Laeeq Tahir

Psychiatrist | Psychiatry

860 Mountain Road 404 Moncton NB, E1C2N7 Show map

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About

Laeeq Tahir, MBBS, MD, FRCPC, works at Moncton Medical Center within the Moncton Hospital in Moncton, New Brunswick. The Hospital is recognized as a leader in healthcare delivery and health promotion. A psychiatrist for nearly 30 years, Dr. Tahir specializes in anxiety, mood disorders, and other issues pertaining to adult psychiatry. Dr. Tahir continued post-graduate education with his internship training at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, in Pakistan, and then with his residency at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Duke University in the United States. He is a renowned Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada and holds certification by the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Canada. In his spare time, Dr. Tahir has authored several medical publications, precepts in the field of psychiatry, conducts consultations, and is an Assistant Professor at the Western Ontario and Dalhousie Universities.

Education and Training

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/Quaid-E Azam Medical College

Board Certification

Certified by the Royal College Of Physician and Surgeons of Canada

Provider Details

Male Hindi, Urdu 26 years of experience

Laeeq Tahir

Laeeq Tahir's Expert Contributions

My Answers

Is there a difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack?
Usually there is an overlapping use of both these terms. However, from strictly medical point of view anxiety attack is considered as the acute exacerbation of ongoing symptoms of Generalized or social anxiety disorder without much involvement of physical symptoms even though mild physical symptoms may be present. Panic attack is more severe form of Anxiety Attack with the combination of both psychological and physical symptoms. Most common physical symptoms include racing heart, tightness in the chest, butterflies in stomach, sweating not related to heat, headache, and muscle pain or stiffness particularly in neck and shoulder areas. READ MORE
How do you deal with a binge eating disorder?
Fortunately there are treatment options available to treat this unfortunate illness. Usually a multidisciplinary treatment plan involving medication, nutrition counselling, and cognitive behavioural therapy can work to achieve remission. READ MORE
Will medication help lower anxiety?
Fortunately, we do have number of good medications that help improve the symptoms of anxiety and relieve panic attacks. You will have to see your doctor and make an informed decision after weighing different options available. I hope this answer is of some help to you. READ MORE
What are the best treatments for depression?
Depression is nasty illness and often it does become a struggle as you describe. However, there are many evidence based options available on multiple dimensions to treat depression, including antidepressant medications and Cognitive behavioural therapy. please consult your doctor sooner than later to discuss all the treatment options to make an informed decision and dont let yourself struggle anymore by deciding to start treatment as early as possible. this illness is quite prevalent in women of child bearing age. READ MORE
What are the treatment options for generalized anxiety disorder?
Treatment options include anti-anxiety medications and cognitive behavioral therapy. READ MORE
Will counseling help my son get over his stage fright?
Counseling can certainly help particularly with a counselor who can employ cognitive behavioral techniques and exposure therapy. Sometimes, using a medication of SSRI class along with counseling is more rapidly beneficial and sustainable. If the problem is more particularly severe around going on stage and presentations, then a medication named Propranolol to be taken about an hour before going to present or perform is a time tested treatment. Hope this will be of some help to you. READ MORE
Can a psychiatrist help someone who is losing their memory?
Of course, that is one of the aspects of care that a psychiatrist would be trained for employing the holistic approach to the problem combining variety of treatment strategies. READ MORE
What could be the reason my mother is just not eating?
It could very well be a depression, but could be part of normal grief process. One would have to have more information to decide what it is. READ MORE
My daughter has suddenly lost her appetite. Could it be a hormonal issue?
Even though hormones could play a role in appetite regulation. However, at the age of 16 for a girl, female hormones are less likely to make one lose the appetite. we need to consider different options including checking her thyroid Hormone, screening for depression and anxiety, and possibility of substance use. Nonetheless, one would need a thorough history and medical investigations. READ MORE
I had severe postpartum depression after giving birth to my son. Is it likely I will have it with my second child?
Having had postpartum depression after your first child likelihood of getting it again is quite high and in my opinion it will be in the best interest of both mother and baby to be born that you start treatment in your second or third trimester. Wish you the best and good luck. READ MORE
I was sexually abused as a child and now as my marriage is approaching, I am beginning to freak out. What should I do?
I am so very sorry to read that you are in this very unfortunate situation. Being the victim of incest make one particularly prone to PTSD and then arranged marriage in this situation was going to make you freak out. No one can blame you for that. I think that you should meet with your Fiancé' more than once and talk about different things to get comfortable and then tell him about the past unfortunate experience as well as the level of your comfort in terms of getting intimate after marriage. If you don't feel comfortable doing it on your own, you may want to get help from a professional counselor who can facilitate meeting between both of you. Nonetheless, I believe that it is necessary that "genie" is out before marriage so it doesn't cause any complications afterwards. Sometimes, Antidepressant/Antianxiety medication could also be useful during the facilitation process. Hope it will be of some help to you. I fully understand your situation and empathize with you and wish that I could help more than that. READ MORE
Can high TSH levels cause depression?
YES. High TSH level, particularly if concurrent with low T4 level, is the indicator of hypothyroidism, which one of the most common biological causes of depression. READ MORE
How does psychotherapy work in treating OCD?
Psychotherapy can definitely help if someone is psychologically minded. The particular type of psychotherapy is cognitive behavioral therapy that particularly employs the strategy to focus on response prevention. However, depending on the chronicity and severity of the illness in an individual, some patients may need the concurrent medication, as it is proven that OCD has a big component of biological base - a deficiency of serotonin in a particular part of the brain. READ MORE
When is it the right time to see a doctor for depression?
Depression tends to be a chronic illness, and the more treatment is delayed, the more treatment resistant it becomes. Earlier intervention is the way to go. From the description of your question, it does seem that your sister has depression and needs to be evaluated by a professional. In my opinion, your sister should start treatment as soon as possible. READ MORE
I have a fear of heights. What can I do about it?
The best treatment for any kind of fear and/or phobia is systemic and gradual exposure in a controlled environment. In my opinion, you probably will be better off talking to a therapist to implement this strategy. READ MORE
I am feeling better with just my anti-anxiety medications. Do I still require counseling?
Sometimes just medication does the trick if the illness has more of a biological causation. If that is the case with you, then you may not need to see a therapist or counselor. However, the studies have shown that combining both is more successful particularly in treatment-resistant illness, which doesn't seem to be your case. READ MORE
What should I watch for when Adderall Xr 10 mg medication has stopped
it is not clear from the question if she wants to discontinue one or both. Usually, discontinuing stimulants like Adderall-XR is relatively easy, as it wouldn't usually cause any adverse, withdrawal effects, but the actual symptoms for which it has been used may return after some time. On the other hand, clonidine should be tapered off gradually, decreasing the dose by 0.025 mg per week. However, the best option (ideally) would have been to get it done under the supervision of a healthcare professional, and it's a very unfortunate situation that she will have to do it on her own, with your help. READ MORE
What is the reason for constant negative feelings in my daughter?
This is a very tender age with lots of internal and external sources of stress and it would be worthwhile to get her evaluated by a psychologist or a psychiatrist to rule out any mood or anxiety disorder. READ MORE
Can BP medicines cause hallucination?
Your mother should see her doctor ASAP as it could be either some kind of brain damage due to high blood pressure, including Transient Ischemic attack or the side effect of medication, depending on what medication it is and what dosage is being used. Sometimes, rapid lowering of blood pressure could also cause side effects if one uses an ultra high dose, particularly if they have never used it before. Hope this would help. READ MORE
Is OCD a disease?
Yes, OCD is a disease/mental illness, but it has to be diagnosed properly by a psychiatric evaluation. In your sister's case, with this little information, it seems like more of anxiety, but as I said before, she needs to be properly evaluated. Good news is that both of these illnesses are treatable. READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

