Dr. Elizabeth Adele Finley-Belgrad, MD, MEd
Adolescent Psychiatrist | Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
997 Boardman-Canfield Rd Youngstown OH, 44512Rating
3/5
About
Dr. Elizabeth Finley-Belgrad practices Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in Youngstown, OH. Dr. Finley-Belgrad evaluates patients throughout childhood and adolescence using many different procedures, in order to determine what treatments must be carried out in order to properly assess their symptoms. Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists are trained and certified to administer psychotherapy, medication, and many other means of treatment. Dr. Finley-Belgrad seeks to improve each patients quality of life.
Provider Details
Dr. Elizabeth Adele Finley-Belgrad, MD, MEd's Expert Contributions
Why is my son afraid of the dark?
9yo‘s are pretty concrete. Probably just the uncertainty of it all. You could discuss with him all the ways he is safe and what he could do if he got worried. Really not to worry, use a night light. Would be best to use a yellow bulb to avoid suppression of melatonin, the hormone that helps him fall asleep when it is dark and is suppressed by bright light. Also look on amazon a get a book “to help kids who are afraid of the dark”. Really common, not to worry. READ MORE
Can you self diagnose bipolar disorder in teenagers?
Generally, to have a formal diagnosis in regards to anyone who would pay for it requires it be done by a physician. For some, another level of professional is accepted. Anyone can read the DMS5 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t8/) and decide if they meet those criteria. There are many things that can help people who have the symptoms of bipolar disorder to help get your life balanced in a way that can help you in many important ways: www.helpguide.org › articles › living-with-bipolar-di
How to help daughter who was bullied for being overweight?
-Talk to her about what is going on and do some problem solving. -Identify the things she wants to work on. Feeling better - help her develop friendships. -Help her develop her self esteem - identify her interests and help her find ways to explore them. -Help her report to the teacher or administration any reportable behavior and alert them. -Help her develop and maintain a healthy diet and develop some physical activities. -Counseling. To work on these things is sometimes helpful -Most of all, be there to listen, support, and comfort and help problem solve. READ MORE
Is puberty the reason my son is acting out?
It is common that teens become more private, but it sounds like your son is actually having some problems. I would get all the info you can from any source, school of course, other associations he has. The other thing that comes to mind in such circumstances, is possible substance use/abuse. This is definitely something a united front will be important for. Get on the same page as his dad. It would be very reasonable to begin with a visit to his PCP. Try to see things from his point of view and think about the fact that he seems to be distressed. Optimally, you will identify something you and he can both enjoy and can spend some time with him regularly and develop a relationship that allows him to trust you enough to share his concerns. READ MORE
My daughter is depressed about her speech problems
Yes. This is a logical stress for your daughter and she needs a place to talk about it and more importantly work on developing her abilituies and identifying thwe thigs she is good at and can achieve well with so she can focus on what she can do , not what she has trouble with READ MORE
What medicine is good for children's sleeping issues?
You need to begin with a good bedtime routine. Pick a wake-up time that works for him and STICK TO IT 7 DAYS PER WEEK. 9 hours prior to that, develop and do the same, about a 30-min process to given his body a clear message that it is time to relax and fall asleep, back rubs, epsom salt baths, reading, music. YOU WANT TO AVOID ANY SCREENS - TV, phone, computer within 1 hour of bed as the blue and green light components can suppress the body's melatonin (the chemical that helps you fall asleep when it is dark). Also, 4-500mg magnesium gluconate or citrate-natual calm is a powder you dissolve in water, amazon has natural calm gummies. This should help 1/2-3/4 of kids. If not add melatonin up to max 15mg. Also need a cool, quiet, dark, and comfy environment READ MORE
Does depression damage your brain?
Depression is more a manifestation of the brain not working quite right. Do not ignore this , he needs a good Physical exam and probably some blood work with his PCP. Optimizing his diet , cleaning away junk food good multivitamin and essential fatty acids . Depression can get a lot worse if it not addressed. Getting him involved in counseling to manage and better understand his feeling s would be a good move. Best Wishes READ MORE
Why is my son so angry?
He is in the midst of puberty, and his higher level of testosterone is part of this. He also may be having some other developmental changes in his chemicals and the anger is a manifestation of a mood problem if it gets in the way. optimizing his diet is really worth it -can be hard at this age, reduce inflammatory foods, dairy, grain, sugar, make sure he is getitng Healthy protein and fats, Good MVI, and EFA-essential fatty acids. Would be worth a good Physical exam and maybe some blood work with his Pediatrician. Get a vit D level, he may be deficient and could benefit from supplementation Pediatrician can refer him to a counselor to work on anger control and better understand any feeling he might be having that are troublesome to him . Spending regular 1 on 1 time is important so you can know how he is feeling about things and help him manage those feelings at this age. Best Wishes READ MORE
Why does my daughter only write about death?
Start by talking about it with her and asking her directly, She may be doing fine or she may be preoccupied for some reason, or possibly sad or thinking about dying herself. Direct on going contact with kids is best. If she is having trouble with her feeling sad or worried or even more distressed , I would begin with her PCP who can refer her to a counselor or psychiatrist if needed. If at any time you feel she is in danger of hurting herself you can take her to the ER or call 911 READ MORE
My daughter is addicted to her phone. What can I do?
