anxiety disorders
Regular Exercise can be Beneficial for those with Anxiety Problems
Recent research concluded by psychologists suggests exercise can be advantageous to those who suffer from sensitivity to high anxiety, such as those battling depression. Jasper Smits, a psychologist with SMU in Dallas, Texas suggests exercise as a useful option for those with anxiety who may not have the access to methods of treatment that are more traditional. Smits does not suggest exercise as a means to replace psychotherapy or pharmaceutical means but says that physicians already suggest exercise for general health and well-being of patients so they may be able to reach more people who need help in this way.
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Mental Health Providers Should Promote Exercise for Those with Depression and Anxiety
Exercise is a magic drug for many people with depression and anxiety disorders, and it should be more widely prescribed by mental health care providers, according to researchers who analyzed the results of numerous published studies.
“Exercise has been shown to have tremendous benefits for mental health,” says Jasper Smits, director of the Anxiety Research and Treatment Program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “The more therapists who are trained in exercise therapy, the better off patients will be.”
High Blood Lead Linked to Major Depression and Anxiety
Young adults with higher blood lead levels appear more likely to have major depression and panic disorders, even if they their exposure to lead levels are generally considered safe, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
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Study Examines Preventing Anxiety in Children of Anxious Parents
In a new pilot study, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center attempted to prevent or mitigate anxiety disorders among children of anxious parents.
In the investigation, researchers used a family-based program of cognitive behavioral therapy with generally positive results.
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Depression, Substance Abuse, and Mental Illness in the Military
By Colin Gilbert
A 2007 CBS News story recounted the life of a soldier, Staff Sgt. Daniel Shannon, who had been injured in combat and subsequently suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Shannon was prone to violent outbursts, where he would find himself destroying furniture in fits of rage. Sadly, stories like his are common; as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have lingered on, rates of mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, suicide, and PTSD have steadily climbed.
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: On-Screen and Off
If you’ve ever watched the show “Monk” starring Tony Shalhoub, you know it’s about a detective who has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The seven-year-old series was created by David Hoberman, who struggled with OCD as a teenager. According to a poll taken by the Obsessive Compulsion Foundation, people with OCD don’t mind the emphasis on their disease. In fact, OCD sufferer Patricia Perkins told HealthyPlace.com, “That’s my kind of humor.”
Co-executive producer Fern Field told Palm Springs’ Desert Sun that Shalhoub actually spent a few days with a doctor whose specialty is treating patients with OCD. “The doctor said within a couple of hours he thought he had a new patient because Tony was so good at it,” she said.
She also explained, “‘Monk’ was never a show about someone with OCD who happened to be a detective. It’s about a detective who happens to have OCD. I’ve done a lot of work with the disability community and that’s always been very, very important. Your disability is not who you are. Your disability is something you just happen to have. And, as we get older, we’re all going to have some kind of disability.”
Now another television series is concentrating on OCD cases. A&E’s “Obsessed” is a reality show that documents the treatment of people with anxiety disorders, including OCD, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and hoarding.
The Obsessive Compulsion Foundation says OCD affects one in 50 adults in the United States, and that twice that many have had it at some point in their lives. “Obsessed” says that anxiety disorders are “the world’s most common mental illness.” But John Tsilimparis, a marriage and family therapist who runs and outpatient program in cognitive behavioral therapy at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, said it’s only been taken seriously as a medical issue for about 20 years.
Tsilimparis said it’s similar to how alcoholism was considered a joke when Otis the drunk was featured on the Andy Griffith show in the 1960s. “Addiction and OCD have similar qualities,” he told the Desert Sun. “Otis drinks or somebody does drugs for the same reason somebody overcleans. Most people with OCD will say, ‘I know what I do is unreasonable, I know what I do seems crazy, but I can’t stop doing it.’ The addict who’s a chronic relapser does the same thing.
“It might be a joke to somebody who has no experience with it. You might say, ‘God, just stop cleaning.’ Well, if it was that easy for them, they would have done it a long time ago,” he said.
“Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that’s comprised of obsession as well as compulsion,” Tsilimparis said. “They’re time consuming, they’re distracting, and they have to interfere with normal daily living routines. In other words, the difference between somebody with OCD and somebody who just suffers from regular anxiety is they spend a lot of time dealing with these compulsions.”
He continued, “The difference between obsessions and compulsions are, obsessions are basically these persistent impulses—these ideas, images, lists of thoughts—that are often very, very disturbing and anxiety provoking. The compulsions are these repetitive physical acts that are performed in response to the obsession in hopes of mitigating anxiety. You have to have both of those components to distinguish somebody who has free-floating anxiety (from) OCD.”
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Withdrawal from Antidepressants
When looking to remove yourself from antidepressants like Paxil, Lexapro, or Prozac, you should never quit “cold turkey.” To safely remove yourself from antidepressants, it is important to slowly wean yourself off of them by using smaller and smaller doses. Summer Beretsky wrote a piece for the World of Psychology blog on PsychCentral.com that suggests six ways to successfully prepare for withdrawal from antidepressants.
Children of Anxious Parents More Likely to Develop Anxiety
Anxiety can be a debilitating disposition, especially for children. While children suffering from anxiety are at risk for other complications, little research has been done in the area of anxiety disorders in children who have anxious parents.
A new study from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center changes that, offering insight into this phenomenon. Science Daily recently shared a release that focused on this research, thought to be the first U.S. study designed to prevent anxiety disorders in the children of anxious parents.
During this study, researchers determined that family-based programs reduced symptoms and the risk of developing an anxiety disorder among these at-risk children. The findings from this study suggest that as few as eight weekly family sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy can make a significant difference for the child.
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Late-Life Generalized Anxiety Disorder Patients Benefit from Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common demon for older adults and for those suffering with the condition, there is often an increase in physical disability, memory difficulties and a decreased quality of life.
Now, Science Daily has reported that older adults with GAD who receive cognitive behavior therapy showed greater improvement on measures of worry, depression and mental health compared with those who receive usual care.
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