Springtime Renewal

anxiety relief, anxiety attacks, psychaliveFor many, Spring is a time for renewal and revitalization. Just as in nature, rebirth and renewal are a standard part of life; we all can benefit from this period of new growth. In fact, the Renewed Freedom Center was created specifically with this intention in mind… to help anxiety sufferers experience relief and renewed freedom.

I consider myself a freedom connoisseur. After having lived many years as a prisoner to OCD and panic attacks, freedom from anxiety is certainly not something I take for granted. And I’m constantly reminded of that when anxiety sufferers share their own personal stories with me. It may surprise you to learn that anxiety disorders are the number one mental health problem in nearly every country and affect over 28% of Americans alone. Sadly, this sobering fact reveals that many individuals all over the world struggle with the crippling effects of anxiety, and experience little, if any, relief. The good news is that you don’t have to suffer from debilitating anxiety, because evidence-based treatment exists. It’s called Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT), and more specifically: Exposure Therapy.

Fear and anxiety serve as our survival mechanism when applied appropriately, because they keep us away from predators in our environment. However, more often than not, we misperceive the hazards of today’s world, and end up avoiding situations that pose no real danger at all. Unfortunately, this pattern of avoidance gives us a false sense of safety, and instead, keeps us in a prison of fear. If you want freedom from anxiety, you’ve got to practice “exposing” yourself to the fear itself… literally.

No other therapies that exist today will give you the lasting benefits of relief as prolonged and repeated exposures can. Not only has exposure therapy been extensively researched for over 30 years demonstrating effective results, it’s actually a very logical approach. Just think about it. The more you avoid, the more power you bestow to the fear; the more you confront, the less substantial the fear becomes. As a recent fortune cookie read:

“Comfort Zones are most often expanded through discomfort.”

Although Exposure Therapy may seem daunting at first, especially when we’ve spent most of our lives avoiding that which we fear, it does get easier with concerted effort over time. Truthfully, nothing worth having is ever easy to come by. Freedom from fear can certainly be worth that extra effort. With guided exposures tailored to your specific needs, you too can be on your way to Renewed Freedom.

 

About the Author

Jenny C. Yip, Psy.D. Dr. Jenny C. Yip’s experiences with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) began long before her current position as Executive Director of the Renewed Freedom Center.  Since childhood, Dr. Yip has fought her own personal battle with OCD.  Inspired by her struggles and motivated to helping others overcome theirs, Dr. Yip has dedicated her professional career to treating families and individuals with severe OCD, performance and sports anxiety, body image issues, and related anxiety disorders. Dr. Yip has developed her own innovative treatment modality integrating Mindfulness Training and Strategic Paradoxical Techniques with CBT in the treatment of children and adolescents.  She’s published numerous articles, presented at more than 35 national and international conferences, and worked to train other professionals in the field to be effective clinicians. She holds a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University, Washington, DC – an APA accredited program.  She is an Institutional Member of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), a Clinical Member of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), and a Clinical Member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).  She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Psychology Association (LACPA) where she chairs the Membership Committee and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Special Interest Group (CBT SIG). About the Renewed Freedom Center Located in Los Angeles, CA, the Renewed Freedom Center (RFC) was established in 2008 by Dr. Jenny C. Yip as a way to help those suffering from OCD and anxiety disorders.  Dr. Yip and the RFC’s mission are to provide the most effective and state of the art treatment available for those suffering from a variety of anxiety and body-image based conditions.  For more information visit www.RenewedFreedomCenter.com or contact Edie Trott at [email protected]. © 2009 Renewed Freedom Center for Rapid Anxiety Relief Division of Strategic Cognitive Behavioral Institute, Inc.

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