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Anxiety Disorders

What are anxiety disorders?

Anxiety disorders are psychiatric disorders characterized by a sense of nervousness, restlessness or worry. There are many types of anxiety disorders such as Generalized Anxiety disorder (GAD), Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as Social anxiety disorder amongst others.

What are the causes of anxiety disorders?

Anxiety disorders, just as other psychiatric conditions are caused by a combination of environmental factors which are commonly referred to as psychosocial stressors, as well as genetics which combined can cause a chemical imbalance leading to an anxiety disorder.

How are anxiety disorders diagnosed?

Anxiety disorders are diagnosed with a comprehensive evaluation which includes a detailed interview with questions posed to patients that tease out particular symptoms, as well as an observation of the patient and their behaviors/mannerisms by way of a mental status examination.

How do you know when worry turns into anxiety that needs treatment?

When your worries become excessive, pervasive or intrusive and start to interfere with your functioning in your professional or personal life affecting your work, relationships or your ability to tend to your activities of daily living then they likely have turned into anxiety that needs to be treated.

How are anxiety disorders treated?

Anxiety disorders are treated best with a combination of psychopharmacology, which is psychiatric medications such as antidepressant and anxiolytic medication as well as psychotherapy, more commonly referred to as talk therapy

Can anxiety disorders be prevented?

There is no clear way to “prevent” an anxiety disorder from developing. However, certain factors can make you more susceptible to developing an anxiety disorder such as stressors related to relationships, finances, etc, as well as a family member with a known anxiety disorder.

What is Obsessive compulsive disorder?

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a pattern of anxiety where an individual has current obsessive intrusive thoughts and/or compulsive repetitive behaviors that are severe enough to be time consuming (such as taking more than 1 hour a day) or cause marked distress or significant impairment. At some point during the course of the disorder the person ( if an adult) experiencing the symptoms recognizes that the obsessions and/or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable.

What is the difference between obsessions and compulsions?

Obsessions are repetitive intrusive thoughts and compulsions are repetitive behaviors or acts.

When should I talk to a doctor about OCD?

You should most definitely talk to a doctor, specifically if possible to a psychiatrist about OCD as soon as you notice that the obsessions and or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable.

How is OCD treated?

OCD is treated with certain kinds of psychotherapy such as exposure response prevention as well as medication, namely antidepressants at high dosages.

Can a psychiatrist help with OCD?

Yes most certainly a psychiatrist can and in fact a psychiatrist would be the best practitioner you could approach to treat OCD.

Is OCD considered a psychiatric disorder?

Yes OCD is considered a psychiatric disorder and is included in the DSM 5 and most recently in the DSM 5 TR.

What is PTSD?

PTSD stands for Post traumatic stress disorder. It is an anxiety disorder that can develop following exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor involving direct personal experience of an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or other threat to ones physical integrity; or witnessing an event that involves death, injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of another person; or learning about unexpected or violent death, serious harm or threat of death or injury experienced by a family member or other close associate.

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

Some symptoms include, persistent re-experiencing of a traumatic event and persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma such as certain places, sights, people, sounds and/or smells. People can experience a numbing of general responsiveness as well as persistent symptoms of increased arousal. Symptoms such as intrusive memories and flashbacks (reliving the situation while awake) and nightmares (reliving the situation while asleep) are examples of the re-experiencing of the traumatic event. Being hyper vigilant and/or easily startled is an example of the increased arousal symptoms and experiencing anxiety such as panic attacks with triggers related to prior trauma, whether it be sights, sounds or smells related to a traumatic events would also be an example of a reexperiencing of the traumatic event in a way.

How is PTSD treated?

PTSD is best treated by a combination of psychotherapy/talk therapy along with psychiatric medication.

DO psychiatrists help with PTSD?

Yes, psychiatrists help with PTSD

How does a psychiatrist treat PTSD?

Psychiatrists treat PTSD with a combination approach which includes psychotherapy as well as psychiatric medication.

What type of therapist is best for PTSD and trauma?

