Agoraphobia: I’m trapped!

Many people think that people with agoraphobia can’t leave their house and are afraid of ‘the outside’.  In fact, agoraphobia is much more nuanced and broad, with approximately 1.5% of people worldwide meeting criteria for its diagnosis.  What to know about agoraphobia: While it is now its own diagnosis as of DSM-V-TR, it is helpful…

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Emetophobia: a crippling illness

The fear of vomiting, or emetophobia is one of the most often treated phobias at the OC Anxiety Center.  Many people are surprised by its frequency and its devastating effects.  It stops people from attending work and school, makes people avoid driving and traveling, and prevents individuals from attending social gatherings. Its affects can vary…

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I know this sounds really weird, but I’m scared that…

Very 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…

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Mean Therapist. Why I assign homework every single session.

“If you ever become a teacher, do NOT give out lots of homework-I hate homework. Homework is so bad. I have a life, and homework is not fun. If you do have homework make it like Mad-Libs. -Real entry from Dr. Davis’s 7th grade journal Well, I hate to ignore the pleas of my 7th…

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Thinking about Thinking: Emotional Reasoning

                          As we continue thinking about thinking, let’s examine emotional reasoning: “Thinking something must be true because you “feel” (actually believe) it so strongly, ignoring or discounting evidence to the contrary.” This is a common thinking pattern we often see with phobias.  For…

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The Basics of School Refusal

Getting through school refusal

With the beginning of a new school year, the OC Anxiety Center has seen more children with school refusal come in through our doors. “School refusal” is a general term with a myriad of causes. Is it a fear of embarrassing oneself in front of others, a dislike of academics, a bully at school, or panic disorder? These are just a few possible causes for …

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Exposure and Response Prevention: It’s Scary and it Works

The “new” buzzword in treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), even though it’s been around for decades. Many general providers now list as one of their modalities of treatment as CBT, and when looking for a psychologist a good question is “Are you a cognitive behavioralist?” Note that the question isn’t…

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What do I look for in a Therapist or Treatment Center?

We often hear from our patients, “I’ve seen several psychologists before, but none of them of have been helpful until I started working with the Anxiety Research Center. Why doesn’t everyone do what you are doing?”

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