Category: For Everyone

Categories
Anxiety Issues Articles For Everyone

3-Step Treatment for Panic Attacks

For Immediate Release

Panic Attack!

Carlsbad Psychologist provides new way of understanding the frightening unpredictability of anxiety attacks, worry, and stress… The Aggregate Model of Anxiety-3 Steps

Carlsbad, CA

“Panic attacks: Anxiety attacks seem to come from nowhere, without warning, and at the worst times, leading many to think they are dying or having a heart attack. But the cause of the anxiety attack may not be what you think. Fear is to blame, but fear of what ?”

“…After more than a decade of treating people with anxiety and depression, the underlying factors of panic and anxiety attacks have been surprising.”
Dr. Jason N. Camu, Fuel-centers specializing in anxiety, Carlsbad, CA.

Where do Panic Attacks come from?

When no physical or medical cause is identified, many assume that a deep unresolved mental health issue must be confronted before panic can be alleviated. While this is often an essential part of lasting change, more immediate relief can come from a surprising place—A collection of many small, avoided responsibilities and conflicts must be dealt with, and/or completed. “I have seen panic attacks either disappear, or diminish significantly, when people begin working on even mundane responsibilities,” says Dr. Camu of Fuel for Emotional Health in Carlsbad, California. It’s not that panic is caused entirely by these little contributors, worries, or responsibilities; it’s that these nuisance burdens build, and finally tip the balance in the mind, overwhelming even intelligent, competent individuals.
And Procrastination is a major culprit.

Examples of such concerns can include unopened mail, unpaid/late routine bills, work tasks, paperwork, irritation with co-workers, schoolwork, car repairs, even seemingly enjoyable things like RSVPing for a party. The list of minor concerns/worries is of course personal to the individual, and ultimately progresses in intensity to include bigger responsibilities and anticipated conflicts with people.

The Aggregate Model of Anxiety

Aggregate: is a mixture of minerals, gravel, sand, and small rocks that are sometimes used as an additive ingredient, for example in making concrete. The composition of Anxiety can include the same structure—many tiny contributors like gravel, (responsibilities, errands, irritations, reoccurring tasks of daily living) that when combined with bigger stones and boulders (major life issues), produce anxiety or panic attacks.

It is these many seemingly inconsequential problems, concerns, and issues that grow to make a massive heap, perhaps difficult but somewhat manageable for a time, to later become a mountain of un-scalable proportion. It becomes very challenging to identify a tiny rock in a concrete sidewalk or the pebble in an asphalt highway, and even more difficult to understand it’s role in the overall product. Nonetheless, it’s obvious that each miniscule mineral plays a role in the function of the smooth surfaces we walk and drive on each day.

Treating the problem: Stop the panic!

For most entering therapy, the cause of anxiety is elusive or feels mysterious. After all, why be afraid to drive a car or go on an airplane? For many, these activities were completed successfully for years prior. The real cause of the root fear is often obscured or amplified by aggregate nuisance contributions. Sometimes people have an idea of what is causing the anxiety or panic attacks, but it is usually focused on much larger problems (boulders) in life (examples of boulders are things like divorce, family problems, trauma career/work troubles, and financial disasters, even losing one’s home). “Because boulders are usually harder to confront or change and require more work in therapy, for example walking out on your job or marriage, the pebbles or aggregate can be sifted, sorted, and categorized to be more readily resolved,” says Dr. Camu.

The 3 Step Method for Treatment

  1. Separate small problems (gravel) from big ones (boulders)
  2. Confront, complete, or address these manageable responsibilities
  3. Make real plans, NOT worries, to address larger scale problems in the future

When the parts that make up the sum total (first the gravel and stones) are identified and addressed, panic and anxiety can reduce much more quickly. What happens next may be quite liberating. Pebbles, or avoided responsibilities and problems, no longer occupy mental and cognitive space, nor do they use up valuable emotional energy with procrastination, worry, and fear in a person’s mind. The clarity that follows leads many to feel stronger, more in control, and able to begin addressing the formidable issues in life. Often the fear of having a panic attack vanishes and is even forgotten…

For more information regarding Fuel For Emotional Health services, go to http://www.FuelForEmotionalHealth.com.

You may contact Dr. Camu for further correspondence or interviews by telephone in the U.S., at 1.760.828.3835(FUEL), or Dr.Camu@FuelForEmotionalHealth.com.

