Patient Education

Joshua Werblin would like to be your partner in health care. Feel free to ask your questions and share your concerns with us. We will work with you to develop a wellness program for the care and treatment you need.

We welcome you to our practice and look forward to caring for you.

Joshua Werblin provides a full range of medical services including the following:

Psychotropic Medications

Psychotropic medications are drugs that alter chemical levels in the brain, affecting mood, perception and behavior. Such drugs have been in existence for hundreds of years, both from natural substances and chemical derivatives, and have been used by many cultures for medicinal and hallucinatory purposes. While many of these drugs are dangerous and illegal, during the last 50 years new medications have been researched and developed under strict scientific control to become effective, often lifesaving, prescription medications for psychiatric disorders. ...

Anger Management

Anger management is the process of learning to recognize the signs of one's own encroaching anger and mastering techniques to deal with it safely and effectively. While anger is a normal, healthy emotion, in many people it becomes excessive and out of control, resulting in damaged relationships, employment difficulties, and even physical violence. Uncontrolled anger not only causes disharmony and pain, it is a frequent cause of criminal behavior. In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of how widespread issues with anger are and how greatly they affect the world around us. This has resulted in the development of various anger management techniques designed to channel anger in constructive ways. ...

Stress Management

Now that the deep connection between physical health and emotional well-being has been established, stress management is recognized as an important component of daily life. Reducing stress has been found to improve relationships and personal satisfaction, and make students and employees more efficient. In order for successful stress management to take place, a stress assessment must be completed, designed to evaluate a patient's stress level and to highlight any areas of concern. These results are used to devise a customized treatment plan that provides patients with a variety of techniques to alleviate stress and increase comfort, energy level and productivity. ...

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is the excessive use of a drug or substance, despite the harmful consequences that may occur. Individuals that abuse certain drugs or substances become addicted to these substances and cannot control their ability to resist the intense urges to take them. This abuse can affect a person's physical health and personal or social functioning. Substance abuse can include regular, excessive, or compulsive drinking of alcohol, and/or the habitual use of illegal or prescription drugs or other harmful substances. Severe substance abuse can destroy relationships, end careers, and lead to stroke, heart disease, brain damage, cancer, and even death. ...

Suicide

Suicide, or intentionally causing one's own death, is a serious and all too common problem in the United States. More than a tenth of all deaths nationwide are attributable to suicide and the rate of death by suicide has increased significantly during the last decade. Suicide has recently become the leading cause of death by injury, surpassing even deaths by car accidents. ...

Addiction

An addiction is an uncontrollable dependence on a certain substance or activity. People become addicted to different things for different reasons, but can be affected both physically and psychologically. With addiction, the activity or substance often becomes the major focus of a person's life, leading to the exclusion of other activities, impairing work, social, and family responsibilities, and affecting the individual's health, mood, and self-respect. Addicted individuals may suffer from anxiety, low self-esteem or depression and often feel as if they have no control over their lives or behavior. ...

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a chronic addiction disorder in which a person becomes dependent on alcohol. Individuals with this condition are unable to control how much they drink and often experience serious consequences as a result of their alcohol consumption. Some people may not be characterized as alcoholics, but can suffer from alcohol abuse, meaning that they drink excessively but are not fully dependent on alcohol. Both conditions are considered serious and require long-term treatment in order to resume a normal, fully functioning lifestyle. ...

Autism

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), encompasses a range of pervasive developmental disorders. These disorders vary in degree from mild forms like Asperger's syndrome to severe impairment.

Autism is characterized by difficulties with communication and social interaction and by repetitive behavior patterns. The disorder has become very common, occurring in more than 1 percent of children. Autism is four times more likely to occur in males. Besides Asperger's syndrome, there are several other types of ASD, including pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett's syndrome. ...

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic-depressive illness, is a complex psychiatric disorder that involves sudden and dramatic mood swings between mania and depression. An episode may last for hours, days, weeks or months and symptoms may be severe, sometimes resulting in dangerously impulsive or self-destructive behavior and sometimes leading to depression so deep it results in suicide. ...

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person is consumed with weight and body image. People with bulimia often engage in episodes of binge-eating large amounts of food and then purging, or getting rid of the food, often through vomiting, use of laxatives or extreme exercise. Many people with bulimia nervosa may partake in a combination of all of these purging methods. Unlike anorexia nervosa, people with bulimia nervosa usually maintain what is considered a healthy or normal weight, however, they are often very unhappy with their body size and shape and want desperately to lose weight. Bulimic behavior occurs more commonly in women, and is often done secretly because it may be accompanied by feelings of disgust or shame. This binge-eating and purging cycle may occur on a weekly basis, or several times a day in extreme cases. ...

Dementia

Dementia is not a single disorder, but rather a combination of age-related symptoms involving a loss of mental skills and deteriorating brain function. Dementia literally translates to "deprived of mind," and may be the result of several different underlying conditions, some of which are treatable and some of which are not. Patients with dementia gradually lose memory, communication skills, the ability to reason, and the facility to complete the tasks of everyday living. ...

