Social anxiety can be quite overwhelming and can be such a burden on your everyday life. It can make going to work, attending family gatherings, and even getting out of the house seem impossible! However, overcoming social anxiety is NOT impossible and treating it can make all the difference. Social anxiety disorder is a common…
Read MoreWhen a child’s academic performance is suffering, ADHD, behavioral disorders, or learning disabilities are often the first to come to mind. While these are crucial to assess for, anxiety is an often-overlooked culprit for poor school performance. When determining the cause of your child’s learning difficulties, consider that anxiety can affect learning in the following…
Read MoreAs a spouse, parent, or friend to someone with anxiety, it can be daunting or seemingly impossible to do or say the right thing to help your loved one. It may seem as though nothing you do can make a difference, and perhaps you might even feel as if your attempts to help only make…
Read MoreNot surprisingly many people who come to us have both anxiety and depression, and it’s important to distinguish between the two for a better outcome. It’s not always easy to understand where one ends and the other begins: am I in bed at noon because I’m avoiding anxiety provoking situations, or because I’m so sad…
Read MoreI was out for a walk with my family when I saw a bumper sticker: “Don’t believe everything your brain tells you.” Interestingly when I did an internet search, this phrase came up repeatedly in regards to cognitive psychology and perception and sensation. Our brain actually fills in many gaps in visual processing: our eye projects…
Read MoreIn most cities we’ve seen offices, entertainment, and schools reopen. Some people are struggling with anxiety about re-entering. There may be increased anxiety about socializing in person, feeling scrutinized by others or feeling self-conscious. For other people it may feel or be risky to engage in-person due to health concerns. Here are a few points…
Read More**Important book for parents with children who suffer from OCD and Anxiety** If you have not heard of Dr. Eli Lebowitz and the SPACE program, today is your day. I am not associated with this book, but have found the SPACE program to be groundbreaking in helping parents. Many of you have loved…
Read MoreData is data. Or is it? As is the case in many things, yes and no. When speaking with a scientist, the term “data” implies objective data. This means that the information is quantified in a manner that is universally agreed upon. For example the unit of a kilogram is not relative and does not change. …
Read MoreThere isn’t. Doctors want you to get better, not get worse. Ideally professionals are looking at the current research to ascertain and utilize the best treatments available for people. There is no quick fix for anxiety and OCD issues There isn’t a secret that will make someone feel calm and relaxed. Think about weight loss:…
Read MoreAnxious, anxiety, worry, nervous, stress. People use these terms often and may not realize that an anxiety disorder does not feel the same as the unease that most people experience occasionally. If you have an anxiety disorder you know that you are not having occasional nagging worries. If you are anxious, it’s not…
Read MoreKids listen. They hear things and interpret things in ways we may not as adults. This week my sweet son let me know he was not opening his stocking on Christmas. I waited until he felt like telling me why and it came out that he was afraid that Santa was going to give…
Read MoreWeb MD, healthline, mayoclinic and other sites like these can be helpful in deciding when to visit a doctor or deciding treatment for mild concerns. If you have anxiety though, you may experience panic and fear when googled symptoms are ‘consistent’ with severe illnesses. You can spend hours on the internet convinced that…
Read MoreI get the question often about whether a person’s anxiety is “bad enough” to seek treatment. Even if it is mild, it is worth treating! You are worth treating! It can be hard to dedicate time to mental health, but it may be a time saver in the future.…
Read MoreHave you ever had that friend who constantly asks to borrow things, asks for a ride, asks for cash, asks for a favor, but they never reciprocate? If you keep saying ‘yes’, you end up feeling used, frustrated, and exhausted. Anxiety is a taker. And the way to break out is by saying…
Read More“I need to be control of things.” “I have to make sure I have all my bases covered all the time.” “My gut is telling me that’s a bad idea.” “If that goes wrong, it’ll be horrible.” Everyday we walk around with underlying belief systems that affect how we behave, whether we are…
