Emotional Dysregulation & Adult Psychiatric Care in Maryland & DC | MJB Holistic

MJB Holistic provides psychiatric evaluation and treatment for adults experiencing emotional dysregulation, mood lability, or what is sometimes called emotional disturbance. Available to Maryland and DC residents via telehealth and in-person at our Upper Marlboro, MD office. Care is delivered by a board-certified PMHNP-BC.

If your emotions feel like they are running you instead of the other way around, you are not alone — and you are not broken. Emotional dysregulation is a common experience and a treatable pattern. The work is figuring out what's driving it and what set of tools (and possibly medications) help you regain steadier footing.

What "Emotional Dysregulation" Means

Emotional dysregulation is a pattern, not a single diagnosis. People describe it as:

• Emotions hitting harder, faster, or longer than seems proportionate
• Going from calm to overwhelmed in seconds
• Difficulty calming down once activated
• Feeling out of control during emotional moments
• Saying or doing things during big emotions that you regret afterward
• Mood shifts within a single day, sometimes within hours
• Feeling numb or disconnected, then suddenly flooded

These descriptions overlap several formal diagnoses — borderline personality disorder, ADHD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression with anxious features, and others. The pattern matters more than the label, and they are not all treated the same way.

What Often Drives Dysregulation

• ADHD — particularly the emotional regulation difficulties that come with it (this is under-recognized in adults)
• Trauma — including developmental trauma, even when there is no "single big event" to point to
• Mood disorders — bipolar spectrum, depression with mixed features
• Anxiety — especially when emotions are fueled by under-the-surface worry
• Sleep deprivation, chronic stress, hormonal changes, substances
• Co-occurring conditions stacking on top of each other

How We Approach It

A careful evaluation is the first step. We want to understand:

• When the pattern started and what was happening around then
• Your developmental and trauma history (when you are ready to share)
• Sleep, substance use, hormonal factors, medical conditions
• How the pattern shows up — at work, at home, in relationships
• What has helped or hurt in the past

Treatment depends on what we find. Common pieces include:

Where Medication Fits

Medication does not directly "fix" emotional regulation, but it can address conditions that drive dysregulation. Examples:

• Treating underlying ADHD often dramatically improves emotional regulation
• Treating co-occurring anxiety or depression reduces the emotional load
• Treating bipolar spectrum mood instability with appropriate mood stabilizers (when warranted)
• Treating PTSD-related hyperarousal

We are honest about what medication can and cannot do. Pure emotional regulation skills come from therapy and lived practice — particularly DBT and similar evidence-based skills training.

Coordinated Care

Most people with significant emotional dysregulation benefit from a therapist as well as a prescriber. We work with DBT-trained and skills-based therapists across Maryland and DC and can help you connect.

Insurance Accepted

We accept the following insurance plans:

• Aetna
• Cigna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (CareFirst MD, FEP, out-of-state BCBS)
• UnitedHealthcare
• Maryland Medicaid (Priority Partners, Aetna Better Health, Maryland Physicians Care, MedStar Family Choice, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Wellpoint, CareFirst Community Health Plan)
• DC Medicaid (AmeriHealth Caritas DC, MedStar Family Choice DC, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Plan DC)
• TriCare Prime, TriCare Select, Humana Military
• Johns Hopkins Health Plans (USFHP, EHP, Priority Partners, Advantage MD)
• Peach State Health Plan (for Georgia residents)

We verify your benefits before your first visit. To check coverage, call (301) 381-3622.

About the Provider

Care is provided by Melveena Johnson-Bolden, PMHNP-BC — a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is an advanced-practice nurse trained to evaluate, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions, including prescribing and managing psychiatric medications, within state scope-of-practice rules.

How to Schedule

Getting you seen quickly matters to us. We do our best to accommodate each patient's needs as soon as possible — same-day and next-day appointments are often possible, subject to availability. Call or book online and we'll find the soonest opening that works for you.

You can book online through our scheduling portal or call our Maryland office:

• Book online
• Call: (301) 381-3622
• Office: 1300 Mercantile Lane, Suite 129-14, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 (Georgia residents are seen by telehealth only)

We work to meet at a frequency that works best for each client. It's common to meet every 4 weeks at the start, then every 1-3 months once stable.

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Related Topics

Other resources from MJB Holistic that may be helpful:

• Anxiety Treatment
• Depression Treatment
• ADHD Testing & Treatment
• PTSD Treatment
• Bipolar Disorder Treatment
• Psychiatric Medication Management
• What to Expect at Your First Visit

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same thing as bipolar disorder?

Sometimes, but often not. Mood shifts within a day are usually not bipolar disorder — bipolar mood episodes typically last days to weeks. We assess carefully because the treatments are different.

I was told I have BPD. Does that fit here?

Yes. Borderline personality disorder is one common context for severe emotional dysregulation. We support people with BPD and work alongside DBT-trained therapists.

I think I might have ADHD. Could that explain it?

It might. Adult ADHD is under-recognized, and the emotional regulation aspect is one of the most overlooked features. We evaluate for it and discuss whether testing or a treatment trial makes sense.

Will medication change my personality?

No. Medication addresses underlying conditions. Many people describe feeling "more like themselves" rather than "different" — because the noise gets quieter.

Can therapy alone be enough?

For some people, yes — especially DBT or similar skills-based work. For others, treating an underlying condition with medication is what makes the therapy actually land. We will give you our honest read.

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Care provided by Melveena Johnson-Bolden, PMHNP-BC. MJB Holistic & Therapeutic Services, LLC. 1300 Mercantile Lane, Suite 129-14, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774. Phone: (301) 381-3622.