Depression

Depression is a medical condition that causes extreme feelings of sadness and emptiness. People who suffer from depression may lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, and experience a constant feeling of hopelessness on a daily basis. Depression, also known as clinical or major depression, may be triggered by certain events or occur along with other illnesses. Severe depression can interfere with a person's ability to work, sleep, eat, interact with others or enjoy life. With treatment, however, depression can become a manageable condition. ...

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders are characterized by a sense of disconnection from oneself or from certain memories or experiences. Such disorders are believed to be the result of traumatic experience. The sense of being walled off from the trauma is considered to be a coping mechanism to keep extremely painful memories at bay. ...

Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that involves difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, sometimes both. Although most people suffer an occasional sleepless night, patients with insomnia have difficulty sleeping on a regular basis. This condition affects approximately 1 in 10 people in the United States and can lead to other troubling symptoms, such as fatigue, low energy level, and a weakened immune system. While insomnia is not normally considered a serious medical disorder, it can make life difficult, or even unmanageable. ...

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common anxiety disorder involving disturbing repetitive thoughts and rituals designed to try to alleviate such thoughts. The thoughts are obsessions; the rituals are compulsions. OCD affects millions of people and may be associated with other types of psychiatric disorders. ...

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition triggered by a traumatic event during which great physical harm occurs or is threatened. While almost everyone experiences trauma at one time or another, for most people the feelings of terror and helplessness subside over time. For patients with PTSD, symptoms may appear later, last longer and be much more severe than for the average person. There are many reasons an individual may develop PTSD, none of them under the individual's control. ...

Self-Injury

Self- injury, also known as self-harm, occurs when an individual deliberately harms his or her own body. People who harm their own body, often do so by cutting or burning themselves. Self-injury is often related to trauma, and those who harm or hurt themselves are likely to have been abused in childhood. Self-injury is often a coping mechanism used by people to deal with severe emotional pain, anger, or frustration. The act of hurting themselves helps some people forget their feelings and emotional troubles and focus instead on their self-inflicted physical pain. While these people may not be suicidal, they are consciously injuring themselves and may cause permanent damage or accidental suicide. ...

Phobias

A phobia is a psychiatric disorder in which the patient suffers a lasting, irrational fear precipitated by a harmless object or situation. A patient with a phobia experiences intense anxiety upon exposure to the trigger and may experience anticipatory anxiety as well. Patients with phobias may be aware that their fear is irrational, but may nonetheless find it overwhelming or even disabling. Phobias which develop in childhood, such as a fear of bees or of thunder, are frequently outgrown, while phobias that develop in adulthood may be longer lasting. Nonetheless, about one-fifth of all phobias resolve without treatment. ...

Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is a common condition that affects an estimated 10 percent of new mothers, causing symptoms of sadness and anxiety during this new and often overwhelming experience. This condition often develops as a result of the physical, emotional, hormonal and life changes that take place after childbirth and as a woman adjusts to motherhood. ...

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric disorder involving delusions, hallucinations, paranoia and terrifying thoughts. Research has shown that approximately one percent of the population suffer with this condition.

The symptoms of schizophrenia most often become evident in early adulthood, beginning a bit earlier in men than in women. In addition to seeing and hearing things that are not present, schizophrenic patients may believe that other people have invaded their minds or are controlling their thoughts. They may perceive themselves to be in grave danger. With such disturbing thoughts, it is no wonder that patients with this disorder behave in bizarre ways, express garbled ideas, and have difficulty living their lives in the real world. ...

ADHD in Children

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects children, with symptoms often continuing into adulthood. Common symptoms of ADHD include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. ADHD affects the behavior of children both at home and in school. According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately eleven percent of children in the United States are diagnosed with ADHD. Boys are more commonly diagnosed with this condition than girls. Children with ADHD often struggle in school, have poor self-esteem and may be at an increased risk for drug and alcohol abuse as they get older. With treatment, however, most people with ADHD can lead successful and productive lives. ...

Aphasia

Aphasia is a communication disorder that leaves patients unable to effectively express or understand spoken or written language. The possibility of recovery from aphasia depends on its cause, which part of the brain is affected, and how extensive the damage is. There are many types of aphasia, and a patient may suffer from more than one type. Aphasia can result from physical or psychological trauma, or from a degenerative process. Aphasia has a variety of causes. Most commonly, the condition results from a stroke or progressive dementia. Other causes of aphasia may include: ...

Athletic Stress

While physical exercise has proven to be a powerful tool in stress management, athletic endeavors can create stress of their own. A certain amount of stress is inherent in competitive sports, but managing athletic stress is necessary in maintaining physical and mental fitness. Stressors involved in athletic involvement include: ...

