Behavioral Medicine Center |
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Clinics operated by the Behavioral Medicine Center:
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What is Behavioral Medicine?
Behavioral Medicine deals with what people do that affects their health and how different illnesses affect a person's behavior. Treatment typically involves changing habits. These may involve thought patterns, how one deals with stress, time management or anger. Change is always hard. We help people make these changes with psychotherapy, behavior modification, physiological feedback and problem solving.
The Behavioral Medicine Center is located in UVA Hospital West, Barringer IV, room 4472. Call 434-924-5314 for more information or to schedule an initial evaluation.
What is the Behavioral Medicine Center?
The Behavioral Medicine Center operates several clinics specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of a variety of medical problems that are either caused or aggravated by life style or stress. We also offer short-term, structured, effective programs specifically designed for special problems, such as: migraine and tension headaches; hyperventilation; fecal incontinence; nervous stomach & irritable bowel; TMD; cold hands and feet (Raynaud's); and muscular tics and spasms.
Various exercises and physiological feedback teaches awareness and control of body functions to eliminate distressing symptoms. Computerized monitors provide information about body responses such as muscle tension and breathing pattern, which most people are unaware they can control. With treatment and practice, about 80% of the people we see learn to control or eliminate problems such as the ones listed above. Therapy usually involves 4-12 individual weekly sessions. Emphasis is on establishing personal control over physical symptoms.
In addition to the above programs, we operate the following clinics:
Behavioral Medicine Assessment Clinic:
This clinic provides psychological and behavioral evaluations for other medical clinics at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center. For example, patients who are preparing for certain surgeries (weight reduction, organ transplant) or treatment procedures (insulin-pump use) are often required by their physician or insurance carrier to receive these evaluations. These evaluations are specifically tailored to different types of medical procedures and include assessment of psychosocial status, psychological preparedness, relevant behavioral patterns, and social support systems. In those situations where psychotherapy is needed, we will provide those services or assist in referral.
Constipation Clinic:
Children and adults frequently get constipated for a variety of reasons. It can even lead to soiling, if the patient gets too impacted. By learning how to modify bowel habits, and the judicious use of laxatives and enemas, long standing constipation and soiling problems can be reversed. This requires close monitoring of toilet habits and laxative use by the patient (or parents). Treatment usually involves 3-6 sessions.
Coping with Illness Clinic:
Living with any chronic or serious illness can have negative effects on emotions and behavior. Problems with depression, anxiety, anger, relationships and low self-esteem are common. We offer treatments for these problems using a variety of therapies such as: stress management, problem-solving, cognitive-behavioral, and insight-oriented. Treatment focuses on helping people to improve their ability to cope with their illness, learn techniques to decrease anxious and depressing thought patterns, and improve their ability to enjoy life.
Diabetes Clinic:
Living with diabetes presents a number of psychological and behavioral challenges. We offer several diagnostic and treatment services for people with insulin-dependent (Type I) and non-insulin-dependent (Type II) diabetes. These include programs for problems with: diabetes management, depression and anxiety, family/marital issues, weight loss, and frequent hypoglycemia. Typically we use behavioral, cognitive, and problem-solving strategies to help people improve their ability to cope with diabetes. We also offer specialized treatment programs for people who have difficulty recognizing hypoglycemic (insulin reaction) symptoms.
Insomnia Clinic:
Problems with falling or staying asleep can be caused by many factors. Some of these include excessive stress, physical tension, inability to "turn off" racing thoughts, poor sleep habits, use of alcohol and drugs, and work shift changes. The Insomnia Clinic offers evaluation and a specialized, structured treatment program for problems with sleep. It emphasizes a behavioral, self-management approach rather than use of sleep medications. This program typically requires 6-8 weekly sessions that focus on sleep monitoring, relaxation training, reducing intrusive and anxiety-provoking thoughts, sleep education, and improving sleep habits.
Phobia Clinic:
This clinic provides evaluation and treatment for people who experience extreme fear (phobic) of specific situations or objects. Some of the most common phobias involve fear of leaving one's home, driving, flying, animals, and medical/dental procedures. Treatment usually involves 6-10 sessions that focus on helping people reduce and control their fear. Treatment uses relaxation training, biofeedback, cognitive therapy, and gradual "exposure" to the feared situation.
Sexual Dysfunction Clinic:
Couples suffering from impotence, premature ejaculation, or reduced sexual arousal are treated with standard sex therapy.
Stress Management and Anxiety Disorders:
Stress and anxiety can cause or aggravate many physical symptoms and medical problems. Therapy for stress management and anxiety has four major goals:
- reduce physical symptoms and body tension caused by stress,
- decrease stress - producing thought patterns, and
- decrease negative emotions and relationship problems caused by stress
- reduce the amount of stress with which patient's have to cope.
Techniques such as stress-monitoring, problem-solving, and relaxation training are utilized, along with cognitive-behavioral therapy and assertiveness training. Therapy often involves using problem-solving techniques to reduce the actual level of stress in daily life.
Urinary Incontinence Clinic:
Urinary incontinence is a common problem for children and older people. After an evaluation by an urologist (to rule out any underlying illnesses) we evaluate urinary habits and pelvic floor muscle strength. Treatment involves procedures designed to improve pelvic floor muscle strength and change urinary habits to reduce incontinence. Treatment usually takes 2-4 sessions.