Read MoreImagine you fall into a river. More than anything you want to get back out at the same point you fell in. So you’re fighting, you’re going against the current, you’re getting hit by sticks and scraping your body on rocks, all to get out where fell in. But you have…
Read More“Unprecedented” “Trying” “Uncertain” “Challenging” “Difficult” As we adjust to a “new normal”, all of the above words have been used repeatedly in advertisements, by newscasters, politicians and neighbors to describe significant shifts in our lives due to the pandemic, significant political shifts, social upheaval and even how we discuss these issues. One of the most…
Read MoreA few months ago I made a medical decision that led to a negative outcome for one of my kids. It was not life-threatening, but my anxiety clung onto the thought and intensified it. I had a several hour period where I felt incapacitated by worry. My thoughts were racing and seeking out horrible (unrealistic)…
Read MorePanic disorder and agoraphobia are associated with very strong physical and emotional experiences. If you have had a panic attack in the past, you know how overwhelming the sensations can feel. I recently read the fictional book All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and was gripped by this powerful description of a…
Read MoreIf someone falls and gets a cut, you may get them a band aid . If someone has a headache, you may get them medicine. If someone has a sunburn, you may get them aloe vera. When we see people experiencing some sort of distress, the normal and natural response is to do something to…
Read MoreMany of the calls we receive at the OC Anxiety Center begin with “I’m anxious and depressed and I need help.” While anxiety and mood disorders are often co-occurring, treatment goals differ significantly resulting in different approaches to treatment. One question to ask yourself is “What’s the bigger problem right now?” or “If I had…
Read MoreUnprecedented events often lead to anxiety and worry, as we do not know how to respond to them. We often try to control what we can (whether actually useful or not), and over-analyze information while worrying about what the future may hold. We are seeing these patterns in our patients (and our friends and family).…
Read MoreThese past few weeks have seen the stock market crash, the stores empty of staple goods, bars and restaurants close, schools and workplaces go online. It’s unprecedented in our lifetime and many of us are unsure of how to respond or what to do that will make our families safer. As we make choices, we…
Read MoreVery often during my first interaction with potential patients on the phone, I’ll hear them say something like “I’m sure you’ve never heard this one before” or “I’m really embarrassed, but I’m really scared of…” I can understand the embarrassment and shame of different fears and worries, especially with OCD. However, after years of clinical practice…
Read MoreThere has been a significant increase in the interest in CBD oil in the past few years. At least once a week we field a question about its use for anxiety, the most common of which is “Should I use CBD for my anxiety?” The short answer is “Maybe”. It should be noted that there…
Read MoreFinals and AP exams are around the corner, so here’s a few pointers to remember. Some of these you’re thinking “I already know that” – and you may, but if you understand the science behind it, it’ll actually help you more as you use them (and maybe get a few more points on the Psych…
Read MoreFrequently we hear about people who say their worries snowball, followed by fears of the catastrophic outcomes or unsolvable future problems: What if I never get a job, can’t pay back my student loans and get stuck at home forever? If no one wants to be my friend, and because I’m undatable, never get married…
Read MoreDoes what I do make me less anxious, or actually make a change for the better? The second most common specific phobia we treat is fear of flying (the first is emetophobia – fear of vomiting). Not surprisingly, anxious flyers engage in many behaviors to decrease their anxiety: Distractions such as reading books, talking with…
Read MoreNot unsurprisingly, people with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders do have real issues just like everyone else: • Relational issues with friends and family members • Work and school stressors • Health and financial concerns What is different for those with anxiety and related disorders, however, can be the inability to differentiate between the issue,…
Read MoreRecently I was at a park in Irvine with my son and observed a group of young boys trying to capture a squirrel. At first they tried running after it, then tempting it with food, and finally designing a trap using leaves, twigs and sand. During this time the boys were excited and swiftly running…
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