Fuel for Emotional Health, specializing in anxiety and located in Carlsbad, CA may be able to help.

 

###

Categories
Articles For Everyone

How Therapy Works

(Download this article as a PDF)

THERAPY SHOULD NOT BE MYSTERIOUS…

Example: Unlocking Your Mind

Mary offered, “I just need to learn to say No.”  She felt that she was too often taken advantage of, and subsequently decided it was time to learn to be more assertive.  Easy, just learn to say No. 

Except there was an obvious contradiction.  Mary was intelligent, communicative and said No plenty of times in her life.  She sure didn’t need a doctor to tell her something she already knew; she even knew when she should say No, but she couldn’t, or worse, wouldn’t.  The real problem was that Mary was terrified of conflict. But Why?

WHAT SHOULD MARY DO?

FEELING BETTER IS WHAT YOU WANT.

Generally speaking we all want to feel great and fulfilled in life, not troubled by worries, insecurities, fears or depression. We know this, and even strive to be positive and moving forward. Yet curiously, a host of factors—both in our minds and from the outside world—create obstructions to our feeling great.

1) TALKING ABOUT IT, HOW COULD THAT HELP?

[box border=”full”]”I can’t,”
“Oh, I’m not like that,”
“But you don’t understand, that will make matters worse”
Denying the severity of problems, minimizing their impact, or even blaming others can make it seem like problems are immoveable.[/box]

It starts with, as you might imagine, talking about your problems. Talking with your psychologist is much different than simply talking with a friend, in ways that are described as you read on. “I don’t see how just talking about my problems is going to help?” is not an uncommon statement for a doctor to hear. In part it is true! Talking will ultimately not be enough. Embedded in this question is the idea that therapy or “talking cures” lack the ability to help people make changes.

The act of talking to a psychologist can work in different ways. Typically, talking with the doctor starts by creating an incisive clarity about one’s problems. For example, an issue with anxiety may seem to be about personal or professional problems, like a bad relationship or being unappreciated at work. However, the real problem may be that you are extremely self-critical. Privately and even without conscious awareness you blame yourself, question your worth, or fear you don’t deserve better and thus wont make a necessary move or change. You may even make your personal standards unreachable—this apparent tool for motivation and improvement (I could’ve done better) is actually a form of self-punishment to make you constantly feel worried, inadequate, selfish or even lazy!

An issue with over-eating may actually be about the inability to manage feelings well—thus, food (like alcohol or drugs) is being used to manage feelings but never actually solves the problem. So what is the problem?

Talking helps to identify the Real problem.  And despite what many (friends, family, loved ones) think, the real problem is at times, actually difficulty to identify without unbiased professional help.

2) FACING THE INEVITABLE NEED FOR CHANGE— MAKING CHOICES

When a problem exists and causes emotional discomfort, it is because our minds have made a poor compromise between what is wanted and how we feel about that want, including judgments, conflicts, and values.  Here are some common examples of psychological defenses that keep people stuck:

“I know there is nothing to be afraid of, but I get panic attacks in the car.” (metaphor for, I’m terrified of facing uncontrollable aspects of my life). “If I put myself first that would be selfish, and I am not like that.” (metaphor for, I am better than other people, this makes me more moral and special).  “I like being alone, it has nothing to do with that.” (metaphor for, I fear I am not wanted by a partner, or I am an unattractive person).

You will inevitably need to make decisions to do things differently; by understanding and identifying the problem through talking with your doctor, you will learn about how and why you sabotage your own efforts to be happy—even when you can legitimately blame others, you may still be burdened with the responsibility of making choices.

We work so hard to avoid the truth, that avoidance typically becomes more painful than the real fear, i.e., part of me is selfish, I do feel angry and judge others, I feel insecure.

3) RESOLVING THE PROBLEM/S

Next, the Real problem or problems must be dealt with—effectively. When issues and problems are not truly resolved, they re-emerge and take shape again.

A psychologist through training, education and supervised experience can help you 1) identify the real problem, 2) make choices, and 3) make lasting changes to resolve the problem for good.

The following is an example of the complexity, but ultimate liberation and success that can be experienced through therapy.

