Anxiety and Panic Disorder Management
Anxiety and Panic Disorder Management is specialist psychiatric care combining evidence-based medication, CBT, and structured self-management strategies -- providing lasting relief from debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, and avoidance behaviours that significantly restrict daily life.
Overview
Key Benefits
Discover the advantages of choosing our anxiety and panic disorder management services.
Most patients achieve significant anxiety reduction within 8 to 16 weeks of combined treatment
Understanding the anxiety response transforms the experience from terrifying to manageable
SSRIs provide sustained anxiety relief with low dependence risk compared to benzodiazepines
Graded exposure eliminates the avoidance maintaining anxiety disorders through direct behavioural change
Combination of medication and CBT provides superior long-term outcomes compared to either alone
Clinical Features
The technology, techniques and clinical approach behind our anxiety and panic disorder management.
Validated anxiety measures at every appointment provide objective treatment response tracking
Psychoeducation on the anxiety response provided at the first appointment as it independently reduces symptoms
SSRI initiated at sub-therapeutic dose with gradual titration preventing paradoxical early anxiety increase
Graded exposure hierarchy collaboratively designed and paced to the patient's specific fears
Written relapse prevention plan developed before discharge from specialist care
Preparation Instructions
Engage fully with all recommended treatments including the psychological components which require practice. Reduce caffeine, alcohol, and cannabis as these all worsen anxiety. Practice prescribed relaxation techniques daily. Attend every scheduled therapy and medication review appointment. Contact your psychiatric team promptly if anxiety significantly worsens or if you develop low mood or thoughts of self-harm alongside your anxiety.
The Procedure
Step-by-step guide to what you can expect during your anxiety and panic disorder management procedure.
Comprehensive Anxiety Assessment
A detailed assessment of anxiety symptoms onset triggers physical sensations avoidance behaviours and quality of life impact uses validated measures such as the GAD-7 and Panic Disorder Severity Scale to quantify severity and establish the baseline.
Psychoeducation on Anxiety
The biology of anxiety is explained -- the fight-or-flight response adrenaline surges hyperventilation and why the body produces alarming sensations. This transforms the experience from unexplained terror to an understandable physiological process.
Medication Initiation and Titration
SSRI or SNRI is initiated at low dose and gradually increased over 2 to 4 weeks. The expected timeline for benefit (4 to 8 weeks) common side effects and the importance of continuing despite early discomfort are carefully explained.
Cognitive Techniques
Specific cognitive techniques interrupt catastrophic thought spirals -- thought challenging de-catastrophising probability estimation and attentional retraining. These are practiced in sessions and assigned as homework for real-world application.
Behavioural Interventions and Exposure
Graded exposure to feared situations breaks the avoidance cycle. Interoceptive exposure for panic disorder deliberately induces feared physical sensations in a safe context reducing their power to trigger panic.
Relapse Prevention Planning
A personalised relapse prevention plan is developed identifying early warning signs maintaining therapeutic gains through continued exposure and cognitive techniques and knowing when to seek professional support again if anxiety returns significantly.
What to Expect
Your psychiatrist will conduct a comprehensive clinical assessment and collaboratively design a treatment plan that may include medication, CBT referral, or both. Psychoeducation about the anxiety response -- explaining the fight-or-flight mechanism -- is provided at the first appointment as this alone reduces catastrophic interpretation of physical anxiety symptoms. Follow-up appointments monitor response to treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about anxiety and panic disorder management.
Related Services
Explore other services in our Psychiatry department.
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Psychiatric Medication Management
Ready to Get Started?
Schedule your consultation today and take the first step towards better health.