Psychiatrists treat PTSD with a combination approach which includes psychotherapy as well as psychiatric medA therapist that has a special interest in trauma, and specific trainings related to that such as trauma focused Cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), Stress Inoculation therapy (a type of CBT) Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive processing therapy (CPT), Prolonged exposure therapy ication.

How does a psychiatrist diagnose PTSD?

There are certain diagnostic criteria for PTSD and a psychiatrist uses a clinical interview which includes current, ongoing symptoms as well as past symptoms and history and also does a mental status examination by observing and interacting with the patient before coming to a diagnosis. A history of past trauma is also examined closely.

Do psychiatrists help with trauma?

Psychiatrists most certainly help with trauma as they are trained in psychotherapy as part of their residency training and are psychopharmacologists well versed in medication management for PTSD symptoms as well.

What is trauma psychiatry?

Trauma psychiatry is the practice of mental health related to all disorders that are in part caused by trauma.

Are psychiatrist trauma informed?

Yes, psychiatrists are trauma informed as being so is part of their postgraduate/residency training that they undergo for 4 years after medical school in order to become a psychiatrist.

Can a psychiatrist help with panic attacks?

Yes a psychiatrist can help with panic attacks

Should I see a psychiatrist for panic attacks?

Yes, a psychiatrist would be one of the best practitioners you could see for panic attacks as they can prescribe medications as well as provide talk therapy and research has shown that for most psychiatric disorders combined treatment with talk therapy/psychotherapy along with medication management is superior to either treatment modality by itself.

What type of doctor should I see for panic attacks?

Preferably a psychiatrist should be your first choice for a doctor to see for panic attacks.

How do I choose a psychiatrist for anxiety?

Reading up about your psychiatrist is always a good idea. Reading about their areas of interest and if possible doing a brief phone consultation with them prior to your evaluation to assess if they will be a good fit for you or not, is a good idea. Often a brief interaction can give you an idea about fit.

What therapist is best for childhood trauma?

A therapist that takes a keen interest in trauma and has trained specifically in trauma specific psychotherapy approaches.

What mental disorders are caused by childhood trauma?

Children who are exposed to trauma and abuse have a higher chance of developing “a heightened stress response”. This may impact their ability to regulate their emotions, lower immune function, experience sleep difficulties and increase the risk of physical illnesses throughout adulthood. The following are mental disorders most commonly caused by childhood trauma:

  • Adjustment Disorder
  • Acute stress Disorder (ASD)
  • Post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Reactive attachment Disorder (RAD)
  • Disinhibited social engagement Disorder (DSED)
  • Unclassified and unspecified trauma Disorders

What are the 6 categories of childhood trauma?

The 6 categories of childhood trauma generally include the following:

  • Physical, Sexual, Emotional and Verbal abuse
  • Physical neglect
  • Emotional neglect
  • Mental illness
  • Divorce
  • Substance Abuse

What do psychologists say about childhood trauma?

According to Katie Mclaughlin, PhD, as associate professor of psychology at Harvard University, children exposed to severe maltreatment and trauma during their early childhood are at a higher risk of developing mental disorders. Exposure to adversity in childhood is a powerful predictor of health outcomes later in life – not only mental health outcomes like depression and anxiety, but also physical health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

What are the 7 types of emotional abuse?

The following are the 7 types of emotional abuse:

  1. Accusing, Blaming and Denial
  2. Unrealistic Expectations
  3. Ignoring
  4. Terrorizing
  5. Isolating
  6. Corrupting
  7. Exploiting

What are considered examples of emotional abuse?

Emotionally abusive individuals typically have traits in common, such as the following;

  1. They are Manipulative
  2. They often dismiss others and their feelings
  3. They are possessive and controlling
  4. They ignore boundaries or invade the privacy of others
  5. They are Hyper-critical or Judgmental towards others

What are the four types of emotional abuse?

Emotional abuse can take many forms. A few types of emotional abuse include:

  • Humiliating or constantly criticizing someone
  • Threatening and shouting at someone
  • Blaming and scapegoating.
  • Making someone perform degrading acts.