Here is an example:  Micah came to see me for problems with sleep, relationship difficulties, and occasional panic attacks. After 4 visits Micah questioned my intelligence as I was unable to solve his problems, which would be unacceptable in medicine. Micah was in medical school earning almost perfect marks but rarely studied. Talking about his studies, Micah was quite convinced that he was one of the most intelligent in his classes—in fact he talked about this often. So what was it that was causing Micah’s panic attacks and problems—he didn’t know. I proposed that Micah didn’t study because when he occasionally earned a lower grade, he had an obvious excuse; he didn’t study. Maybe he wasn’t so smart. It turns out that Micah was terrified that he was not intelligent. When he faced this fear he ascertained that he was indeed smart, but objectively not as bright as others. In truth, Micah accepted that he was not as intelligent as some of his peers and certainly could not match his genius father (famous attorney). It was very hurtful. But his panic attacks vanished and he slept through the night. We continued to work on how he hid problems from himself. Hiding them made them worse. Facing problems sometimes hurt, but he made lasting improvements that changed his life forever.      

SO HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE, I DON’T WANT TO BE IN THERAPY FOREVER.

Your therapist should tell you how long it could take; sometimes it is as short as 10 sessions, other times it is longer to achieve the change you want. Who wants to spend their life in therapy when they could be living instead. And therapy can be expensive. But remember, you have been alive growing, cultivating, and gathering experiences for years and years. Your doctor glimpses 45-50 minutes of the tip of the iceberg in which to understand, solve, and fix your problems and send you on your way—if it were really that easy you would have done it yourself. Be respectful of yourself and the time it can take to make changes.

(Download this article as a PDF)

Categories
Articles For Everyone

Psychological Defenses

Don’t be so Defensive!

(Download this article as a PDF)

Heard any of these before? You’re too sensitive… You’re in denial… Stop making excuses…

Think more carefully about what the word “defensive” means. When we are defensive (for example, denial is a defense) we are actually protecting ourselves against something that is deeply painful and hurtful.

And… When we employ our psychological defenses, we usually do this without intention or conscious awareness. We are not doing it on purpose; it happens automatically. We feel attacked, criticized or misunderstood, so we fight back. Our retaliation—or defense—is made of carefully but unconsciously constructed processes to protect ourselves.

Before you are quick to reject the idea that you may be defensive, let’s consider an example.

David is a kind and very thoughtful man. Sometimes he gives so much, that others take advantage of him. He doesn’t mind, he prides himself on his non-confrontational approach to seeing the best in others. Most adults described him as sweet, gentle, and deeply caring; he is even passive at times. David is a 4th grade teacher. This year, David was reprimanded because some of his students said that he was “being mean.” Of course, David’s superiors were stunned, but consistent reports from students’ complaints to their parents, resulted in some concern. It was discovered that David was intimidating to his students. David was appalled and voiced his innocence and good intentions as an educator. Nonetheless, students described him as having a menacing and judging look on his face. David also made his students feel dumb by asking leading questions that were belittling.

Could it be true? Or was David wrongly accused or judged. Well, it turns out it was true. And therapy revealed that David was using a few defenses in life, the most identifiable was SUBLIMATION. Under David’s gentle exterior, he had anger. His whole life he felt that others lacked moral compass, were selfish, and had wronged him. Because he believed that anger was a negative emotion and characteristic, his mind made him believe that he was not an angry person. He actively behaved in such a way to believe that he was never angry. However, his anger leaked and his choice of career served to allow an opportunity whereby he could express it. With time and great courage and honesty, David came to discover that he had chosen the profession of 4th grade teacher to feel powerful. He used (unconsciously) his position to express the anger he housed through intimidation of his students. Other defenses like DENIAL (David denied he was an angry man) also worked in concert with sublimation and DISPLACEMENT (defined on page 3).

Be respectful of your defenses

One of the most important parts of therapy can be an understanding of psychological defenses. We all have them, and we have them for essential reasons.

Have you ever heard, “You are just being defensive!” Or, “You are just in DENIAL.”

While the use of denial may be commonplace, understanding how and why we use psychological defenses can be essential for successful therapy.

List of the Most Common Defenses that surface through therapy:

Denial

the individual is completely unaware of a particular behavior, quality, belief, or characteristic. Example: a daily smoker denies that smoking causes cancer because acknowledging such a truth would be terrifying. Thus, she actually believes that the research on cancer and smoking is fabricated and false.

