think, feel, and live day by day. A new diagnosis, hospitalization, or chronic cardiovascular illness can bring fear, uncertainty, and significant adjustments in life. At Pediatric and Family Behavioral Health, our outpatient psychiatry practice provides specialized care for individuals with cardiac conditions, recognizing the powerful connection between heart health and mental he

A few months ago, my cat of almost 18 years died. After being told a few weeks prior he had advanced kidney disease, I knew he had very little time left. This was not my first loss as my experience with death is a long and painful one. From the loss of my mother at age nine to the death of Bijou, my sweet and adorable Himalayan flame point cat, many I have deeply cared for have departed. Yet there was something about this loss that made it unlike anything I had ever experienc

We have spent decades looking for ADHD in boys, while completely missing the quiet fire in girls. In childhood, boys tend to show signs of external hyperactivity, such as excessive physical activity, being disruptive in the classroom, an inability to stay seated, and frequent interruptions. Girls, however, tend to internalize their hyperactivity, which may appear as fidgeting or restlessness. Because hyperactive symptoms in boys are often more disruptive, they tend to prompt

SPRAVATO® (esketamine) treatment in Charlotte, NC at PFBH. Learn who may qualify, what to expect, visit length, safety monitoring, and how to get started.

Chronic distress caused by experiencing shocking or terrifying events can persist in a person's life long after the initial event is over. Otherwise known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, this phenomenon can facilitate potential impacts such as long-term chronic illness and impaired daily functioning. What can PTSD look like in concrete terms? Intense reactions to daily reminders of the trauma or feeling as if the event is still occurring Sleeping difficulties/nightmares

There is a growing amount of evidence that demonstrates the positive outcome of caregiver involvement in the treatment of child trauma (Boyer, 2019; Landolt et al., 2017). The most essential protective factor in alleviating the impact of trauma is the presence of social support, typically found in an adult. Children who have experienced trauma often have mistrust of adults. This can cause a strain on the caregiver-child relationship as the child reacts defensively to adult i