Anxiety -- Diagnostic and Psychopharmacology Update

Mid-Peninsula District Meeting

Mid-Peninsula District Coordinators:

• Virginia Frederick, LCSW | virginiafredericklcsw@gmail.com - phone - 650-324-8988
  
• Joan Berman, LCSW | berman.joan@gmail.com - phone 650-322-5102
  

Presenter: Gordon Wong MD, MPH

Program Description: Anxiety is one of the most common presenting symptoms in mental health and prompt correct diagnosis and rapid treatment can restore and individual's function and sense of well being dramatically. Comorbid conditions ranging from depression to insomnia are common and must be considered. Improvements can occur within hours in some cases and represents one of the few areas of mental health where rapid improvement can be seen. Multimodal support including pharmacology, psychotherapy and sleep regulation, and nutritional screening are all important to achieving a good outcome. Appropriate usage of pharmacologic support especially short vs long term medications with consideration of their advantages and disadvantages are important to long term outcome.

Learning Goals:

1. Appreciate the diagnosis of anxiety by DSM 5 criteria and its various symptoms across the entire anxiety spectrum
   
2. Appreciate short term vs long term approach to pharmacologic treatment of anxiety and their advantages and disadvantages.
   
3. Appreciate the multimodal support including pharmacology, psychotherapy and sleep regulation, and nutritional screening are all important to achieving a good outcome.