Philadelphia’s Leading Panic Disorder Hospital

Learn about panic disorder treatment at Belmont Behavioral Health System in Philadelphia, PA

Panic disorder is a specific type of anxiety disorder that is characterized by recurrent episodes of intense fear or discomfort, known as panic attacks. Panic attacks often happen suddenly, sometimes without warning, and are highly distressing to the person experiencing the attacks. In most cases, the individual with panic disorder has no warning or specific trigger for panic attacks.

Efforts to try and control these unexpected panic attacks without clinical support may lead to even greater anxiety. Unfortunately, panic attacks are so intense that the person who experiences them may try to determine their cause– many individuals incorrectly associate the location of their first panic attack with the fearful feelings and end up avoiding places and situations that may have been enjoyable or important to everyday living. The stress of anticipating future panic attacks can be very difficult to live with.

At Belmont Behavioral Health System, a panic disorder treatment center in Philadelphia, our professional clinical team understands the severity of this disorder and how much it can hold individuals back from a full life. Dedicated, comprehensive treatment can help. With proper treatment, it is possible to feel relief from the intensity of panic disorder and live a normal life once again.

Helping a loved one get treatment for panic disorder

When a loved one struggles with panic disorder, it can create a helpless feeling. By understanding more about the experience your loved one is having, you will be able to take some simple steps toward helping your loved one get on the path to recovery. Consider the following tips:

• Learn more about panic disorder. Speak with an experienced mental health provider, or seek out reputable websites. Look into specific types of treatment that have proven effective in dealing with panic disorder.
• Take time to talk with your loved one in a calm, safe space. Ask your loved one how his or her life has been affected by panic and share your concern and support. Just making yourself available to talk in a non-judgmental way can help your loved one feel more assured.
• After looking into treatment centers for panic disorder, discuss your findings with your loved one. Do not pressure your loved one or issue ultimatums, as this may increase his or her anxiety and lead to an argument. Concentrate on open communication and unconditional support and warmth– your loved one will respond much better under those circumstances.
• If your loved one is resistant to treatment, or anxious about treatment, consider discussing your situation with the admissions team at your facility of choice. They may be able to guide you in the best possible way to help your loved one.
• Once your loved one or friend decides to embrace treatment, there are many ways to help. Consider offering transportation to treatment, easing the worries of your loved one by caring for pets, plants, mail, or even children. Attempt to remove any obstacles that may keep your loved one from healing treatment.
• Recovery from panic disorder is a journey, not a single-step process. Remember that your loved one will experience setbacks. Entering treatment may make your loved one more anxious at first, and he or she may react to that anxiety by being irritable or otherwise upset. Remember that your loved one will need support before, during, and after treatment.
• Take good care of yourself. By keeping yourself in the right frame of mind and taking care of your own mind and body, you will be better able to help your loved one in the long run.

Treatment is only a first step in a long process. Your loved one will need your continued understanding and support in order to maintain ongoing wellness. By working together, you and your loved one both stand the best chance of overcoming this disorder.

Why consider treatment for panic disorder at Belmont Behavioral Health System in Philadelphia, PA

Panic disorder will wreak havoc on the life of any person who does not seek treatment. Without supportive intervention, panic disorder will limit the enjoyment and abilities of even the strongest person. The mental and even physical pain of panic attacks may impact the individual’s health. The stress of panic attacks, along with the constant anxiety of wondering when the next panic attack will occur will eventually interfere with relationships, occupational performance, and family relations. This disorder can lead to extreme amounts of isolation, which can increase anxiety much more.

If a co-occurring mental health disorder or substance use disorder occurs alongside panic disorder, the symptoms of a panic disorder can multiply. As individuals may try to self-medicate this condition with alcohol or drugs, physical damage, accidents, or addiction may result.

Fortunately, the comprehensive treatment at our hospital can help. Our treatment center can help individuals cope with crippling panic and begin to find relief from constant anxiety. With treatment, panic disorder may be managed and improved life quality will result.

Types of panic disorder treatment offered at Belmont Behavioral Health System in Philadelphia, PA

Belmont Behavioral Health System, a hospital for panic disorder treatment in Philadelphia, provides comprehensive inpatient care for children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric patients who have been experiencing a variety of behavioral health, mental health, and substance use disorders. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, our psychiatric hospital is housed on 13 serene acres, which provides our patients with the opportunity to heal in a comforting park-like environment.

Since the day we accepted our first patient in 1937, our treatment center has been dedicated to offering the highest quality of care in manner that is best suited to meeting the unique needs of each person who is entrusted into our care. After nearly a century of service, we remain committed to providing personalized care, promoting continued improvement in evidence-based practices, and upholding the highest standards of the healing profession.

Because each patient receives care that has been specifically designed according to his or her unique strengths, needs, and treatment goals, no two individuals will have identical experiences while being treated at our hospital. Depending upon those specific factors, the following are among the elements that may be included into a patient’s treatment plan while in our care:

Medically monitored detoxification: In some cases, individuals who have been experiencing panic disorder also struggle with substance abuse and chemical dependency. For individuals who meet this description, and who have been incapable of ending their substance abuse prior to entering treatment at our panic disorder treatment center, we provide medically monitored detoxification services so that they can rid their bodies of their substances of abuse with maximum safety and minimal discomfort. Once an individual has completed detox with us, he or she can then transition directly into inpatient care.

