Treatment

If you have been looking through our site and recognise that you suffer from one of these disorders, the first step is to talk to someone about your illness. Often this is the first step on the road to recovery.

We provide:

• needs assessment, including consumer/whanau education
• psychiatric assessment and diagnosis, management and treatment
• psychological treatment programmes, specialising in cognitive behavioural therapy
• research on the impact of the anxiety disorders in the community
• 24-hour nationwide support/helpline
• structured therapeutic workshops
• counsellors and support people
• consumer and family support groups
• education and international conferences
• workforce development, including the in-house training of health professionals, specifically psychology placements and interns
• specialist adolescent clinical services.

If you decide to come to The Phobic Trust we will implement a treatment programme for you along the following lines...

Education & Assessement

Initial Assessment
When you first contact the trust we offer a needs assessment so we can have a better understanding of your needs. This will give you a chance to further understand how we can help you. We like to see the person with family members and or a loved one. Charges

Psychiatric Assessment
Myth would have us believe that psychiatrists are people who sit back in a chair and (whilst you lie back on a couch) proceed to read your mind. Psychiatrists are no different from your mechanic who is a specialist in the workings of a car. They train exactly the same way as any other medical doctor. However they choose to specialize in the workings of the mind and emotions.

All the psychiatrist needs to be told is what you feel and think, then with symptoms in mind, they can examine your mental state and suggest ways of helping. Charges

Medication

There are a range of specific drugs that are applicable for anxiety, phobic and compulsive disorders. Once you are diagnosed it is likely that you may need to take some form of medication. One of our psychiatrists will be able give you detailed information about medication and how this is likely to affect you.

This medication is used in conjunction with other treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and structured group therapy. It is important to remember that what you are suffering from is an illness and is no different from, say diabetes. It is not a sign of personal weakness to have an anxiety disorder; medication will help you take control over the illness.

Modern medications are designed to help correct the imbalance which contributes to whatever anxiety or depressive illness your suffer from.

Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
As part of your treatment programme one of the Phobic Trusts' psychologists may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy.

To explain it in simple terms cognitive behavioral therapy teaches you ways to change your behavior and then how to deal with these bothersome thoughts and feelings.

Other types of therapy are:

Relaxation therapy: which teaches you new ways to relax

Family therapy: where your whole family is involved

Exposure therapy: where you learn to face your phobic fears

Structured group therapy: where you share your fears and experience with others that have the same disorder

Charges

Please note: this outline is to give you a general overview of what treatment is available, it may not be the specific programme that the The Phobic Trust will implement for your case.

For more information, please view the Overview of the Phobic Trusts's Anxiety Disorders Clinic.

Help Line