anxiety

Fighting Post-Graduation Anxiety

            As the graduation season comes to an end, many new grads are facing the fear and anxiety of what to do next.  Transitions always come with doubts and concerns, but this one seems to be especially difficult.  All your life, you are told to do well in school, to… Read more »

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Social Anxiety vs. Shyness: The Difference Between Social Anxiety and Shyness

Social Phobia vs. Shyness Social phobia also known as Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is not simply extreme shyness. Many people experience some shyness and discomfort, especially in new situations or with unfamiliar people. However, it’s generally tolerable once you warm up and relax after a while. Unlike shyness, such conditions are intolerable for SAD sufferers… Read more »

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Creating Meaning by Facing Our Mortality

“The irony of man’s condition is that the deepest need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life itself which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive.” ― Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death As humans, our awareness of death is inherent. When confronted… Read more »

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Breaking the Fantasy Bond with Our Mothers

The other day, I was reminded of reading Nancy Friday’s book, My Mother/My Self many years ago; so I took Friday’s book down from a shelf in my office and opened it, quite by chance, to page 388, where I found this heavily underlined quote: “As we get older and the tie to mother is… Read more »

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Springtime Renewal

For 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… Read more »

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Is Our Aversion To Pain Killing Us?

The sad and untimely loss of Whitney Houston is yet another highly publicized death that called into question the abuse of prescription drugs. Tragic episodes like this may be making the news because of their high-profile victims, but they also direct our attention to a growing epidemic in the United States. A 2011 report from… Read more »

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Thy Food Shall Be Thy Medicine

Anyone who has worked with people with addictions and particularly challenging mental health issues, such as eating disorders – if he or she is being honest – will tell you that frustration is a familiar companion on the journey to recovery…or relapse, as the case may often be. This frustration arises when you and your… Read more »

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Mental Health Professionals React to U.S. Abuse of Prescription Drugs

With a 2011 Centers for Disease Control report showing U.S. overdoses of prescription painkillers to have more than tripled in the past 20 years, mental health non-profit The Glendon Association is encouraging Americans to face their emotions drug-free The tragic loss of Whitney Houston was yet another highly publicized death resulting from prescription drug overdose…. Read more »

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A New Slant on Vulnerability: Courage Not Conformity

This blog contains excerpts from an interview with Dr. Robert Firestone by Fred Branfman, political activist and author of Voices from the Plain of Jars. Part II Fred Branfman: When most people think of the word “courage,” they think of people who fight wars, jump out of airplanes, do cross-country skiing, extreme sports. What do… Read more »

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VIDEO: The Nature of Anger

Donald Meichenbaum, Ph.D. is  a founder of Cognitive Behavioral Modification and has been voted one of the 10 most influential psychotherapists of the Century. As a clinician and researcher, he has treated all age groups for traumas suffered from violence, abuse, accidents, and illness. In this interview, Dr. Meichenbaum talks about ways of handling anger…. Read more »

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