Externalization

easily stated, this is blaming others. Externalization is perhaps most clearly seen in small children (who are still in the process of defining right and wrong) when they are caught doing something they shouldn’t be doing, but blame a sibling or pet. When adults engage in the behavior, it can actually be quite convincing until a long pattern of failing to take responsibility for one’s actions is identified. Example: Steven performed poorly in school. But he explains that his teachers just never appreciated his learning style and artistic intelligence. So his failure in school is really their fault, not his. When this pattern is pervasive, it is very challenging because personal growth will not occur until a person takes responsibility for their own contribution to failures or problems. Steven could grow in therapy if he ultimately admitted, “I am sometimes lazy, and that was not only my problem in school, but that is the truth about why I’ve been fired three times…”

Sublimation

the individual has feelings, desires, or urges that are unlikable, or morally unacceptable by his or her mind (conscience). Because these are morally judged in the mind (i.e., wanting to be rich, admired and selfish), the person finds a way to satisfy the desires in another way. Example: Derek needs to see himself as a genuine and a sincere person. But he is also a star and celebrity Country singer. He denies that he is self-centered, and states that his immense popularity and adorning female fans are simply a result of his career. (His desires are sublimated, or concealed in his career choice). He gets to act and even feel modest, when privately he needs and loves the ability to use and manipulate women to feel special.

Displacement

the individual takes powerful destructive or troubling feelings that should be directed at an identifiable person (e.g., boss or spouse) or situation (work), and expresses it on another target or source. Ever heard, “bad day at work, kick the dog.” Another common example is marital frustration or conflict, resulting in moodiness with peers, siblings, or coworkers. Example: Steven is hurt because his marital sex life is unsatisfactory. He cannot confront his wife directly, so he is moody with his co-workers who find him edgy and difficult.

Reaction Formation

the individual is denying (another defense) strong feelings, urges, beliefs, and/or wants and needs, so takes a stand that demonstrates the opposite of his or her true feelings. Example: Bill secretly finds pornography and nude magazines exciting. He could never admit this because he fears he would be judged by others, and in fact he judges himself when he feels the desire. Consequently, Bill constantly talks about being respectful to women, is exceedingly polite and chivalrous, and never looks at attractive women in public. He demeans and judges those who are interested in pornography and even started a petition against pornographic magazines.

Projection

the individual has feelings, desires, or urges that are unlikable, or morally unacceptable by his or her mind (conscience). Because these experiences are judged by one’s conscience, they must be kept from conscious awareness, so they are “projected” (or sent) onto someone else—so ultimately they are seen in the other person, instead of one’s self. Example: Michelle can be selfish, moody, and demanding. Accepting these very unattractive characteristics in herself is painful, so she sees them in her boyfriend. When he purchases her a beautiful gift that she does not like, she finds a reason to make it his fault, i.e., “You [boyfriend] should know I don’t like green. You only bought this for me because YOU like green.”

(Download this article as a PDF)

 

Categories
Articles For Everyone

Why Women Love the Narcissist

Why Women Love the Narcissist: Women in divorce recovery fight their way back to confidence and happiness with a new self-help program.

Download this article as a PDF
Carlsbad, CA, 02/06/2010

Narcissism. “It is a hated word that ironically means to love one’s self. Sadly, many women come to develop an intimate understanding of narcissistic men through their own suffering, sometimes because of divorce, or if lucky before marriage occurs.” Dr. Camu says of his psychology practice, “the number of women experiencing the aftermath of the narcissist has doubled by my estimate.”

Why women love immature men

He is commonly attractive. Perhaps refined and elegant, or sporty and ruggedly appealing. If not physically striking he has his own charm and charisma. It may be his intellect, sophistication, or even self-assuredness. He seemed so confident in whatever it was he was doing. And you believed it. He was successful; or at least it seemed that way. He was successful in business or as a father with his children, or he would be successful as he forecast his plans for achievement and shared these dreams with a believable passion. You probably felt loved and maybe for the first time in your life, truly safe. He does not fit one description because by definition he is a cunning manipulator; consequently, he was exactly what YOU needed at that time in your life.

Whatever the appeal, the narcissist casts his spell over his target for one purpose only—to meet his needs. More precisely, his need is to use his partner as an object to manage his own deeply profound immaturity. His immaturity is developmental. He is a damaged partner with dents and horrible private fears of inadequacy and worthlessness. And you will be the recipient of his true ugliness.

