PsycHacks Episode 14: Rule out the confounds
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Aug 2, 2021 Exploring how external factors like alcohol consumption can mask anxiety symptoms, discerning between disorders and confounds, encouraging self-experimentation before therapy for accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment.
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Rule Out Other Causes First
- Try excluding other plausible contributors to your problem before seeking professional help.
- Test simple changes (e.g., two weeks abstaining from alcohol) and observe their effect on symptoms.
Alcohol Mistaken For Anxiety
- A client presented with panic-like anxiety but was drinking six or seven units of alcohol nightly.
- Alcohol withdrawal can mimic anxiety, so abstaining clarified whether drinking caused the symptoms.
Withdrawal Can Look Like Disorder
- Alcohol suppresses the sympathetic nervous system and rebound withdrawal can feel like anxiety.
- Without ruling this out, clinicians and clients can't reliably identify the real problem.