What are Anxiety Disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety, Panic & OCD?
Anxiety Disorders refer to a group of psychiatric conditions that result in periods of time with significant distress or impairment secondary to levels of anxiety or stress. They include Panic Attack Disorder (Panic), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Specific Phobias, Social Anxiety Disorder and others. These conditions are treatable medical illnesses that are characterized by excessive fear or worry, resulting in levels of distress beyond what is appropriate given the situation. Dr. Pagnani treats all of the above Anxiety disorders at his offices in Philadelphia, Manhattan & Wilmington, DE and he provides virtual Telehealth appointments for anxiety treatment as well.
What are Panic Attacks and How are they Treated in Philadelphia, Manhattan and Delaware?
Panic attacks are incredibly distressing. They can have different presentations, but it is not uncommon for someone to feel dizzy, lightheaded, completely overwhelmed, tremulous, short of breath, or make someone concerned that they’re having a heart attack, causing them to go to the ER. They can last for 5-10 minutes, or even longer. While an individual can often identify a trigger, it’s unfortunately not all that uncommon for these to occur out of the blue. When that happens, the unpredictability of panic attacks can cause further distress and anxiety “about the anxiety” – which can be a vicious cycle. Fortunately, panic attacks are a very treatable condition. Panic attack treatment in Philadelphia, Manhattan, Delaware and the areas that we serve may involve therapy, medication management, behavioral modification and other modalities. We will often request laboratory studies (such as a thyroid panel) and discuss exercise, caffeine use, alcohol and other substance use, life stressors, and other factors that could be playing a role in one’s vulnerability to panic attacks. Treatment for Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder in Philadelphia can be extremely beneficial. Medication for panic attacks can include blood pressure and cardiovascular medications such as Beta Blockers (propranolol, Atenolol), “anti-depressants” or SSRIs/SNRIs (which are actually often a first line treatment for anxiety conditions) and “as needed” anxiety medications. Many individuals do not realize that there are non-controlled and non-addictive as needed medications for panic disorder treatment. Controlled medications (such as benzodiazepines like klonopin, ativan and xanax) can be helpful, but need to be used with caution. Dr. Pagnani will take the time to discuss options, risks and benefits of all of these treatment modalities, with appropriate patients.
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder and how is it treated in Philadelphia, Manhattan, Delaware and the Areas that you Serve?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a condition where individuals feel an increased level of anxiety or stress, most days of the week, and the level of anxiety is out of proportion to what most would expect, given the same triggers. Individuals will often state that they worry about “all kinds of things… everything,” which differentiates it from a specific phobia. Patients may ruminate about their health, relationships, finances, world events and occurrences, and may tend to assume worst case scenarios, when it comes to the future or any unknown. There’s a great deal of stress in this world, but if that stress is affecting your ability to be present with family, friends and loved ones, your ability to function at work or school, your ability to care for yourself, or is causing physical symptoms (such as nausea, upset stomach, headaches, muscle tension, jaw soreness or fatigue) you would likely benefit from treatment by a specialist in anxiety disorders. Dr. Pagnani evaluates patients for generalized anxiety disorder and its treatment at his offices in Philadelphia, Manhattan and Delaware and he provides virtual Telehealth appointments for Generalized Anxiety Treatment as well.
What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and how is it treated in Philadelphia, Manhattan, Delaware and the Areas that you Serve?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a Psychiatric condition that can cause an incredible amount of distress for the individual. Patients may suffer from obsessions, compulsions or both.
An obsession is a image or thought, that may seem strange or even inappropriate, that will repeat over and over in a person’s mind, even though it bothers them. Obsessions say nothing about the person’s character, but unfortunately individuals who experience this, often will criticize themselves for their obsessions – as if it’s their fault. Obsessions typically fall into the following categories: symmetry, religious, contamination (germ), sexual, violent and others.
Compulsions are acts that individuals perform, typically in response to having obsessions. For example, a person who has obsessions related to germs or contamination, may wash their hands for hours a day. Individuals with obsessions that are violent, may compulsively drive around their block, making sure that they did not run someone over while driving back from work, patients who struggle with sexual obsessions related to their orientation may look for evidence that they are, or are not, of a certain orientation, or may compulsively ask for reassurance from their friends about their identity.
Treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in Philadelphia, Manhattan, Delaware and the areas that we serve can involve psychotherapy (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT), Medication Management for OCD, or both. Dr. Pagnani works closely with several psychologists who offer CBT for OCD and he himself, is a specialist in medication management for the treatment of OCD. He can see patients for in-office initial evaluations in Philadelphia, Manhattan or Wilmington, DE or virtually for intakes and follow-ups via Telehealth Psychiatric appointments.
Additional Considerations for Anxiety Treatment in Philadelphia and Surrounding Areas
If an individual is suffering from an anxiety disorder, it may be prudent to schedule an evaluation and receive treatment from a Psychiatrist or mental health provider in Philadelphia, Manhattan or Delaware with focused training on anxiety disorder treatment. This is because one’s level of stress or anxiety may be influenced by various factors including non-psychiatric medications, medical illness, diet, exercise, hormonal changes, the season and alcohol and illicit substance use. Proper psychiatric diagnosis and treatment is aided by not only a full psychiatric evaluation, but a full medical workup as well (often including laboratory studies).
Anxiety Disorder treatment should be tailored to the individual. The treatment of stress or anxiety disorders may include psychotherapy, the initiation of psychiatric medications or both. A complete evaluation by a Psychiatrist or mental health specialist is important, as treatment may vary from changing a non-psychiatric medication that is causing anxiety (and coordinating with other providers), to the initiation of a psychiatric medication targeting one’s symptoms directly, to therapy and the implementation of change, regarding one’s stressors and/or behaviors.
Why Choose Dr. Pagnani’s Practice for Anxiety Disorder Treatment?
- Unlike large national Telehealth companies, we provide comprehensive, thorough and holistic treatment for Anxiety Disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attack Disorder, OCD and PTSD. We are able to provide psychotherapy for Anxiety Disorders and Medication Management as well.
- We provide both in-office and virtual Telehealth appointments for the treatment of Anxiety Disorders. Initial visits are either in-office in Philadelphia, Manhattan or Wilmington or virtual, and follow-ups are typically Telehealth Psychiatric appointments.
- We are mindful of the over-prescription of psychiatric medications, and aim to utilize the fewest number of medications, at the lowest effective doses for our patients. We strive to minimize the risk of poly-pharmacy and over-medication.
- Dr. Pagnani will take the time to discuss diet, exercise, meditation and other aspects of a holistic plan for a patient’s Anxiety disorder treatment.
- Dr. Pagnani is a trusted psychiatric expert in the community. He has been recognized as a “Top Doc” in the Philadelphia area since 2020, he has appeared on Good Day Philadelphia to provide expert commentary on Psychiatric conditions and treatment, he is frequently asked for expert commentary by local press and area journalists, and he serves as an Instructor at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and supervises Psychiatry residents at Jefferson Hospital.
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