Behavioral medicine is a multidisciplinary medical field that
deals with the study of how various diseases affect an individual’s behavior
and what actions of an individual can affect his mental and physical health.
It is a medical approach that integrates the knowledge and techniques obtained
from psychology and physical medicine
for the well being of individuals. These knowledge and techniques are utilized
to prevent, diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, and promote health in those people
who are in need.
Behavioral medicine cannot be considered an alternative to
psychiatry or physical medicine. It is complementary to medical practice and
helps in adapting your mind for situations that arise with physical
disabilities or with certain diseases such as arthritis, renal failure,
diabetes, and stroke or with family issues and substance abuse. This medical
specialty helps such patients to manage pain, stress, tension, anxiety,
depression, and other emotional side effects. There is increase in function
and activity tolerance with behavioral medicine. The patients get enough
strength to adjust to situations after an injury, surgery
or a disability.
Behavioral medicine makes use of behavioral methods to treat
the patients who need a change in their lifestyles. There are a number of
treatment modalities available. Some among them are biofeedback therapy,
relaxation or self regulation treatment, individual and group counseling, and
stress management skill development. Biofeedback is a therapy technique in
which monitors are used to feed back the physiological information that the
patients may not be aware of usually.
In behavioral medicine,
it is the duty of a behavioral medicine specialist to assess and treat
patients with behavioral problems. The specialist recommends the patient to
have nutrition and dietary habits, to manage anger and stress, and to improve
communication skills. For the betterment of the patient, it is ideal that the
entire family work along with the patient and doctor.
