Worry

As the holiday season approaches, many individuals find themselves grappling with challenging memories or experiences that may evoke intense emotions.

The processes driving worry will vary for every individual.  Chances are good that it will not be one or another, but a proprietary blend of several processes which shape each person’s presentation of worry.  Our job as clinicians is to explore these processes and work with our clients to curate a blend of interventions uniquely suited to their experience.

Limit the depth of exposure to details. People can consume news in limited ways. In other words, learn what’s happening, then stop there. Avoid the urge for disaster voyeurism. If you have heard the story, you might not need to search for the images or the videos; if you have seen them, there is no need to revisit them over and over.

In the U.S., anxiety disorders affect about one-third of the population. So it’s no surprise that a good number of artists and writers also suffer from anxiety and depression.

Check out our ADAA members' new books - CBT for social anxiety, an action mindset for teens and thriving with anxiety. Helpful resources to support your mental health journey.

In the face of a perceived threat, your body often activates a fight-or-flight response. Heart in your throat. Butterflies in your stomach.

Shame is “just” a feeling, but it can become very big and very painful. If it feels very big, it doesn’t mean there is something even worse about you, but rather that there are layers to it. We can make it smaller and more manageable by talking about it and listening to it. When you understand it and the feeling is smaller, it will be easier for you to work with it.  

The headlines and the CDC report are indeed alarming, but they should serve as a wakeup call to all of us. Yes, we should think seriously about why we are seeing a steep decline in the mental health of teenage girls, but we have to come together now as parents, family, friends, educators, clinicians, providers, and as a society to support, enhance and establish more preventive measures for our youth.

One of the most taboo topics in our culture is talking about how much money we have and how we spend our money.  If you are like most people, it is easier to tell your friends or therapist about your sexual experiences than to talk about your attitudes about money and spending habits.

10 suggestions from a clinical psychologist to make it through this stressful period of political division and constant flood of upsetting news stories.