By Dr Stan Steindl, BA PGDipPsych MClinPsych PhD(Clin) MAPS
Matt, a 25-year-old store man who lives with his parents, was having difficulties with excessive washing. This compulsive washing he explained was conducted to cleanse himself from the contamination of the past. He was obsessed about the past and had developed elaborate, compulsive washing rituals to manage his feelings of anxiety about the contamination.
Panic Disorder - Psychologists treat the emotional side of panic attacks
By Kathryn Smith, BA GradDipPsychEd MPsych(Clin) MAPS
Perhaps the most prevalent psychological conditions fall under the umbrella of anxiety. Panic Disorder is one of the most common presentations with many individuals diagnosed with the disorder also meeting criteria for Agoraphobia. A diagnosis of Agoraphobia is given if (a) the patient reports anxiety about places or situations where escape may be difficult or embarrassing or in which help may not be immediately available, and (b) these situations are avoided or endured with marked distress.