ADHDAdult PsychiatryAnxietyGeriatric PsychiatryMood DisordersPersonality DisordersPsychosisPsychosomatic MedicineIME's

Faculty Titles & Positions

Assistant Professor, Dalhousie University, 2007-Present -
Assistant Professor, University of Western Ontario -
Psychiatric Medical Education Liaison, Consultant Psychiatrist, South East Regional Health Authority, The Moncton Hospital, 2007-Present -
Psychiatric Preceptor, Community Mental Health Centre in Miramichi, 2014 -
Clinical Asisstant Professor Memorial university of Foundland 2016 - 2017

Awards

Certificate of Recognition for Resident's Teaching, Dalhousie University, 1999-2001, 2008, 2009
University Sstudents' Council, Teaching Honor Roll, Award of Excellence in Teaching Medicine, University of Western Ontario, 2005-2006
Outstanding Graduating Resident Award, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 1999
Golden Apple Teaching Award, 1999
Resident of the Year Awardfor Excellence in Clinical Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 1999
Recognition of New Promising Thought Leader Award, First Annual Chief Resident Program, American Psychiatric Associtaion, 1999
Stepping Stone Award in Geriatric Psychiatry, American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry, 1999
Overall Best Resident of the Year Award, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 1998

Treatments

Mood,Anxiety, ADHD, Psychosis, Personality Disorders, Geriatric Psychiatry, Psychosomatic medicine,

Fellowships

Royal College of Physicians of Canada (Adult Psychiatry)

Professional Society Memberships

American Psychiatric Association, Canadian Psychiatric Association, Canadian Medical Association, New Brunswick Medical Association, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council

Articles and Publications

Conversion Disorder, treating a state of mind; The Canadian Journal of CME, 2007
The impact of CME on physician's knowledge, An analysis of 3 years data from Pre- and Post- CME tests; Research Insights, 2008

What do you attribute your success to?

Empathy and Eagerness for the Field

Areas of research

Impact of CME session on the knowledge of participants (2002-2005). Expanded and Organized the Department of Psychiatry, Monthly CME Conference to Remote sites in South Western Ontario (2005-2006). Integration of Weekly CME Events between three major hospitals of University of Western Ontario and Interactive Video Broadcasting to Remote Sites (2005-2006).

Philanthropic Initiatives

Independent Medical Examination on a Regular Basis Since 1999, Covering Variety of Issues Related to Disability. Court Ordered Forensic Assessments Regularly.

Hobbies / Sports

Humanity

Favorite professional publications

American Journal of Psychiatry, Canadian Journal of psychiatry

Areas of research

Impact of CME session on the knowledge of participants (2002-2005). Expanded and Organized the Department of Psychiatry, Monthly CME Conference to Remote sites in South Western Ontario (2005-2006). Integration of Weekly CME Events between three major hospitals of University of Western Ontario and Interactive Video Broadcasting to Remote Sites (2005-2006).