Anxiety

FamilyTalkBlog_header.jpg

A tsunami of depression and anxiety

Dr. Paul | April 18, 2018 |

In the last year, many of my medical colleagues have asked me— “Do you think that there is an increase in depression and anxiety”? I hadn’t thought much about it, but in the first three months of this year, our Behavioral Health department at The Everett Clinic was hit by a tsunami wave of adults and children coming in with these conditions. In January through March alone, we saw over 1500 new patients asking for help. This is unprecedented in the 25 years I have run our department. What’s going on?

With regard to depression, a 2017 study of over 600,000 individuals found... Read More

Parents of lost teenagers, don't give up hope

Dr. Paul | January 31, 2018 |

Frustrated adolscent boy holding head in hands.

Several years ago, Joe’s 18-year-old son, Bill, left home without a word. His early adolescence was marked by chronic lying to his parents, drug use, school failure, and defiance. Joe and his wife tried to re-engage with their son. But all they heard from him was tall stories and promises that were never kept. After several years of this same story, they were discouraged, hopeless, and heartbroken. They feared that Bill would never find his way back to his family. They worried that he wouldn’t find his way into a responsible, successful adulthood.

As a psychologist, I see these... Read More

Anxiety in Children

Dr. Paul | January 24, 2018 |

Mental health providers are seeing a growing number of children and teenagers with disabling anxiety. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that fully one-third of teens struggle with significant anxiety!

So many children are plagued with worries. Little kids may worry about something happening to their parents. Teenagers worry about school performance, their social lives, and their future. Current events can trigger a landslide of fear. How can we promise our children that they will be safe in a world that is beset with division and filled with violence? How can we... Read More

Anxiety is a growing problem

Dr. Paul | January 17, 2018 |

It seems to me that anxiety is becoming a more widespread problem among both children and adults. Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive worry, avoidance, and uncomfortable bodily sensations including pounding heart, muscle tension, dizziness, stomach pain and headaches, sweating, and rapid breathing. These symptoms can become disabling.

In this 21st century, I see far more kids and adults who are beset with chronic worry—about the future, about the world, and about themselves. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 18% of adults can experience these... Read More

Maintaining balance amid change

Boe | November 15, 2017 |

Everything changes. Every day our kids grow older. Companies enlarge, shrink, and become something else. Relationships develop or die. Our bodies age. New technology replaces old gadgets. Intellectually we know—Don’t get too comfortable with the status quo. But when something changes that we value, we’re angry. Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? We react. And unless it’s something that we wanted---not too well.

Our bodies change too. In my case, it’s not for the better. When I look in the mirror I think—“That guy looks just like me, but older!”. Despite... Read More

Stress, anxiety, and their antidote

Dr. Paul | May 10, 2017 |

When I was a freshman in college, I experienced panic attacks. They seemingly came out of nowhere—my heart pounded, my vision narrowed, and I felt as if I was losing control. When it first happened, I thought for sure I was going crazy or having a heart attack. When I went home for Thanksgiving my mother brought me to see a psychiatrist who recommended Valium, which was widely prescribed in those days. It worked—but I experienced a lot of anxiety during those years. I also saw a therapist, who was helpful too.

This was in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when treatment for these... Read More

Coping with loss during the holiday

Dr. Paul | December 14, 2016 | 3 comments

Like many others, my holidays are tinged with sad memories. When I was 13, my beloved grandmother who lived with us, died suddenly of a heart attack two weeks before my birthday, which happens to fall on December 26th. That year, both my birthday, and the holiday was touched with sadness and loss. When I was 28, my brother was killed by a drunk driver. The last time I saw him was over the Christmas holiday. Just three years ago, my mother had a heart attack during our yearly holiday gathering that brought her to the end of her life two months later.

These personal losses are not so... Read More

Anxiety and avoidance

Dr. Paul | October 05, 2016 | 1 comment

Anxiety disorders, which include excessive worry, panic, and fear are more common that one might imagine—--they affect over 40 million Americans. Everyone has experienced periods of worry, tension, and stress which affects your mind and body. But when children and adults experience anxiety that is longstanding, it can be debilitating.

Our body is wired to respond rapidly and effectively to external threats. The sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear and produces rapid heartbeat, greater blood flow to the central core, and muscles primed for movement. It is a state of high... Read More

You are here