Everyone worries occasionally. It's no big deal. However, anxiety becomes a problem when the worry becomes frequent and intense, as it does with so many of the patients I treat. When this constellation of symptoms lasts consistently for six months or more, the condition is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD creates problems on three [...]
Some mornings seem determined to test your resilience. Today began with an 8:00 a.m. appointment with a neurologist. Because there is a history of strokes on my father's side of the family, I wanted to determine whether I might be at increased risk. From there, I rushed to a low vision specialist to evaluate whether [...]
I have reached a point in my life when several people close to me have died. I am not talking about older people, but contemporaries, that is, friends younger than me…clients. These losses are leaving a hole in my heart. Quotes On Grief & Loss I was inspired by my dear friend, Cindy Barrileaux, who died [...]
Navigating Parental Challenges: A Story of Childhood Anxiety Shelly sat at the kitchen table looking at her twelve-year-old son Tim. They were already running ten minutes late for school. Still in his pajamas, tears in his eyes, Tim yelled: “I won’t go. I can’t go. They are so mean to me. No one wants to sit [...]
Am I sick, mentally ill or is it a panic attack? Have you ever had a panic attack? They are scary, aren’t they? But you don’t need to panic about panic. What are panic attacks? Panic attacks are characterized by assaults of intense fear that come with an intensity that feels unmanageable and unstoppable. During a [...]
Novelist Erica Jong is the only person who made fear of flying funny--and profitable. Jonathan, a 25-year-old patient of mine, has had an un-funny case of fear of flying since 9/11. His work often demands that he get on a plane, and each time it's a heart-bursting, white-knuckled nightmare. Of course, Jonathan is not alone. Many [...]
With summer almost here, many of us breathe a sigh of relief: with the cold of the winter months gone, we can comfortably spend more time outside. You might enjoy taking a dip in the pool, having dinner on an outdoor patio, and attending the slew of summer social events such as barbeques, graduation parties, and [...]
Even when life is running smoothly, chronic worriers focus on unknown disaster looming around the corner. If you are a worrier, you suffer on three levels: cognitive, emotional and physical. Cognitive anxiety shows up as the worried thoughts you experience – the host of “what ifs” that plague you. On the emotional level, you may feel [...]
With the reality of a new school year upon us, a number of students I see are understandably a bit anxious. They worry about their academic success, being accepted socially and, for those going off to college, leaving home. And one of the things that I have observed is that anxious people tend to be [...]