Women Most Vulnerable to the Narcissist:
Romantic and loving
Optimistic and see the best in others
Intelligent
Wanting to feel safe and protected by a confident man
Trusting
Giving and caring

How To Avoid the Narcissist:
Listen to his behavior, not his words
Watch for how he displays feelings (all positive is not good)
If he HAS IT ALL, he doesn’t
Address your own insecurities in therapy
Work on developing your own Real confidence
Don’t ignore B-flags (behavioral warning signs that make you uncomfortable)
Yes, be judgmental and critical, even if you see yourself as a good person

So commonly, infidelity spells the demise of the marriage or romantic relationship. Many women are left stunned, only to discover the truth of the man they married. Not surprisingly it is the woman in the relationship who must re-develop trust in herself, having lost self-confidence, starting to believe the criticisms of her partner. In the end and in a divorce, it is the woman that feels the full fury of the narcissist’s insecurity. To protect himself from the painful rejection of his wife/partner and her unwillingness to be his prisoner any longer, he will rage on her. He may have a new sex partner (object) who is scarcely out of her teens. He may withhold finances, fight over the children even when he has little interest in being a father, or he may become more emotionally and physically abusive than the woman has ever seen.

Dr. Camu who is known for divorce recovery, therapy, and his diagnostic expertise with reality television shows suggested, “the narcissist presents with everything you want and need, but he will ultimately try to control, demean and belittle you so he can feel powerful.”

Download this article as a PDF

For further correspondence or interviews by telephone call, 1.760.828.3835(FUEL),
or email info@fuelforemotionalhealth.com.

Content copyright 2009-2011. Jason Camu, Psy.D. All rights reserved.

Categories
Articles For Everyone

Borderline Personality Disorder–Interpersonal Terrorism

Interpersonal Terrorism-being held captive by Borderline Personality Disorder. When rage, self-hatred, and suicide are a way of life.

(Download this article as a PDF)
Carlsbad, CA, 05/17/2010

Borderline PD: “Trying to provide support for the borderline person can be like trying to carefully disarm a bomb… Cutting, burning, self-mutilation, suicide attempts, trips to the hospital ER, rages and emotional unpredictability, overdoses of medication, drug and alcohol abuse, starvation, binging, and a list of failed therapists—people suffering with Borderline Personality Disorder make it almost impossible for friends, family, and professionals to provide support.

…There is help, and we offer treatment that can be life-changing for everyone involved—including family and friends.”
Dr. Jason N. Camu, Fuel-centers specializing in anxiety, Carlsbad, CA.

Understanding the Disorder
Constantly wanting to end the pain and brutalizing themselves with a unique form of self-loathing, those with Borderline PD are at a loss for answers. They are commonly filled with rage and anger, depression, confusion and emptiness, uncontrollable feelings, deep desires for closeness combined with terrible fears of being alone or that they are not loveable. Deceit, suicide attempts, self-mutilation, aggression and explosive interpersonal relationships are all a manifestation of pain—a pain so raw it can be communicated in no other way.

Despite their actions, it is NOT the purposeful intention of people with this disorder to manipulate others, destroy relationships, and see things in black and white; it FEELS like there is just no other alternative.

Traditional psychotherapy typically Does Not Work for borderline personality disorder, it makes it worse.

[twocol_one]Traditional therapy

  • explores feelings
  • encourages emotional expression
  • may heighten anxiety in the process
  • results in moral conflicts for resolution
  • uncovers painful experiences
  • opens the lid (feelings)
  • has limited structure

[/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last]DBT (dialectical behavior therapy)

  • contains feelings
  • encourages emotional regulation
  • offers immediate relief with tools
  • emphasizes what works vs. right and wrong
  • helps to manage painful experiences
  • teaches how to close the lid (feelings)
  • functions like a class/very structured

[/twocol_one_last]

What the symptoms mean, it may not be what you think

“He just wants attention,” or “she’s being dramatic—just ignore her.” Ouch. What could be more invalidating; the suggestion is that the person is just acting or pretending and with the conscious intent to dramatically manipulate others for attention. By understanding the person with the disorder, or at least trying to, it can be possible to see destructive behaviors for what they really are, the inevitable conclusion when one is totally overwhelmed by pain, suffering, and even self-hatred. The borderline person is so sensitive, and feels so powerfully, that the management of feelings becomes impossible.

