Category: Stress and Anxiety

Imagine this scenario: You are about to walk into a mall that you can tell just from the packed parking lot is crowded. Your hands start to tremble, and you can feel a cool sweat oozing from your skin. You’ve done everything you can to avoid going but caved into the pressure. Normally, you stay…

Many people experience periods in their lives when they just feel down and out. These moods tend to depart pretty quickly and without much (if any) recurrence. This is not the case for those who live with bipolar depression (also known as BD and, formerly, manic depression). For those with BD, daily life is often…

What comes to the mind of everyone thinking of someone who is delusional? Do we think of someone who has hallucinations or believes that they are the incarnation of a religious deity? While there are certainly cases out there in which individuals experience these symptoms, delusional disorder (DD) is far more different and complex than…

Anyone who is an avid Facebook user has probably seen  contacts copy and paste posts with suicide hotline numbers, urging people to call if they experience suicidal thoughts. How many wondered who might be on the other end of a suicide hotline and how qualified they might be to help? What happens when you call?…

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a complex mental disorder that most of us have at least heard referenced in conversations or in popular culture. Those who have seen the USA crime-comedy show Monk got a glimpse into the intrusive thought patterns that tend to characterize behaviors of agoraphobic and germaphobic OCD. The truth is, OCD’s…

Have you ever experienced a sudden surge of panic that left you fearing another attack of that magnitude? Those who have Panic Disorder (PD) are sometimes unaware that they actually have this disorder. Some even hear from doctors and loved ones that there is nothing wrong with them or that they are simply hypochondriacs. The truth…

The avoidant personality disorder is a general avoidance of social interaction for fear of negative outcomes. It occurs in 0.5% – 1% of the general population. It can co-occur with anxiety disorders. Around 10% – 50% of people with panic disorder accompanied by agoraphobia will have avoidant personality disorder. Also, 20% – 40% of those…

Stressful events are part of everyday life. For some, coping with the negative effects of these events can be difficult, whether stressors are considered large (such as the death of a loved one) or small (like making a mistake at work). Stressors can create or exacerbate psychological and physical health problems. Problem solving therapy can…