Case Presentation: Your 11 year old male patient with Autism level 2 without intellectual or verbal impairment and Generalized Anxiety Disorder is not tolerating sertraline well (resulting in weight gain and akathisia) with minimal positive effect. Primary concerning symptoms include: agitation, quick to anger, and difficulty with changes in routine. He previously did not tolerate […]
Category Archives: Anxiety
Co-Morbidity Between Intellectual Disability and Psychiatric Symptoms 7/25/23
The presence of Intellectual Disability (ID) increases the risk for co-occurring psychiatric disorders in child, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. Behavioral and emotional problems are three times more likely to occur in these groups and they are frequently not recognized or appropriately treated. This said, problematic behaviors and emotions in this population may also be […]
Disruptive Behavior: Is It Anxiety or Something Else? 7/11/23
It is common for children and families to present to their primary care providers with concerns about behavioral problems and/or wanting to rule out ADHD. The typical presenting problem is severe temper tantrums or disruptive behavior in school. In some of these cases, the appropriate diagnosis is ADHD or another disruptive behavior disorder and treatment […]
Treatment of Insomnia in Anxiety Disorders 11/16/2017
Insomnia is a common symptom in anxiety disorders, in fact it is a criteria for several DSM-IV Anxiety Disorders. It is important to inquire about sleep disturbance as part of the assessment for anxiety disorders, especially because there is clear evidence that the presence of insomnia in anxiety disorders is associated with increased morbidity. It […]
Anxiety in Children and Adolescents 1/18/2018
Up to one in three children and adolescents experience clinically significant anxiety, and it is often under-recognized and under-treated. It is particularly important for primary care providers to be aware of the symptoms of anxiety in pediatric patients, because patients typically present first in this setting. Often the presenting complaint is a physical symptom, rather […]
Treatment for Anxiety in Children and Adolescents 1/25/2018
The presentation of anxiety in children and adolescents was discussed in last week’s e-Weekly. This e-Weekly will focus on treatment for anxiety disorders in pediatric populations, as many patients first present to their primary care providers for assessment and treatment. Treatment options primarily involve therapy and/or medication. For patients presenting with mild-moderate anxiety symptoms, a […]
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are far and away one of the most frequent of mental health disorders. Often they are not recognized and/or treated within the context of the primary care setting, even though they tend to be chronic conditions that have significant impact on patients’ health and well-being. Anxiety is a universal and highly adaptive experience, […]