We Specialize in Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Expert Diagnosis and Tailored Treatment to Help You Thrive

Conditions We Treat at Pathwave Psychiatry

At Pathwave Psychiatry, we specialize in diagnosing and treating a wide range of mental health conditions. Dr. Sahab Yaqubi, our Board-Certified Psychiatrist, offers personalized care and advanced treatment options to help you manage and overcome the challenges you face. Below are some of the key conditions we treat:

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Comprehensive Care for a Wide Range of Mental Health Conditions

At Pathwave Psychiatry, we understand that mental health challenges come in many forms, affecting individuals in unique and personal ways. Our clinic is dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based care to help individuals navigate these challenges and achieve improved well-being. We specialize in treating a wide range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and other mood and anxiety disorders. Whether you are facing overwhelming stress, mood instability, or difficulty focusing, we are here to guide you on your journey to mental health. With personalized treatment plans, we empower our patients to reclaim control over their mental and emotional well-being.

Depression (MDD)

  • What is it? Depression is more than just feeling sad or having a bad day. It’s a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest that can affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe and may include: Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities, decreased energy or fatigue, difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions, thoughts of death or suicide.

  • Depression affects around 7% of adults in the U.S. Patients with depression are usually struggling with impairment in daily activities and interpersonal relationship.

  • Treatments: Psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy), antidepressant medications (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs), and lifestyle changes. For Treatment-Resistant depression we also offer Ketamine, Spravato( esketamine) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)

  • What is it? Treatment-Resistant Depression is a form of Major Depressive Disorder that did not responded to psychotherapy and trials of at least two anti-depressants.

  • About a third of patients with Major Depressive Disorder will develop Treatment-Resistant Depression. This condition severely impacts their daily functioning.

  • Treatment : Augmenting alternative forms of treatment e.g. Ketamine , Spravato (esketamine), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation( TMS) and ECT can be very effective for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Medication management and psychotherapy can still be beneficial for Treatment-Resistant Depression while trying alternative forms of treatments.

Anxiety

  • What is it? Anxiety involves excessive worry or fear that is difficult to control. It can manifest in different forms, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder impacts about 3-4% of adults in the U.S. It usually causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

  • Treatment : Psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy), antidepressant medications (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs), and lifestyle changes.

  • Ketamine offers rapid relief for anxiety, providing a breakthrough option for those with treatment-resistant symptoms. There are clinical studies indicating Transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can be effective and safe in GAD especially when co-occurring with Major Depression. Ketamine and TMS are not FDA cleared for Anxiety, but can be considered when anxiety is associated with depression.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • What is it? The essential features for PTSD is the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure or witnessing a traumatic event. In some individuals fear-based re-experiencing emotional and behavioral symptoms maybe predominant. In others, anhedonic and dysphoric mood state may be most distressing. Some individuals may experience dissociation and some other may

  • The prevalence of PTSD among U.S adults is about 3.5% . It usually causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

  • Treatment : Psychotherapy (e.g. cognitive-behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing-EMDR), medications (e.g., SSRIs or SnRIs). Ketamine has shown promising results in clinical trials for PTSD, providing rapid relief and new hope for individuals with treatment-resistant symptoms.

Panic Disorder

  • What is it? Panic Disorder is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes. It can last few min to a few hours. It usually associated with somatic symptoms e.g., heart palpitation, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest tightness. It can also be associated with fear of loosing control and dissociative symptoms.

  • Panic anxiety impacts about 2-3% of adults in the U.S. It usually causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

  • Treatment : Psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy), medications (e.g., SSRIs, SnRIs, or benzodiazepines), and mindfulness techniques ( e.g., deep breathing exercises).

Bipolar Disorder

  • What is it? The essential features of Bipolar disorder is recurrent episodes of depression and manic or hypomanic episodes. Bipolar II usually represents itself by chronic recurrent episodes of depression and at least one hypomanic episode. Bipolar I represents itself with episodes of depression and mania.

  • Bipolar Disorder affects about 2-3% of adults in the U.S. It usually causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational functioning.

  • Treatment : Medication ( e.g., mood stabilizers, anti-psychotic or anti-depressants) . Psychotherapy is highly recommended in Bipolar disorder.

    TMS is not FDA approved for treatment of Bipolar Disorder. However, there is a significant research trials supporting the effectiveness of TMS in Bipolar depression.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • What is it ? The essential features of OCD are recurrent and persistent intrusive thoughts, urges, or images that in some individuals cause marked anxiety and distress. It can also be associated with repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsessive thought.

  • OCD impacts about 1-2% adults in the U.S. OCD can cause significant impairment in daily functioning.

  • Treatment : Psychotherapy (e.g. exposure and response prevention), medications (e.g., SSRIs, TCA or second generation Anti-psychotics).

  • Ketamine has shown promise as a treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), particularly for individuals with treatment-resistant symptoms. While research is still emerging, studies suggest that Ketamine can rapidly reduce OCD symptoms, likely due to its effect on glutamate neurotransmission and its ability to disrupt obsessive thought patterns. Unlike traditional SSRIs, which can take weeks to show effects, Ketamine's benefits may be observed within hours or days. However, the effect is often temporary, so maintenance strategies or adjunct therapies are typically needed.

  • TMS is FDA cleared for treatment of OCD in those individuals who tried several medications yet still struggling with OCD symptoms.