Do you have an anxiety problem?
Anxiety means many things to people. Some suffer for years
wondering if they have an anxiety disorder, whether treatment might
help, and what type of treatment is best.
I specialize in providing effective, short-term treatment for the anxiety
disorders. Approximately 75% of my patients at any given time are in
treatment for an anxiety disorder, frequently in combination with
a stress disorder,
depression or dysthymia.
As a specialist, I want you to know that most people with anxiety
problems can reduce or eliminate their symptoms within six months,
given the type of treatment I provide. This is true even if they have
suffered from a lifetime of anxiety and they've gone through years of
unsuccessful treatment using other methods.
The information on this site can help you decide whether you have
an anxiety disorder, and if so which one. I've described each
of the common anxiety disorders using the accepted clinical criteria
put into plain language.
Of course, self-diagnosis is no substitute for a professional
assessment and evaluation.
Consider it a screening tool that may give you some idea of
what's going on, whether you might benefit from therapy, and
whether I may be the right therapist for you.
I also provide some information about the methods I use to provide
short term treatment for each of them. In general, I use cognitive
behavioral therapy also known as CBT.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is the best researched and
most widely accepted short-term, symptom-focused therapy.
CBT helps people develop skills to overcome their worrying
and nervousness, to stop panics before they begin, and to
return to all the activities they've learned to avoid because of
anxiety.
My patients work hard.
Therapeutic homework is given in nearly every session. These
assignments can be breathing exercises, thinking and writing,
or activities that encourage you to do things you've been avoiding.
Your therapist acts like a teacher and a coach.
Short-term therapy is usually effective for anxiety
disorders. Most people get relief. So why continue suffering?
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Diagnose Yourself
To begin, look through the following statements. If one of them
seems somewhat like you, click the link that follows it. Each
link sends you to a page that describes the specific criteria for
a disorder. I've also provided some information on how I
approach treatment.
So let's start!
- I find myself constantly worrying about different things.
It makes me feel tense and nervous, and sometimes
it affects my mood or my sleep.
Click here for the Generalized Anxiety Disorder page.
- I sometimes have feelings of intense fear. I feel like
something terrible may happen, like a heart attack,
losing control of my car, or just going insane. When
this happens, my heart races, I feel like I can't catch
my breath, and I can't think as clearly as normally.
Click here for the Panic Disorder & Agoraphobia page.
- I feel really anxious about social situations, so I avoid
them. I'd really like to feel less awkward, but I can't
get past the feeling.
Click here for the Phobia page.
- I have difficulty with certain settings and situations,
like elevators, trains, airplanes or with certain objects,
like hypodermic needles, or with animals, like dogs. Most people I
know have no problem with these things.
Click here for the Phobia page.
- I sometimes feel afraid that I will be in a place or a
situation where I will not be able to escape.
Click here for the Panic Disorder & Agoraphobia page.
- I get nervous about leaving home or traveling far away
(less severe) unless accompanied by a friend or family
member.
Click here for the Panic Disorder & Agoraphobia page.
- There is a disturbing thought (or image) that I can't
seem to get out of my head, no matter how hard I try.
Click here for the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder page.
- I feel compelled to repeatedly wash things (eg my
hands) or check things (eg headlights, door locks) more
than other people. If I don't do this, I feel very nervous.
Click here for the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder page.
- There is a disturbing event in my past (eg military
combat, victim of a crime, severe accident, abuse) that
often comes into my mind though I try not to think
about it.
Click here for the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder page.
- I am currently in a very stressful situation (eg
threatened with job loss, divorce, or caring for a
severely ill relative). I have been losing sleep; I'm
irritable; and sometimes I just want to break down and
cry.
Click here for the Stress page.
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