Anxiety Treatment

One of the primary mechanisms used by anxiety and depression to keep us down is negative self-talk. If you have social anxiety, you might return from a party overwhelmed by thoughts that no one liked you and kicking yourself for mistakes you feel you made. Negative self-talk is destructive because it doesn’t have much to…

Chronic anxiety is more than feeling on edge. When you’re experiencing an anxiety disorder, psychological and physical feelings of fear and stress prevent you from engaging in life the way you truly want to. If you feel like your anxiety has more control over you than you do over it, mindfulness can help. What is…

Anxiety, depression, and other psychological conditions that affect your quality of life are more than just imbalances in the chemicals your brain uses to regulate your mood. Research shows that mood disorders occur when a variety of social, psychological, and environmental factors intersect in your life. Your childhood fears often leave a lasting imprint on…

Anxiety is not static. From your day-to-day activities to the people with whom you spend your time, the decisions you make in life affect your anxiety levels. For a chronic worrier, it can be tempting to seek out instantly gratifying practices for stress. The truth is that temporary solutions tend to feed and prolong anxiety…

Every year one in five adults in the United States experiences an emotional problem or mental disorder serious enough to warrant treatment. Psychotherapy – also referred to as talk therapy – is often recommended. What Is Psychotherapy? Psychotherapy addresses troubling symptoms and emotions using psychological techniques. There are many forms of “psychotherapy” – over 400…

Several of my patients commented on a recent article in the Health Section of the New York Times that dealt with perfectionism (“Unhappy? Self-critical? Maybe You’re Just a Perfectionist”, December 4, 2007). They’d homed in on the article because it was about the issue that had brought them into treatment with me. A problem that…

In order to manage debilitating stress disorders, it’s important to look beyond simply treating harmful symptoms. Medications that target your muscle tension or rapid heartbeat—while potentially helpful—are rarely the best method of meaningfully addressing the roots of chronic anxiety. When anxious responses begin affecting your quality of life, it could be time to seek help….

Who is that gentleman with his head divided into compartments? He’s a 19th-century phrenology chart, and deserves a closer look. Phrenology held that all mental faculties occupied specific parts of the brain. A well-developed faculty made the skull bulge, a weak one did the opposite. Phrenologists would read people’s character by studying their heads, and…

Several of my patients commented on a recent article in the New York Times that dealt with perfectionism (“Unhappy? Self-critical? Maybe You’re Just a Perfectionist”). It touched on a disturbing trait they recognized in themselves. These people suffered from a variety of symptoms – anxiety, depression, problems in careers and relationships – that appeared to…

Life goes along in a manageable way much of the time. We’re able to handle problems when they arise, and that feels good. Inevitably, though, there are stretches of rough water where the problems are unfamiliar, the stress is great, and even a well-adjusted person can benefit from professional help. If you’re at such a…