Compassion

Imagine (or try) someone you care for deeply, chained and imprisoned. Within the confines of the gruesome cell a perpetrator delivers a special torture; convincing their prey that they are worthless, unlovable—ugly. The victim who is beaten, dehumanized, tortured, and writhing in agony is not acting or performing for their tormenter, he or she is really suffering. Imagine if the persecutor was your own mind? Where would you go, what would you do, and how would you survive? Many people don’t survive. And suicidal “gestures” are not exercises in theatrics but life threatening emergencies that promise an end to the pain. You have entered the mind of many who are suffering with borderline personality disorder. While the specific expression of symptoms varies according to the individual, e.g., cutting oneself with a knife or swallowing 40 pills, treatment is the same.

Finding Treatment that Works

Fuel-centers for emotional health in Carlsbad, CA employs a very specific treatment modality. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (known as DBT) is an established approach constructed by Dr. Marsha Linehan. This highly structured and focused treatment has proven effective. Dr. Camu of Fuel explains, “I have used this method in different settings for years, inpatient, hospitals, outpatient mental health programs and private practice. It works. It is effective because it provides concrete tools. And when effective, it also shapes the way the mental health professional views the patient—as a person.”

Fuel for Emotional Health, specializing in anxiety and located in Carlsbad, CA provides both individual and group DBT-treatment for Borderline personality disorder.

(Download this article as a PDF)

For further correspondence or interviews by telephone call 1.760.828.3835(FUEL),

or email info@fuelforemotionalhealth.com.

 

Content copyright 2009-2011. Jason Camu, Psy.D. All rights reserved.

 

Categories
Articles For Everyone

Why am I So Anxious?

[twocol_one]

(Download this article as a PDF)

Everyone feels anxiety on occasion; it is a part of life. We all know what it is like to feel worry, nervousness, fear, and concern. We feel nervous when we have to give a speech, go for a job interview, or walk into our boss’s office for the annual performance appraisal. We know it’s normal to feel a surge of fear when we unexpectedly see a photo of a snake or look down from the top of a tall building. Most of us manage these kinds of anxious feelings fairly well and are able to carry on with our lives without much difficulty. These feelings of fear don’t disrupt our lives.

Unfortunately, millions of people (an estimated 15% of the population) suffer from devastating and constant anxiety that severely affects their lives, sometimes resulting in living in highly restricted ways. These people experience panic attacks, phobias, extreme shyness, obsessive thoughts, and compulsive behaviors. The feeling of anxiety is a constant and dominating force that definitely disrupts their lives. Some become prisoners in their own homes, unable to leave to work, drive, or visit the grocery store. For these people, anxiety is much more than just an occasional flutter in the stomach or sweaty palms.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

An anxiety disorder affects a person’s behavior, thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. The most common anxiety disorders include the following:

Social anxiety (or social phobia) is a fear of being around other people. People who suffer from this disorder always feel self-conscious around others. They have the feeling that everyone is watching them and staring at them, being critical in some way. Because the anxiety is so painful, they learn to stay away from social situations and avoid other people. Some eventually need to be alone at all times, in a room with the door closed. The feeling is pervasive and constant and even happens with people they know.

People who have social anxiety know that their thoughts and fears are not rational. They are aware that others are not actually judging or evaluating them at every moment. But this knowledge does not make the feelings disappear.

Panic disorder is a condition where a person has panic attacks without warning. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, about 5% of the adult American population suffers from panic attacks. Some experts say that this number is actually higher, since many people experience panic attacks but never seek treatment.

Do you feel overwhelmed? Can’t make sense of why? Feel stuck in a vicious cycle?

Phone: 760.828.3835

Email: info@fuelforemotionalhealth.com

7720 El Camino Real, Ste. 2B-1

Carlsbad, CA 92009

Treatment

How Therapy Works

Contentment, satisfaction, pleasure.  Generally speaking we all want these feelings. We strive for them across gender, culture, and regardless of the nature or our problems. Yet curiously, a host of factors – both in our minds and from the outside world – create obstructions to our feeling great. Therapy can help us identify and overcome such obstacles.

Did you know that therapists are required to have their own therapy?  We are forced to learn about ourselves before we are charged with helping others.  I have treated psychologists, psychiatrists, students and many others.

A good therapist through training, education and supervised experience can help you in two different ways.  Through talking about the things that trouble you, your therapist may offer you immediate tools that you can use to feel better. For example if you are an impulsive person who makes emotional decisions, you may learn to use more of your logical strengths.

