Patient Education

Valley Psychiatric Services Inc. 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.

Valley Psychiatric Services Inc. provides a full range of medical services including the following:

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. ...

Adult ADHD

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD, is chronic disorder that includes symptoms of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. ADHD is commonly diagnosed in young children, however, many people continue to suffer from this condition as adults. Adult ADHD is typically more subtle and harder to diagnose, but affects many adults that were diagnosed as children. Most adults with ADHD had ADHD as children, even if it was never diagnosed. Some people with ADHD have fewer symptoms as they get older, while others continue to have significant symptoms as adults. ...

Autism FAQs

What is autism?

Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is the most common pervasive developmental disorder, affecting more than 1 percent of children. The condition interferes with communication skills and social interaction and involves ritualized and repetitive behavioral patterns. It is usually diagnosed during early childhood. Early interventional treatments have been demonstrated to help children with the disorder develop improved language and social skills and to cope more successfully with their environment. ...

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. ...

Behavioral Consultations

Children with behavior problems often cause concern among parents as they may not be able to handle certain disruptive or inappropriate behaviors. A behavioral consultation allows our doctor to observe your child's natural activity and interaction, as well as interview the parents, teachers or other involved adults, in order to assess behavior and develop a solution. ...

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), also known as dysmorphophobia, the fear of having a deformity, is a chronic psychiatric disorder in which patients become preoccupied with a perceived physical defect in a body part.

A patient with BDD may obsess about the size, shape or texture of a facial feature, thigh, arm muscles or genitalia, or the presence or absence of hair, feeling ashamed to the extent that normal functioning becomes difficult or impossible. Although the defect is imaginary or wildly exaggerated in the patient's mind, for the patient with BDD it dwarfs all other aspects of personal physical reality. BDD is a serious illness. Left untreated, it may lead to suicidal thoughts or actions. ...

Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder, or BPD, is a psychiatric disorder characterized by mood instability, impulsive behavior and difficulties with relationships. The symptoms usually appear in adolescence or young adulthood, but may begin to be evident in childhood.

Risk Factors for BPD

The precise causes of borderline personality disorder are unknown, but there seem to be genetic and environmental factors at play in the development of the condition. Studies of twins have demonstrated a hereditary link to the disorder. In patients with BPD there appear to be abnormalities on the genes regulating emotions and impulse control. Females are three times more likely to be diagnosed with BPD than males. ...

Child and Adolescent Counseling

Mental health is an important part of a child's overall health and has a profound impact on a child's physical health and his or her ability to succeed in school and in society. The mental health of a child is as important as the child's physical health in affecting how the child thinks, feels, and acts, both on the inside and outside. Mental health issues can have a long term impact on a child's ability to fulfill his or her potential as an adolescent and as an adult. ...

Family Therapy

Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that treats two or more members of the same family. Family therapists study and help to improve the dynamics in a family in which one or more members is experiencing mental distress.

Family therapy is based on the premise that, because interaction among family members is so close and intense, the beliefs, personality and experiences of each member affect the well-being of the family as a whole. The designated "patient" in a given family not only has an impact on the other members, but may be the subconsciously designated representative of the entire family's inner turmoil. ...