Patient resources · Understanding your care
Clear answers for your
mental-health care.
Plain-language guides to telehealth psychiatry, medication management, and perinatal mental health in North Carolina — written and reviewed by a board-certified PMHNP, so you know what to expect before your first visit.
Guides & articles
- Birth Trauma & Postpartum PTSD: When a Hard Birth Lingers A traumatic birth can lead to postpartum PTSD. How to recognize the signs, why it happens, and when to seek an evaluation in North Carolina. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Hypervigilance & Sleep Problems After a Traumatic Birth Can't sleep even when the baby does, and always on guard after a hard birth? Why postpartum PTSD disrupts rest, and how it differs from newborn exhaustion. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Intrusive thoughts after baby — am I a bad mom? Frightening, unwanted thoughts about your baby are a common, treatable symptom of postpartum anxiety and OCD — not a sign you'd act on them or a bad mother. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Seeing a perinatal-specialized mental health provider What it means to see a provider who specializes in pregnancy and postpartum mental health, and why that specialized training matters for you and your baby. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- PMDD and suicidal thoughts: when to get help now PMDD carries a real, elevated risk of suicidal thoughts — and the monthly timing can make it easy to dismiss. When to reach for help immediately. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- How is PMDD diagnosed? Tracking two cycles PMDD is confirmed by prospective daily symptom ratings across at least two cycles — not a single visit. Here's how the diagnosis actually works. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): an NC guide PMDD is a severe, cyclical mood disorder — not ordinary PMS. What it is, how it's diagnosed, and how it's treated by telehealth in North Carolina. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Getting PMDD care by telehealth in North Carolina How PMDD evaluation and treatment work by telehealth in NC — from starting symptom tracking to your first visit and ongoing medication management. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- PMDD treatment options: SSRIs and what else helps SSRIs are first-line for PMDD and can be taken daily or only before your period. A plain-language map of the treatment options, from medication to therapy. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- PMDD or PME? Why the difference changes treatment PMDD clears between periods; premenstrual exacerbation (PME) makes an all-month condition worse. Telling them apart decides what treatment actually helps. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- PMDD vs PMS: how do you tell the difference? PMS is uncomfortable; PMDD disrupts your life. The real difference is severity and function — and it decides whether you need treatment. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Postpartum depression treatment options in NC Postpartum depression is treatable. Therapy, antidepressants, and a newer medication approved just for PPD — how the options work and how to get care in NC. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Your mental health in the first year after birth Postpartum depression and anxiety can start any time in the first year, not just the early weeks. Why it's never too late to get help, and where to find care. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Postpartum PTSD vs. Depression vs. Anxiety Postpartum PTSD, depression, and anxiety overlap but differ. How to tell trauma symptoms apart from PPD and postpartum anxiety, and where to get help in NC. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Psychiatric medication in pregnancy & breastfeeding Can I stay on my psychiatric medication while pregnant or breastfeeding? Often yes — it's individualized, and stopping on your own is rarely safest. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- PTSD Treatment Options by Telehealth in North Carolina PTSD is treatable. The therapies with the strongest evidence, where medication fits, and how telehealth care works across North Carolina. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- PTSD & Women's Mental Health: A Guide for NC PTSD affects women about twice as often as men. How trauma shows up, how it differs from depression and anxiety, and how to get help in North Carolina. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- What Trauma-Informed Psychiatric Care Looks Like Worried an evaluation means reliving the worst day? What trauma-informed psychiatric care is, how a first telehealth visit works, and what to expect in NC. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Trauma Comes Through More Than One Door: IPV & Sexual Trauma Trauma reaches many women through intimate-partner or sexual violence. How it affects mental health, and how to find confidential support in North Carolina. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- When postpartum anxiety needs more than self-care Rest helps postpartum anxiety, but when worry is constant, physical, or running your day, it's a treatable condition. How to tell, and where to get care in NC. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Can ADHD medication be prescribed via telehealth in NC? Yes — including stimulants, currently without a prior in-person visit, under a federal telemedicine extension that runs through December 31, 2026. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Adult ADHD treatment in NC: what does real care look like? What a thorough adult ADHD evaluation involves at a North Carolina telehealth psychiatric practice — and why assessment rigor changes the treatment plan. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Anxiety treatment in North Carolina — what actually helps? Effective anxiety treatment is psychotherapy, medication, or both. What an evaluation looks for and how medication decisions get made in NC. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Depression treatment in North Carolina — where do you start? Depression treatment starts with a full evaluation, then psychotherapy, an antidepressant, or both — how each step works in North Carolina. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- When Your First Antidepressant Doesn't Work Your first antidepressant not working is common — many people improve after a dose change, a switch, or an added medication. Here's what happens next. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Pregnancy and postpartum mental health: a guide for NC moms Is what you're feeling normal? A plain guide to baby blues, postpartum depression and anxiety, and how North Carolina moms can get help fast. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Pregnancy & Postpartum Mental Health: A Guide for NC Moms Baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety during pregnancy and after birth: how to tell them apart and get help in North Carolina. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- Online Psychiatric Care in North Carolina: How It Works How online psychiatric care works in North Carolina — the evaluation, medication-management follow-ups, privacy, and payment, with self-pay welcome now. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- How does online psychiatric care work in North Carolina? Online psychiatric care in NC is a complete evaluation and ongoing medication management by video — here is how it works and who it fits. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed
- What to expect from a telehealth psychiatry visit in NC A telehealth psychiatry visit in North Carolina is a private video evaluation — your history, a diagnosis, and a medication plan you build with your clinician. By Josephine W. Hazeley, PMHNP-BC · Reviewed