# alternate alternate [ APSATS - Logo web - 720w . png ] * Home + Board & Staff + Goals + Contact Us * Find a Specialist * Certification Process + Certification Process for Clinicians + Certification Process for Coaches + Certification Process for Religious Leaders + Certification Payment + Recertification * Training + Schedule * Resources * More + Store o Training Videos + Blog + Forum + Surveys + Assessments + Press Donate Blog Post Share Tweet Share Mail 19th Nervous Breakdown – An Anxiety Blog * By apsats1 * • * 23 Oct , 2015 By Simone Sobel , LCSW 19th Nervous Breakdown seems not just the witty title of a 1966 Rolling Stones song , but also an apt characterization of how anxiety provoking it can feel to navigate life in 2015 . In this series of blog posts , I will explore how therapists commonly define , assess , and treat anxiety . I will describe various types of anxiety ( such as generalized anxiety , phobias and panic attacks ) , causes ( such as family - of - origin , biological / medical , or life change stressors ) , and also describe some of the most effective techniques for managing uncomfortable symptoms ( such as desensitization , altering distorted beliefs or working on anxious traits within our personality ) . Defining Anxiety Bill is a mid - level executive at a large Fortune 500 Company . He is hard - working , well - regarded , and a solid performer . At home he is an involved father who attends his kids ’ baseball games , school plays and PTA conferences together with his wife . Bill is also a volunteer treasurer at his neighborhood property association and a regular church goer . He used to play basketball on weekends with some guys from his church , but hasn ’ t had time for that in the last few months , with his packed schedule , even on weekends . Lately Bill has been having a hard time dealing with a controlling boss , whom he feels micromanages his every move and has been critical of Bills work in staff meetings . Bill is also doing his best to juggle his work schedule with his wife ’ s schedule , so they can share responsibility for taking one of their children , who has recently developed a serious gastrointestinal issue , to doctor appointments . In the last few weeks Bill has been feeling lightheaded and dizzy at work and has been having trouble sleeping . One day Bill begins to feel chest pains , lightheadedness , dizziness and a tingling sensation in his arm . He goes downstairs to the minute clinic in his office building and , after describing his symptoms , the paramedics are called . Bill is hooked up to an EKG machine and in the midst of being screened for a heart attack , he passes out . He comes to a couple of minutes later and is rushed to hospital , while one of his colleagues calls Bill ’ s wife . Bill remains in hospital overnight , where he is given blood tests , another EKG , a chest X - ray and an MRI . As the test results come back , all negative , the ER doctors can find no evidence of heart attack , stroke or any other medical condition . They conclude that Bill has suffered a panic attack and send him home with a prescription for Xanax . Bill ’ s panic attack experience is all too common . According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness ( NAMI ) , 1 in 20 Americans will be diagnosed and treated for Panic Disorder each year . The good news is that panic and anxiety are usually very responsive to treatment . Anxiety is often defined as a vague , unspecified sense that one is in danger , losing control or that something bad is going to happen in the near or distant future . While anxiety is a normal human response that we may feel it in situations of stress , newness , danger or difficulty , it can become problematic when it starts to escalate in frequency and intensity , when it doesn ’ t dissipate even long after a particular stressful or fearful event or period in our lives eases , and when it seriously affects our ability to function . Psychologist Edmund Bourne notes that anxiety can affect us on multiple levels simultaneously : physically , we may sweat , have rapid heartbeat or feel tension in our muscles among other physiological reactions ; behaviorally we may avoid certain places or activities or feel unable to function properly in daily life , such as being unable to make a presentation at work or meet new people ; psychologically we may feel a constant sense of tension , stress and nervousness or feel that we are going crazy or that something is irrevocably defective about us and our ability to cope in our lives . Types of Anxiety Disorders There are many different types of anxiety disorder , which the DSM V ( the classification system therapists use to assess mental health disorders ) groups into various diagnostic categories , but here are the ones I see most frequently with clients : Generalized Anxiety Disorder ( GAD ) often described as a