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Successfully treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often requires primary psychotherapeutic treatment with exposure and response prevention (ERP) and pharmacological treatment with serotonergic agents, typically beginning with SSRIs; however, for a subset of patients with OCD, SSRIs alone do not effectively manage symptoms.

Disastrous news gets delivered in a highly emotional way – often on purpose – and while having strong feelings for the victims of war, floods, earthquakes, mass shootings or horrific accidents is justified, we also have to be logical and in tune with our own emotional processes when interpreting the news.

Limit the depth of exposure to details. People can consume news in limited ways. In other words, learn what’s happening, then stop there. Avoid the urge for disaster voyeurism. If you have heard the story, you might not need to search for the images or the videos; if you have seen them, there is no need to revisit them over and over.

Choosing a therapist can be an overwhelming decision: there are so many therapists out there, how can you be sure you are choosing someone who is the right fit for you?

Check out our ADAA members' new books - CBT for social anxiety, an action mindset for teens and thriving with anxiety. Helpful resources to support your mental health journey.

Many years of research (much of which has been conducted by the authors of this post) have shown that people who try to avoid memories and reminders of difficult experiences have more symptoms of PTSD and depression, and other problems over time.

Intensive programs for OCD can serve as a bridge between different levels of care, specifically as a step-up from weekly outpatient therapy or as a step-down from partial hospitalization/residential programs.

The growing mental health crisis is indisputably affecting our youth. In fact, the pediatric mental health crisis has been called the “top patient safety threat” of 2023.

What happens in PTSD, is that the brain goes into the fight and flight mode and is constantly on alert to protect the person from recurrence of the highly dangerous experience. But the problem is that it cannot come down from that state of heightened arousal, even after leaving the dangerous situation, and coming back to the safe life environment. 

In collaboration with The Reach Institute, Dr. Wallace explains how parents can decrease the impact of anxiety on children and teens to help them function their best and find more joy in their lives.

Dr. Widge presented at ADAA’s 2023 conference on how he believes “mental disorders are brain network disorders” and how treatments like Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) are quite possibly the wave of the future for certain mood and anxiety disorders, and particularly those that are treatment-resistant.