I would talk with her directly about that and suggest there might be something regular you might do together, I would suggest it would be worth identifying some pleasurable way to regular spend time with her, Maybe a dinner out with her each week, or making a meal together to share once a week, ( work with her to identify something she and you would enjoy. Also in agreement with any other adult in the house it might be reasonable to make certain times as no phone time -meals , maybe some other times. If she were to completely refuse to participate or is disrespectful about it a hiatus from the phone would be indicated. READ MORE
At what age is it still ok for your child to have an imaginary friend?
There is no definite answer, though 9 is generally a bit older than average. It would be important . I would suggest discussing this with a professional who knows your child like his pediatrician-It would be important to understand the need that the imaginary friend plays. It may be worth having him work with a counselor to better understand the need and help him move on to a more developmentally appropriate coping mechanism. READ MORE
How do you deal with anxiety?
There are lots of good self help books out there, but another good way is to go to a counselor and they can help better understand and address anxiety. Overcoming Anxiety, Worry, and Fear By: Gregory L. Jantz Ph.D., Ann McMurray READ MORE
Can a psychologist treat mental disorders?
Yes they can do many types of treatment . Primarily in the" talking therapy "category. Psychiatrists also treat mental disorders and often use different types of therapy, but can also prescribe medication. READ MORE
Why is my child wetting the bed at age 9?
Have pediatrician ensure it is not due to a urinary tract infection. If he has never been dry it is quite possible a familial deficiency of DDAVP a hormone that has to do with fluid balance and can be deficient and can be replaced. He had been dry for more than 6mo then we need to be concerned with possible trauma or stress that could have prompted it. Pediatrician shuld be able to access and address READ MORE
What is the cause of sleepwalking?
Normally due to individual variation, commonly runs in families, most important to keep the environment safe so no injury is possible. Disrupted sleep schedule can make this more common, Keeping a regular sleep schedule and ensuring adequate sleep is the best way to minimize it Sleepwalking is most common in children, who usually outgrow it by their teens. Sleepwalking usually occurs one to two hours after falling asleep at night. Rarely, it may involve unusual behaviors, such as climbing out a window or urinating in a closet. Often, sleepwalking is a random, harmless event. Treatment may be needed if it occurs often or causes injury. Medications and hypnosis may help. Consult a doctor for medical advice Sources: Mayo Clinic and others. Learn more READ MORE
What is behavioral therapy for autism?
Most commonly ABA-applied behavioral analysis. This is a very specific therapy provided by specifically trained providers that Help children develop functional and useful behaviors (reducing unwanted behavior simultaneously). It is time intensive and expensive, covered in some states by insurance Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a type of therapy that focuses on improving specific behaviors, such as social skills, communication, reading, and academics as well as adaptive learning skills, such as fine motor dexterity, hygiene, grooming, domestic capabilities, punctuality, and job competence. www.psychologytoday.com › therapy-types › applied-behavior-analysis READ MORE
Can I do anything to stop my child from wetting the bed?
Educate him about the need to limit fluids, consider getting him up after he has gone to be when you go to bed to have him pee again. Consider if he has been stressed in some way that has caused regression and work through that if there has been something. Sometimes sensitivities to OJ, milk, corn, tomatoes, cinnamon, cocoa, chocolate, peanuts, peppers, or artificial dyes/preservatives can cause enuresis. It is also important to conform through a UA (urinanalysis) with PCP that this is not cause d by a urinary tract infection - if it is a UTI then referral to urologist would be routine as UTIs in boys are often cause d by previously unknown anomalies and require attention. Best Wishes!! READ MORE
Can stomach problems make it difficult for a child to sleep?
You bet very common. That suggests that he may have difficulty digesting some of the foods he is eating. Clean up diet remove additives and hormone disruptors from diet and environment. Consider removing inflammatory foods (dairy, grains, sugar) with this level of severity he may have a dysbiosis (imbalance in the GI bacteria that digest his food) consider probiotic use-but again with the severity may be best to begin with CDSA-comprehensive, digestive stool analysis-most GI specialists will not go this direction and just put him on acid blockers - DO NOT DO THAT. GPL(Great Plains Lab) is a good lab for CDSA and can often identify a good local practitioner that uses their testing. READ MORE
What are the benefits of using cognitive behavioral therapy versus using behavioral therapy?
Behavioral therapy just works on reinforcing certain behaviors so they become more frequent (and not reinforcing unwanted behaviors) CBT really begins by looking at the cognitive mediators that result in certain behaviors and helps educate individuals about the connections and build up more functionally useful cognition's. It is based on Aaron Becks ideas that taught us that there are cognitive mediators that result in behaviors that my result in less optimal outcomes. For instance many people with depression have developed a pattern of "automatic negative thoughts" that then lead to negative feelings, understanding that one can work on identifying the automatic negative thoughts and working on a number of strategies to alleviate and develop more positive cognition's and countering the negative ones which are most often distortions. "The Mind Coach" by Daniel Amen, MD is a book that is written for kids and teens that specifically addresses this-this is only one example. READ MORE
How to help a friend addicted to opiods?
I would identify some or a specific place help could be obtained and I would avoid reinforcing anything about the use of opoids. It might be worth sharing your concern with other appropriate helpers-also consideration of letting them know you cannot be around them or associate with them unless they get help depending on the relationship. Remember the only thing you actually have control over is your own behavior. Best Wishes!! READ MORE
Professional Society Memberships
- WAIMH, AACAP
Dr. Elizabeth Adele Finley-Belgrad, MD, MEd's Practice location
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