Binge Eating Disorders

A binge eating disorder is an eating disorder where people consume unusually large amounts of food in one sitting. Many people who are binge eaters feel a lack of control over their eating and may feel extremely depressed and guilty after a binge eating episode. Binge eaters may be overweight or obese, but can also be of normal weight. Binge eaters are twice as likely to be women than men. There is no specific cause for binge eating but it may be a result of family history, biological factors, long-term dieting and psychological issues. Binge eating may be caused by depression or anxiety or may be the result of painful childhood experiences or family problems. ...

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition that is characterized by extreme fatigue that does not improve with rest. Fatigue caused by this condition is ongoing and may worsen after physical activity or mental exertion. Anyone can suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, although it is most common in middle aged women. The exact cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown which makes this condition difficult to treat. ...

Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations

When an employee's job performance has been called into question, a Fitness-for-Duty (FFD) evaluation may be ordered by the employer. An FFD evaluation determines whether there are physical and/or psychological issues that are affecting the employee's job performance. An FFD evaluation may also be requested in advance of hiring someone in order to determine the likelihood of success on the job. FFD evaluations are performed for government agencies, the military, police departments and some private companies. ...

Health Education

Health education is as powerful a tool in treating emotional problems as it is in treating "physical" ones. Health educators are trained to understand how different fields of health overlap and affect one other, and to disseminate their healthcare knowledge to individuals, groups and entire communities. Their job is to improve health literacy so that people can become their own healthcare advocates, and advocates for those close to them. Health education, invaluable in school and university classrooms, is equally as important in wellness programs in government agencies, businesses and organizations, and in outreach programs in rural, suburban and inner city communities. Health education's goal is to promote, maintain and, when possible, restore health. ...

Independent Medical Examinations

When a worker is injured on the job, or has a work-related injury where company liability is an issue, a claims manager for the employer or the insurance company will often authorize an independent medical examination, or IME. This examination is designed to validate the claim before the employer agrees to provide compensation in personal injury or workman's compensation cases.The assumption is made that patients' own doctors may be biased in the patients' favor and may not give a totally impartial reports, so during an IME workers will be examined by doctors or therapists previously unknown to them. ...

Legal Evaluations

In cases in which it is necessary to evaluate a person's mental or psychological capacity to make legal decisions, a licensed forensic psychiatrist or psychologist is often called upon. If the person whose judgment is being evaluated is dead, the evaluator investigates the circumstances surrounding the deceased's capability to act independently and with full awareness at the time the legal decision was made. Specific evaluations that often need to be made are discussed below. ...

Licensed Professional Counselors

Licensed professional counselors are providers of mental health care. They are qualified to perform their duties in various government and nonprofit arenas. In most states in the United States, those who have a licensed professional counselor (LPC) certification are also granted the privilege of engaging in private practice. A few states have a two-tier program in which only counselors in the higher tier are granted this privilege. ...

Other Mental Health Care Professionals

In addition to psychiatrists, social workers, professional counselors and psychiatric nurse practitioners, there are several other types of mental health care workers providing valuable services in various aspects of mental health care. Although specific training is required for each specialty, there are common elements involving patient care, confidentiality and compassion. ...

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) are mental health care professionals who begin their professional careers by attending nursing school, and then going on to complete either master's or doctoral degrees. They are trained to work with individuals and families with psychiatric disorders, and to consult with groups, communities, legislators, educators and corporations. They provide a full range of psychiatric and mental health care, including the administration of psychotherapy and the prescription of medications. In at least 20 states, psychiatric nurses are licensed to treat patients in private-practice venues. ...

Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists are medical doctors specializing in psychiatry, the branch of medicine dealing with illnesses of the psyche (mind). Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental, addiction, emotional and psychotic disorders. Although in past decades it was not uncommon for psychiatrists to specialize in psychotherapy or psychoanalysis, and treat patients without the use of medication, in recent years psychiatrists have become more likely to concentrate only on prescribing psychotropic medication, and then sending their patients to other practitioners for ongoing psychotherapy. ...

Security Clearance

Security clearance is required for access to classified information of any type. Although necessary for many government positions, security clearance may be required for positions within private companies that deal with highly sensitive information. Once it is determined that an employee needs to have access to sensitive information, she or he has to be thoroughly vetted. Whether employed by a government agency or a private company, an employee's access to classified information should never be given solely on the basis of rank, position or title, and should be revoked as soon as it is no longer necessary. ...

Sleep Disorders in Children

Many children suffer from sleep disorders that prevent them from getting a sufficient amount of sleep. Sleep disorders and insufficient amounts of sleep in children, can affect brain development, cause behavioral problems, and impact the overall quality of life for children and their families. Sleep problems can also cause anxiety and depression in children. In some cases, sleep deprived children may show hyperactive or inattentive behavior during the day, instead of tiredness. These children are sometimes misdiagnosed and treated for attention deficit hyperactive disorders, when the actual problem is a sleep disorder. ...