This is the summer issue of our newsletter with information that might be useful for you. Please feel free to send any comments or suggestions. We encourage the submission of specific questions and will respond in future
issues. You may email us at info@gershonpsych.com if you have questions or ideas you would like addressed in future issues. Feel free to forward this email. The staff of Gershon Psychological Associates, LLC
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Getting your child ready for school
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 With the summer heading to a close in the near future, it is a good time to start thinking about back to school issues with your children. Many of you may feel the same way that the father in an old Staples commercial does with the music of "It's the most wonderful time of the year".
Transitioning back to school can be a challenge. Here are some simple ideas to try with your kids.
- Get your children back into a school sleep routine. Have them go to bed closer to their school night bedtime. Also have them wake up at a decent hour.
- Start talking about school so it is not such a shock to the system. Process with your kids about the coming school year and expectations you may have as well as concernsthey might have.
- Visit the school or at least drive by the location. Over the summer, there is a tendency for school to be out of sight, out of mind. Driving by the school may aprompt your child to start thinking about school.
- Do some review work from the past school year. Find some age appropriate activities you can do to prepare them for getting back into the swing of doing academic work.
- Get back into a normal eating routine. Try to have regularly scheduled meals.
- Take your child to buy school supplies. This can be an exciting bonding experience and a chance for your child to show some independence.
- Have your child read something every day. If they have been out of the habit of reading regularly over the summer, get them back into the routine.
- Have your child write about exciting things that have happened over the summer. They are going to be asked during the first week to either talk about this or write about it, so it never hurts to prepare them.
By starting to develop good habits before school begins, the transition to the regular school year should not be such a drastic change.
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Why am I so Anxious?
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 Every
human feels anxiety on occasion; it is a part of life. All of us know what it
is like to feel worry, nervousness, fear, and concern. We feel nervous when we
have to give a speech, go for a job interview, or walk into our boss's office
for the annual performance appraisal. We know it's normal to feel a surge of
fear when we unexpectedly see a photo of a snake or look down from the top of a
tall building. Most of us manage these kinds of anxious feelings fairly well
and are able to carry on with our lives without much difficulty. These feelings
don't disrupt our lives.
But
millions of people (an estimated 15% of the population) suffer from devastating
and constant anxiety that severely affects their lives, sometimes resulting in
living in highly restricted ways. These people experience panic attacks,
phobias, extreme shyness, obsessive thoughts, and compulsive behaviors. The
feeling of anxiety is a constant and dominating force that disrupts their
lives. Some become prisoners in their own homes, unable to leave to work,
drive, or visit the grocery store. For these people, anxiety is much more than
just an occasional wave of apprehension.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
An anxiety
disorder affects a person's behavior, thoughts, feelings, and physical
sensations. The most common anxiety disorders include the following:
Social anxiety or social
phobia is a fear of being around other people. People who suffer from this
disorder always feel self-conscious around others. They have the feeling that
everyone is watching them and staring at them, being critical in some way.
Because the anxiety is so painful, they learn to stay away from social
situations and avoid other people. Some eventually need to be alone at all
times, in a room with the door closed. The feeling is pervasive and constant
and even happens with people they know.
People
who have social anxiety know that their thoughts and fears are not rational.
They are aware that others are not actually judging or evaluating them at every
moment. But this knowledge does not make the feelings disappear.
Panic disorder is a condition where a person has panic
attacks without warning. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health,
about 5% of the adult American population suffers from panic attacks. Some
experts say that this number is actually higher, since many people experience
panic attacks but never receive treatment.
Common
symptoms of panic include:
- Racing or pounding heart
- Trembling
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Sweaty palms
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Feelings of terror
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Chest pains or heaviness in the chest
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Dizziness and lightheadedness
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Fear of dying
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Fear of going crazy
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Fear of losing control
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Feeling unable to catch one's breath
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Tingling in the hands, feet, legs, or
arms
A
panic attack typically lasts several minutes and is extremely upsetting and
frightening. In some cases, panic attacks last longer than a few minutes or
strike several times in a short time period.
A
panic attack is often followed by feelings of depression and helplessness. Most
people who have experienced panic say that the greatest fear is that the panic
attack will happen again.
