The Anxiety Disorders Clinic (ADC) has been established for patients where a primary anxiety disorder (e.g., Panic disorder, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia) or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is the primary focus of concern.
We serve primarily the greater Victoria area.
Patients with whom anxiety symptoms are accompanying another problem, or are the result of experiencing a life stressor, would be best served by attending alternative services (e.g., USTAT or other clinic).
The clinic will see patients who have concurrent disorders as long as a primary anxiety disorder or OCD is the current primary problem and the other disorder(s) is stable. For example, we will see persons with a history of bipolar disorder or substance abuse, if an anxiety disorder is now the current major problem, and their mood and/or substance abuse has been stable.
Services Offered
ADC offers psychiatric consultations for diagnostic evaluations and treatment recommendations where appropriate.
Group-based CBT-treatment are also provided for persons with: Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia and OCD.
There is limited opportunity to obtain individual CBT with a senior PhD Psychology student under the supervision of our team’s clinical leads. In order to be effective in treating anxiety disorders and OCD (often in group settings), we need to ensure that the treatment is the right fit for the patient’s problem.
Patients who are experiencing anxiety symptoms in response to a significant life stressor such as an adjustment disorder or patients where anxiety symptoms are secondary to another mental health issue such as a mood disorder or substance use disorder are unlikely to benefit from attending a group focused on specific anxiety disorders. Patients who are presenting with an urgent problem will be referred to crisis-focused services.
Why wait to begin?
We encourage you to access appropriate resources available on the internet. While you wait for your next appointment with your treating health care provider, or for your group treatment to begin, you can get started with some of the resources listed below.
These online resources have been checked-out by us, and we believe they could be very helpful.
The Center for Clinical Interventions (CCI) is one of the best resources we have seen for anxiety:
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself
For introductions to Anxiety Disorders (“psychology crash course”):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX7jnVXXG5o
www.calmclinic.com
For reading material about OCD, that follows the Dr. J. Schwartz CBT approach:
http://hope4ocd.com/foursteps.php#
For an informative YouTube video and other good info about OCD:
http://www.ocfoundation.org
Another very good YouTube video series is by Katie D’Ath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJp9vlp84Wk
For some good online treatment resources from Canadian Mental Health Association:
http://www.cmha.bc.ca/how-we-can-help
Here-to-help BC has a lot of useful handouts on a number of anxiety/stress topics:
http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/publications
For a really positive approach to changing how you feel:
www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu
