Anxiety

Anticipatory anxiety involves worry about—and the urge to avoid—not only anxiety or panic, but also disgust, anger, shame, regret, humiliation, becoming overwhelmed, or any other unwanted emotion. We think of anticipatory anxiety as a third layer of fear.

It takes courage to successfully deal with anxiety disorders, but with lots of good information, coaching and support from your therapist and others you can learn to do it. You may not think that you have much courage because you have an anxiety disorder that make you fearful at times. However, courage is not acting without fear. It is acting despite fear. I have seen many, many examples of people with anxiety disorders who learned coping skills, to help them face their fears, and as a result got better and better over time. You can too.

As COVID restrictions get a little less and less frigid with the ongoing vaccination campaigns, a lot of us are very excited to resume some of our normal work and social life. At the same time, we may experience a burst of anxiety as we start to get out of quarantine-- after all, it’s been a really long time, right?!  To help ease up that anxious feeling, Dr. Carmichael has packaged some of her favorite pointers into an easy-to-remember acronym of S.U.N. to help you cope!

Nutraceuticals and herbal remedies are very popular in the United States and worldwide.  Reasons for their popularity include access without a prescription, and generally fewer side effects compared to prescription drugs.  However, the safety and efficacy products are less well studied and understood compared to FDA approved drugs. With growing use, we have seen more cases of serious side effects, toxic reactions, and interactions with other drugs.  Shopping for nutraceuticals can also be tricky because different commercial preparations may vary in purity and strength.  Finally, these treatments are not generally covered by medical insurance, so the consumer must pay out of pocket.

 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a bitter reminder that there is no end to the horrific suffering that humans are sometimes willing to inflict on others.

It is the worry about the future, the fear that bad things can happen, or that you might be unable to accomplish what you set out to do.  It can be the haunting dread of the return of an unwanted thought. or terror while waiting for a medical test result and imagining the worst.

Evidence-based research has consistently found that physical activity can improve emotional wellbeing and alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The most common rituals for this form of OCD is confessing thoughts to parents and seeking reassurance.  While this is the most distressing part for parents, the good news is that if the parents are involved, they can help their children.

Feelings of stress and anxiety are a normal fact of life for both adults and children. This reality, while unpleasant, is best dealt with by learning how to cope with stress and anxiety rather than denying or catastrophizing its existence.