As 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 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 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 MoreMy son refused to finish his breakfast yesterday. Over the past two weeks, my wife and I noticed a change in his behavior in the mornings: after I sat him down for breakfast, got him started and would take the dog out for a walk, he would run upstairs to my wife, claim that he…
Read MoreLooking for a provider on websites like “Psychology Today” can be daunting: the different types of degrees, specialties and vast number of therapists can be overwhelming. Recently, the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a treatment modality has become more prevalent on television, in magazines and when viewing online resources. While this is good,…
Read MoreObsessive Compulsive Disorder can be very frustrating for a number of reasons: No one seems to understand what I’m experiencing My obsessions are embarrassing and I don’t want to tell people what it is. I can’t seem to get rid of the thoughts for very long. It is important to be able to have a…
Read MoreAs our children head back to school, there’s a range of emotions for both the children and us as parents. While we expect some feelings of nervousness, uncertainty and fear, the question we often hear is “what’s normal?”. Approximately 40% of our patient load is pediatric: we have children entering elementary school in Newport Beach…
Read MoreDoes your son or daughter have an anxiety disorder? Usually if this is the case, their anxiety may affect their experiences in school. The question then becomes, how can the school and I work together to help my child? Talk to the Teacher The first steps most parents take is to talk to their child’s…
Read MoreIt is normal to feel a wide array of emotions: scared, happy, nervous, sad, disappointed, mad. As empathetic human beings, a helpful goal is to meet people in their emotional experience rather than try to take away what they’re feeling. A developmental theorist, Robert Kegan, wrote about how parents have the opportunity to respond to…
Read MoreVery often in the beginning stages of treatment, we’re asked by a spouse, parent or caretaker, “How do I help without enabling?” Usually this is a good start, because there’s a realization that there’s a difference between the two. Generally speaking, enabling…
Read MoreEvery year around this time my family looks forward to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, celebrating time with family and friends, the birth of Christ, and the hope associated with the beginning of a new year. While November through January are often…
Read MoreGetting 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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