pervasive and intense sense of worry and apprehension that can seem out of proportion to the likelihood that the feared event or situation will occur ; usually accompanied by ongoing worry and a vague sense of impending danger Panic Attacks are sudden episodes of intense anxiety that seem to appear “ out of the blue . ” They ’ re usually accompanied by uncomfortable physical sensations like difficulty breathing , heart palpitations , or chest pain , that can make you feel as though you ’ re having a heart attack or are going crazy or otherwise losing control . Agoraphobia causes a person to avoid places or situations that may trigger a panic attack such as grocery stores , restaurants , buses , or being alone at home Social Phobia is an intense fear of being embarrassed , humiliated , judged or scrutinized in social or performance situations , such as public speaking . Sometimes individuals will avoid social situations altogether in order to avoid experiencing high levels of anxiety . Specific Phobias involve intense fear and avoidance of specific items or situations that can disrupt a person ’ s daily life , work or relationships . Exposure to the feared object typically causes great distress , even when the sufferer recognizes the fear as irrational . Common phobias include animals , heights , airplanes , doctors or dentists , blood or medical procedures , and elevators . OCD occurs when activities of cleaning , tidying , checking , counting or ordering consume a person ’ s life for many hours in a day , significantly affecting the ability to function in other ways beyond the rituals . OCD includes two components : 1 . ) the obsession , which is an overpowering , intrusive thought that a person feels unable to stop and 2 . ) the compulsion , which is the behavior the individual engages in to relieve the anxiety created by the obsession . One example is spending hours washing one ’ s hands to reduce anxiety about being contaminated by germs . PTSD is a series of severe psychological symptoms that occur following a traumatic event such as military combat , a natural disaster , a car accident or a violent assault , that induces intense fear , terror , horror , or hopelessness . Symptoms typically include intrusive thoughts about the event , nightmares , flashbacks , emotional numbness , insomnia , and loss of pleasure in activities once enjoyed , among other symptoms . Treatment While , as mentioned above , anxiety is highly treatable , treatment can really vary depending on the specific issues . For example , panic attacks generally respond well to a combination of relaxation training , lifestyle changes , cognitive therapy and a technique called interoceptive desensitization ( deliberately inducing symptoms of panic , such as rapid heartbeat through physical activity , to normalize the bodily sensations associated with panic . ) With OCD , on the other hand , a therapist may find that cognitive therapy is not as effective in controlling symptoms as medications , such as SSRIs ( like Prozac and Zoloft . ) A client suffering from social phobia often benefits from social skills training or therapy focused on increasing self - esteem and assertiveness skills . With specific phobia , such as fear of flying , a therapist might help a client work incrementally through a list of feared associations , people , places or activities surrounding the phobia both mentally and in real life , gradually reducing the debilitating hold the fear has on the client . Many people struggle with more than one type of anxiety — panic attacks with agoraphobia , for instance . It ’ s important to rule out medical conditions that may be causing anxiety , such as thyroid disease , or possible side effects of medications , substance use or stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine . Sometimes anxiety - like symptoms may be masking a different mental health issue , such as depression . All of this means that it is vital to have a very thorough assessment with a trained mental health clinician as the first step in any type of therapy for anxiety . Simone Sobel , LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in Atlanta , providing individual , couples , and group therapy . She specializes in treating mood , anxiety , trauma and relationship issues . Simone offers 6 week introductory anxiety skills groups for adults struggling with anxiety and panic attacks . If you would like to explore the possibility of joining a new 6 week cycle of this popular group or meeting individually with Simone , please contact her at [ email protected ] or ( 404 ) 964-9260 . Via :: Richard Blankenship ← Older Post Newer Post → Follow Us Privacy Notice The following are sponsors of this website and are certified APSATS providers . APSATS does not endorse or recommend specific providers or organizations . 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