A Guide to Getting Help for Anxiety Disorders |
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If you believe that you suffer from an Anxiety Disorder we recommend that:
First, educate yourself. Do some research on Anxiety Disorders. There are many good resources on Anxiety Disorders (visit one of the websites listed in our resource section or do some reading on Anxiety Disorders).
Second, seek professional help. If your Anxiety Disorders is causing you significant distress, disrupting your life, or interfering with your ability to function at work or home you should seek professional help. Remember, Anxiety Disorders are very treatable.
Third, seek medical evaluation for physical symptoms. Anxiety Disorders can sometimes be caused by underlying medical problems. In addition, some symptoms associated with Anxiety Disorders can really be a sign of a physical illness. Thus, a thorough medical evaluation is recommended.
Fourth, feel free to contact us if we can be of help. Nearly all of our staff therapists work with Anxiety Disorders. We have listed below a number who have particular expertise in treating Anxiety Disorders.
Fifth, don’t procrastinate. We understand that it is normal to put off seeking helping. Moreover, we know some anxiety symptoms include fears of seeking medical and psychological help. You need to remember that Anxiety Disorders are a very common and very treatable problem.
Staff specializing in treating Anxiety Disorders
Peter Perrotta, PhD
Katharine Grinnell-Noak, PsyD
Charlene Wojnowski-Sparacio, MSW, PhD, LCSW
Lindsay Cusack, MSW, LCSW
Ken Burnstein, MSW, LCSW
Michael Sheputis, MSW, LCSW
Martha Cook, MSW, LCSW, LMFT
Ericka Axness, MSW, LCSW
Kerstin Blumhardt, MSW, LCSW
Deborah Mantovani, MSW, LCSW
Resources for Anxiety Disorders
The following websites and books have been reviewed by our staff and have been found to offer sound information on Anxiety Disorders and their treatment.
www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders
Website for the National Institute of Mental Health.
This site offers a wide array of information on Anxiety Disorders from general information on various disorders, to information on the latest research. However, this site tends to emphasize medication based treatment of Anxiety Disorders.
www.psychcentral.com
A clearing house of Mental Health Resources.
This site is run by a psychologist. In addition to offering summaries on the nature and treatment of Anxiety Disorders it provides links to and reviews of resources ranging from self-help groups, to books, to on-line resources. The only drawback is the overwhelming number of pop up ads. However, we recommend you tolerate them because the site is objective and highlights the research on the benefits of psychotherapy which many more medically oriented sites omit.
www.adaa.org
Web site of The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA).
The ADAA is a national nonprofit organization providing information about Anxiety Disorders.
This site offers much information about anxiety disorders as well as links to multiple resources, including support groups and message boards, as well as updates on the latest research.
www.healthguide.org
A not-for-profit website offering a wide array of information on the nature and treatment of psychological disorders.
This site offers solid information on Anxiety Disorders and their treatment. It is less scientifically focused than the NIMH site.
www.anxietycoach.com
A local psychologist’s website with many excellent resources and information on Anxiety Disorders.
This site’s emphasis on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
is a bit overstated from our perspective, given that outcome research on the benefits of psychotherapy does not really support the claim that CBT is far more effective than other treatment approaches.
However, we highly recommend his workbook on Panic Disorder (see below).
www.ocdfoundation.org
A site devoted to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
This site offers much information about OCD, which generally seems well balanced.
Books on Anxiety Disorders
Bourne, Edmund. The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition, New Harbinger Publications, 2005.
Burns, David. The Feeling Good Handbook. New York: Penguin Books. 1999.
Burns, David. When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life. New York: Morgan Road Books, 2006.
Butler, Gillian. Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques.
New York: Basic Books, 2008.
Carbonell, David. Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick. Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press. 2004.
Lejeune, Chad. The Worry Trap. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2007.
Penzel, Fred. Obsessive Compulsive Disorders: A Complete Guide to Getting Well and Staying Well. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Wilson, Reid. Don’t Panic: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks, 3rd ed., 2009
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