But sometimes you may have already learned these skills or naturally use them.  For example, using physical exercise to help you sleep.  When this is the case, you need a more comprehensive understanding of your problems to make changes that last, and yes it can take time.

Your therapist should tell you how long it could take. Of course, who wants to spend their life in therapy when they could be living instead? But remember, you have been growing, cultivating, and gathering experiences for years and years.  You then allow your therapist only 45-50 minutes to understand, solve, and fix your problems and send you on your way—if it were that easy you would have done it yourself.  Be respectful of yourself and your intelligence.

Wanting to leave therapy is normal.  Therapy is not a battle of wits, but in my experience, all successful outcomes have included a period of wanting to quit therapy.  Those that continue have emerged to be not only happier and healthier, but are often earning more financially because of it.  Always bring up your feelings about therapy, both positive and negative.  Most of the time it can be one of the most important parts of therapy.    

The therapy for an anxiety disorder depends on the severity and length of the problem. The client’s willingness to actively participate in therapy is also an important factor. When a person with panic is motivated to try new behaviors, he or she can learn to change the way the brain responds to familiar thoughts and feelings that have previously caused anxiety.[/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last]

Common symptoms of panic include:

  • Racing or pounding heart
  • Trembling
  • Sweaty palms
  • Feelings of terror
  • Chest pains or heaviness in the chest
  • Dizziness and lightheadedness
  • Fear of dying
  • Fear of “going crazy”
  • Fear of losing control
  • Feeling unable to catch one’s breath
  • Tingling in the hands, feet, legs, or arms

A panic attack typically lasts several minutes and is extremely upsetting and frightening. In some cases, panic attacks last longer than a few minutes or strike several times in a short time period.

As if the panic attacks are not debilitating enough as they occur, they are often followed by feelings of depression and helplessness. Most people who have experienced panic say that the greatest fear is that the panic attack will happen again.

Many times, the person who has a panic attack doesn’t know what caused it. It seems to have come “out of the blue.” At other times, people report that they were feeling extreme stress or had encountered difficult times and weren’t surprised that they had a panic attack.

Generalized anxiety disorder is quite common, affecting an estimated 3 to 4% of the population. This disorder fills a person’s life with worry, anxiety, and fear. People living with this disorder are always thinking and dwelling on the “what ifs”. It feels like there is no way out of the vicious cycle of anxiety and worry. The person often becomes depressed about life and their inability to stop worrying.

People who have generalized anxiety usually do not avoid situations, and they don’t generally have panic attacks. They can become incapacitated by an inability to shut the mind off, and are overcome with feelings of worry, dread, fatigue, and a loss of interest in life.

The person usually realizes these feelings are irrational, but the feelings are also very real. The person’s mood can change from day to day, or even hour to hour. Feelings of anxiety and mood swings become a pattern that severely disrupts the quality of life.

People with generalized anxiety disorder often have physical symptoms including headaches, irritability, frustration, trembling, inability to concentrate, and sleep disturbances. They may also have symptoms of social phobia and panic disorder.

Other types of anxiety disorder include:

Phobia, fearing a specific object or situation.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a system of ritualized behaviors or obsessions that are driven by anxious thoughts.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety that is triggered by memories of a past traumatic experience.

Agoraphobia, disabling fear that prevents one from leaving home or another safe place.

The good news is that therapy can make a difference!

Why Fuel Centers? We Offer No Risk Guaranteed Services:

*Trained team of licensed doctors and staff

*Free initial consultation/first individual meeting upon request

*Instructional classes/workshops offer a 6-month full money-back guarantee

*You may qualify for financial adjustment or sliding fee

*Professional courtesy fees available to other clinicians and students

What is more important than your happiness… take control NOW!

[/twocol_one_last]

The Bottom Line

The good news is that therapy can make a real difference. Did you know that research shows that therapy is highly effective for anxiety? Fuel has a competent, professional, and superbly trained staff assembled to meet the needs of you or your loved one suffering with anxiety.

The treatment for an anxiety disorder depends on the severity and length of the problem. The client’s willingness to actively participate in treatment is also an important factor.

When a person with panic is motivated to try new behaviors and practice new skills and techniques, he or she can learn to change the way the brain responds to familiar thoughts and feelings that have previously caused anxiety.

There is no need to avoid your problems – you may simply be avoiding your own happiness!

(Download this article as a PDF)