Specialist Services

PSYCHIATRIST AUSTRALIA

 

Psychiatrist Canberra Australia for Anxiety disorders, Bipolar disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Anxiety

An anxiety disorder can develop in several ways. A better understanding of anxiety and its different types is a positive first step towards learning how to deal with anxiety.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder 

Most people feel anxious and worried from time to time, especially when faced with stressful situations like taking an exam. People with GAD, however, feel anxious and worried most of the time, not just in specific stressful situations, and these worries are intense, persistent and interfere with their normal lives. Their worries relate to several aspect of everyday life, including work, health, family and/or financial issues, rather than just one issue. Even minor things such as household chores or being late for an appointment can become the focus of anxiety.

Social Anxiety Disorder 

For people with social phobia (sometimes known as social anxiety disorder), performing in front of others and social situations can lead to intense anxiety.

As a result, they might feel anxious about:

  • meeting new people
  • speaking or performing in front of other people
  • going to meetings or parties
  • catching public transport
  • or being watched while eating or drinking.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is characterized by: 

  • Presence of recurring and unexpected panic attacks.
  • Worrying for at least a month after having a panic attack that you will have another one.
  • Worrying about the implications or consequences of a panic attack (such as thinking that the panic attack is a sign of an undiagnosed medical problem). For example, some people have repeated medical tests due to these worries and, despite reassurance, still have fears of being unwell.
  • Significant changes in behaviour that relate to the panic attacks (such as avoiding activities)

 

Specific Phobia 

Some people react to objects, activities or situations (the phobic stimulus) by imagining or irrationally exaggerating the danger. Their feelings of panic, fear or terror are completely out of proportion to the actual threat. Sometimes the mere thought of the phobic stimulus, or the sight of it on TV, is enough to cause a reaction. These types of excessive reactions may be indicative of a specific phobia. 

 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A person with PTSD experiences four main types of difficulties.

Trauma counselling

Psychiatrists or psychologists specifically trained in working with trauma help people to gain control over disempowering memories safely. PTSD treatments included EMDR therapy and trauma focussed CBT.

EMDR is an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR is a recommended treatment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for PTSD.

Apps: PTSD Coach – PTSD: National Center for PTSD (va.gov)

The PTSD Coach app can help you learn about and manage symptoms that often occur after trauma.

Features include:

  • Reliable information on PTSD and treatments that work
  • Tools for screening and tracking your symptoms
  • Convenient, easy-to-use tools to help you handle stress symptoms
  • Direct links to support and help
  • Always with you when you need it.

Psychiatrist Canberra Australia

 

Bipolar disorder

People with Bipolar Affective disorder suffer recurrent episodes of high, or elevated moods (mania or hypomania) or depression.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A person has ongoing unwanted/intrusive thoughts and fears that cause anxiety. Although the person may acknowledge these thoughts as silly, they often try to relieve their anxiety by carrying out certain behaviours or rituals.

 

 

Psychiatrist Canberra Australia for Anxiety disorders, Bipolar disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Therapies:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) : Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is based on mindfulness (being aware of the present moment). It includes accepting negative thoughts and emotions and to think of them as passing through, and not defining you.

 

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that our emotions are produced by our thoughts. It asks you to challenge unhelpful ‘head-talk’– the things we tell ourselves every day. In CBT, your therapist asks you to provide the evidence for this thought, and the evidence against it. Therapist will then ask you to suggest a more balanced view of the situation by seeing both sides.

 

  • Mindfulness: Mindfulness is where you are encouraged to focus on the present moment, rather than worrying about past or future events. Mindfulness can be used to help with depression and anxiety.

 

  • Solution focussed therapy : is a short-term goal-focused evidence-based therapeutic approach, which incorporates positive psychology principles and practices, and which helps a person change by constructing solutions rather than focusing on problems.

 

Psychiatrist Canberra Australia for Anxiety disorders, Bipolar disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Obsessive-compulsive disorders.