Many
times, the person who has a panic attack doesn't know what caused it. It seems
to have come "out of the blue." At other times, people report that they were
feeling extreme stress or had encountered difficult times and weren't surprised
that they had a panic attack.
Generalized anxiety
disorder is quite
common, affecting an estimated 3 to 4% of the population. This disorder fills a
person's life with worry, anxiety, and fear. People who have this disorder are
always thinking and dwelling on the "what ifs" of every situation. It feels
like there is no way out of the vicious cycle of anxiety and worry. The person
often becomes depressed about life and their inability to stop worrying.
People
who have generalized anxiety usually do not avoid situations, and they don't
generally have panic attacks. They can become incapacitated by an inability to
shut the mind off, and are overcome with feelings of worry, dread, fatigue, and
a loss of interest in life. The person usually realizes these feelings are
irrational, but the feelings are also very real. The person's mood can change
from day to day, or even hour to hour. Feelings of anxiety and mood swings
become a pattern that severely disrupts the quality of life.
People
with generalized anxiety disorder often have physical symptoms including
headaches, irritability, frustration, trembling, inability to concentrate, and
sleep disturbances. They may also have symptoms of social phobia and panic
disorder.
Other types of
anxiety disorders include:
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Phobia, fearing a specific object or situation.
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a system of ritualized behaviors or
obsessions that are driven by anxious thoughts.
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety that is triggered by
memories of a past traumatic experience.
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Agoraphobia, disabling fear that prevents one from
leaving home or another safe place.
Treatment Options
Most people who
suffer from anxiety disorders begin to feel better when they receive the proper
treatment. It can be difficult to identify the correct treatment, however,
because each person's anxiety is caused by a unique set of factors. It can be
frustrating for the client when treatment is not immediately successful or
takes longer than hoped for. Some clients feel better after a few weeks or
months of treatment, while others may need a year or more. If a person has an
anxiety disorder in combination with another disorder (such as alcoholism and
depression), treatment is more complicated and takes longer.
While
a treatment plan must be specifically designed for each individual, there are a
number of standard approaches. Mental health professionals who specialize in
treating anxiety most often use a combination of the following treatments.
There is no single correct approach.
Cognitive Therapy
The client
learns how to identify and change unproductive thought patterns by observing
his or her feelings and learning to separate realistic from unrealistic
thoughts.
Behavior Therapy
This treatment
helps the client alter and control unwanted behavior. Systematic desensitization, a type of behavior therapy, is often
used to help people with phobias and OCD. The client is exposed to
anxiety-producing stimuli one small step at a time, gradually increasing his or
her tolerance to situations that have produced disabling anxiety.
Relaxation Training
Many people with
anxiety disorders benefit from self-hypnosis, guided visualization, and
biofeedback. Relaxation training is often part of psychotherapy.
Medication
Antidepressant
and antianxiety medications can help restore chemical imbalances that cause
symptoms of anxiety. This is an effective treatment for many people, especially
in combination with psychotherapy.
The
treatment for an anxiety disorder depends on the severity and length of the
problem. The client's willingness to actively participate in treatment is also
an important factor. When a person with panic is motivated to try new behaviors
and practice new skills and techniques, he or she can learn to change the way
the brain responds to familiar thoughts and feelings that have previously
caused anxiety.
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(401) 349-3131 phone (401) 921-5109 fax
Warwick Office: 400 Bald Hill Rd., Suite 530 Warwick, RI 02886
Smithfield Office: 7 Austin Ave. Greenville, RI 02828
Providence Office: 154 Waterman St. Providence, RI 02906
www.gershonpsych.com
info@gershonpsych.com
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Group Therapy
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We offer a variety of treatments at our practice. Throughout the year, we run a variety of groups. We have been running groups on such topics as social skills, anxiety, adolescence, and parenting. If you are interested in participating in a group, or have an idea for a group in mind that would be useful, please let us know by emailing us at groups@gershonpsych.com |
Recommended Books
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| We are often asked about books we recommend for parents or children to read about a variety of topics. On our website, there is a resource page with a long list of recommended books. If you click here, you will be taken to the link. |
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