Anxiety disorders - Articles - Page 2

Clinical Update

Gabapentin: A Double-Edged Sword

April 1, 2023

Shram Shukla, MD. Addiction psychiatry fellow, Yale School of Medicine. New Haven, CT.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University. New Haven, CT. Editor-in-chief of The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Shukla and Dr. Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Gabapentin has become one of the most widely prescribed medications in America. At the same time, concerns have emerged about its association with opioid overdose deaths. In this article, we review the data behind gabapentin treatment: when it should be used, how to use it, and when it should be avoided.

Clinical Update

Deep Rivers Run Quiet. An Update on Social Anxiety Disorder

March 8, 2023

Steven Hamilton, PhD, MD

Steven Hamilton, MD, PhD. The Permanente Medical Group, Department of Psychiatry, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center. Dr. Hamilton has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

SSRIs and CBT treat social anxiety disorder, but what do you do when they don’t work? Steven Hamilton describes 5 other pharmacotherapy options and shows us how to distinguish social anxiety from normal shyness.

EXPERT Q&A

Integrating Trauma-Informed Care into Addiction Treatment

October 31, 2022

Lydia Bartholow, DNP, PMHNP, CARN-AP

Lydia Bartholow, DNP, PMHNP, CARN-AP

Medical Director, Central City Concern, Portland, OR. Assistant professor, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

Dr. Bartholow, expert for this educational activity, has no financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Trauma-informed care is a treatment approach that is gaining traction in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. Dr. Bartholow describes the underpinnings of trauma-informed care and reviews ways to integrate this approach into the treatment of patients with addiction.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Side Effects in Depression

October 30, 2022

Fernando Espí Forcén, MD. Dr. Forcén has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Side effects are burdensome to patients, but do they also get in the way of recovery? This study sought to clarify how side effects change over time and whether they impede recovery in major depressive disorder.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Who Responds to SSRIs in PTSD?

October 30, 2022

Richard Moldawsky, MD

Richard Moldawsky, MD. Dr. Moldawsky has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

SSRIs are often used in PTSD, but it is not clear that they work for all kinds of trauma. Trials of SSRIs are generally positive in women and people with a history of sexual trauma, while trials involving combat-related trauma tend to be negative. The current study aimed to better identify predictors of response.

CLINICAL UPDATE

Trichotillomania: Diagnosis and Treatment

October 30, 2022

Michael Posternak, MD.

Michael Posternak, MD. Psychiatrist in private practice, Boston, MA. Dr. Posternak has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Trichotillomania (TTM) is a disorder that seems to lurk in the shadows. We hear about it but rarely see it.

Benzodiazepines: A Reevaluation of Their Benefits and Dangers

August 23, 2022

Carl Salzman MD

Carl Salzman, MD

Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and past chairman of the American Psychiatric Association Benzodiazepine Task Force. Interview by Marcia L. Zuckerman, MD. Board member of The Carlat Psychiatry Report; outpatient psychiatrist, Hallmark Health, Medford, MA; clinical assistant professor in psychiatry, Tufts School of Medicine. Edited by Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR; practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC.

Drs. Salzman, Zuckerman, and Aiken have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Former Chairman of the American Psychiatric Association Benzodiazepine Task Force Carl Salzman explains the legitimate medical use of benzodiazepines and their relevance in psychiatric practice.

EXPERT Q&A

Benzodiazepines in Older Adults

April 1, 2022

Chris Aiken, MD

Chris Aiken, MD

Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Psychiatry Report. Dr. Aiken specializes in mood disorders and works with older adults in private practice. Dr. Aiken has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

The best evidence for benzodiazepines in the elderly is in panic disorder, followed by phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Benzodiazepines are also the mainstay of treating catatonia, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, and alcohol withdrawal

A Longer Acting Lorazepam

March 4, 2022

Chris Aiken, MD.

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report.

The straight facts on Loreev, a new extended-release formulation of lorazepam (Ativan).

An Off-Label Guide to Gabapentin

January 31, 2022

Rajesh R. Tampi, MD, MS, DFAPA. and Chris Aiken, MD.

Rajesh R. Tampi, MD, MS, DFAPA. Professor of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. Chairman, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry, Cleveland Clinic. Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Off-label gabapentin (Neurontin) got a bad rep when it missed the mark in bipolar disorder, but there may be something worth salvaging in this drug. Here, we weigh its pros and cons for anxiety, substance use disorders, sleep, pain, and hot flashes, and compare it to its underutilized cousin, pregabalin (Lyrica).