Behavioral health is a term that describes how a person’s habits impact their mental and physical wellbeing. These habits include how a person eats, drinks, exercises and any addictive behaviors like gambling or substance abuse.

Behavioral health includes services such as psychiatry, counseling, marriage and family counseling and addiction treatment. For every 10 people that visit a physician, seven of them are there for behavioral health issues.

Behavioral therapy

Behavioral therapy is a form of behavioral health treatment that addresses the way an individual’s behaviors impact their mental and physical well-being. The idea behind behavioral health services is that habits like how one eats, drinks or exercises can have both positive and negative impacts on physical and mental health.

Behavioral health specialists may use a variety of techniques including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to change the way an individual thinks, which can help them change their behavior. These techniques may also include exposure therapy and aversion therapies, such as adding bitter-tasting medicine to alcohol to make it less appealing, to name just two examples.

Behavioral health specialists may be counselors, psychologists, nurse practitioners or physicians. They often work with individuals and families to address problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, addictions and eating disorders. Behavioral health is often combined with primary care to provide a holistic approach to patient care. This type of integration is known as behavioral health integration, integrated behavioral health or collaborative care.

Psychiatry

Most people focus on their physical health, but a healthy mind is just as important. Psychiatry is the medical practice of treating emotional disorders through counseling, medication and other behavioral health treatments.

Psychiatrists are physicians who undergo the same medical school training as other doctors and complete a psychiatry residency program. During this time, they learn how to assess medical and psychological data, diagnose mental illnesses and work with patients to develop treatment plans.

During a psychiatric interview, psychiatrists ask their patients to describe their symptoms, including how they began and how long they have been occurring. They also ask about family history, medications and other treatment methods used, and about personal issues such as relationships, work or school. They may also use psychodynamic therapy, a modern evolution of psychoanalysis that emphasizes self-examination and exploration of past experiences as a way to understand current behavior patterns. They can also treat a wide variety of problems using consultation-liaison psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and hospice and palliative psychiatry.

Counseling

Counselling is a form of behavioral health treatment that involves talking to a professional about your feelings and problems in a safe, private environment. A good counsellor will be able to listen and understand what you are saying without interrupting or judging. They will also be able to analyze the problem in-depth and come up with a plan of action for you.

Counseling can be done face-to-face or over the phone, and may be offered in groups to allow you to talk about your issues with other people who are experiencing the same thing. Counselling can help you to overcome a range of psychological concerns, from relationship problems to depression or anxiety.

There are many different types of counselling, including psychoanalytic, humanistic and behaviourist. There are also cognitive, constructionist and systemic approaches to counseling. These methods focus on addressing a patient’s thinking patterns and bringing them into line with reality. Some types of counselling are more effective than others, and the type of counseling you choose will depend on your specific needs.

Medication

Medications, or drugs, can be used to treat a variety of behavioral health conditions. Typically, they are prescribed by a psychiatrist or psychologist who has listened to your symptoms and assessed your level of distress. Psychiatrists are trained to listen for signs that your condition is no longer manageable through naturalistic coping, and may recommend medication.

Examples of medications that affect the musculoskeletal system include anti-inflammatory painkillers, muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines. Examples of drugs that reduce blood pressure are adrenergic agonists, beta-blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors/hyperosmotics, cholinergics, parasympathomimetics, miotics, prostaglandin agonists, and nitroglycerin.

Drugs that reduce lipid levels are ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, thiazide diuretics and loop diuretics. Antifungals, antibiotics, and antitussives are also commonly used.