Medication management: Having certain prescription medications incorporated into their treatment plans has provided significant relief for many individuals who have been struggling with panic disorder and other mental health disorders. If our initial medical evaluation indicates that a patient may benefit from medications, he or she may receive medication management services from our psychiatrists and certified registered nurse practitioners.

Individual therapy: Individual sessions between a patient who is being treated for panic disorder and a trained professional can provide valuable opportunities for the patient to process successes and setbacks, address specific issues related to his or her recovery, and receive essential guidance and feedback. At our hospital, individual therapy and counseling sessions are provided for all patients, with frequency of sessions based upon the patient’s age, unit, and need. All children and adolescent patients will participate in daily individual sessions with a member of their interdisciplinary treatment team. Adult patients will meet with case managers, rehab service providers, social services providers, pastoral counselors, and other trainees and clinicians on an as-needed basis.

Group therapy: Group therapy is a foundational element of treatment for virtually all patients who are healing at our treatment center, including those who are being treated for panic disorder. These sessions, which may be led by members of our social services, case management, rehab, and nursing staffs, provide excellent opportunities for individuals in treatment to share their insights, learn from the experiences of others, and practice healthy interpersonal communication skills within a structured, supportive, and professionally supervised environment. Group therapy is conducted multiple times during every treatment day at our hospital for panic disorder. While the specific content of each group will depend upon the unique contributions of each participant, the following are among the topics that may be addressed in group sessions during a patient’s time with us:

• Community meeting (each morning and evening)
• Dialectical behavioral therapy skills
• Managing psychosis/illness management
• Peer-run groups
• Problem-solving and decision-making
• Stages of Change
• Substance abuse
• Self-care
• The 12-step recovery model
• AA/NA support groups
• Aftercare
• ADLs (Activities of Daily Living)
• Building strengths and resilience
• Cognitive-behavioral skills and interventions
• Healthy boundaries
• Alumni support meetings
• Behavioral activation
• Medication education
• Meditation and mindfulness
• Spirituality
• Substance abuse
• Self-care
• The 12-step recovery model
• AA/NA support groups
• Self-esteem
• Trauma focused interventions
• Values and goals
• Wellness and recovery action planning

Family therapy: The impact of a behavioral and/or mental health disorder is rarely confined to the afflicted individual. Family members and close friends are likely to be affected by a person’s struggles with panic disorder, and these same individuals can also play an essential role in supporting their loved one’s recovery. At our treatment center, we encourage family involvement throughout the treatment process, and we provide family therapy sessions so that loved ones can address individual issues, heal intrafamilial rifts, and learn how best to support the patient both during and after his or her time with us. For children and adolescent patients, family sessions may also focus on developing and implementing crisis and safety plans.

Experiential therapy: Experiential therapies complement more traditional forms of therapy by providing participants with alternative means of interacting with their environment, expressing their feelings, and addressing issues with which they may have been struggling. Art therapy, guided imagery, music therapy, and role playing activities are among the types of experiential therapy that may be incorporated into a patient’s treatment plan while he or she is receiving care for panic disorder at our hospital.

Education: Each weekday, children and adolescents who are being treated at our panic disorder treatment center receive at least two hours of academic instruction. All instruction is provided in a manner that is consistent with each student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) and takes place in a supportive environment that features small class size and low teacher-to-student ratio. A child and adolescent social worker works closely with the child’s family and all other involved parties to ensure that the educational component of the young person’s time in treatment is consistent with their expectations and is of maximum benefit to the student.

Other interventions: Patients who can benefit from the following types of interventions may also have these services included into their treatment at our hospital:

• Autism services: Patients with autism and their families may consult with a behavior specialist on our staff who is certified in autism studies.
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): Elective ECT is available for patients who choose to participate in this alternative form of treatment to relieve symptoms such as catatonia, psychosis, depression, and mania. ECT treatment is provided only upon the request of the patient
• Internal medicine: All patients may receive internal medicine services on an as-needed basis. A physical exam is part of the admissions process, and an internal medicine physician is available to all patients throughout their time with us.
• Motivational speakers: Patients often have the opportunity to hear from volunteer speakers, many of whom are trained as certified peer specialists, about their experiences recovering from mental illness and/or chemical dependency.
• Nutrition consultation: All individuals at our hospital have access to our staff dietician as needed.
• Sensory Tool Awareness Routines (STAR): STAR enhances patients’ self-awareness, increases their sense of inner balance, and empowers them to exert greater control over their own lives through the development of skills that focus on the regulation of the nervous system.
• Welcoming committee/Active treatment: These initiatives, which are part of our ongoing effort to provide the highest degree of personalized care, feature resources that allow patients to take more active roles in their own treatment and recovery. Features include self-help materials that are designed to help patients continue their growth outside of the group therapy setting.

At our treatment center in Philadelphia, we understand that for individuals who are dealing with disorders such as panic disorder, inpatient treatment is often just one step in the long journey of recovery. To ensure that each patient is best prepared to maintain and build upon the progress that he or she makes while in treatment with us, we begin planning for discharge the day the individual enters our treatment center. When a patient leaves our hospital for panic disorder, he or she will have a thorough plan that identifies the professional referrals, community-based organizations, and other external resources that will support his or her successful pursuit of long-term recovery.

For more information about any aspect of treatment at our treatment center, including answers to any specific questions you may have about treatment for panic disorder, please feel free to contact us at your convenience. We look forward to helping you determine if our hospital is the ideal place for you or a loved one.