Anxiety Clinic

Please print and complete the following form and bring it to your initial appointment.

Pre-treatment assessment package (.docx)

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by six months or more of excessive worry and anxiety about ordinary activities such as work, health, school, finances or daily activities. Individuals with GAD often find that it is difficult to control their worrying and often expect the worst to occur. Furthermore, they may have great difficulty relaxing. They may feel tense all the time and, as a result, have difficulty enjoying life. The worry may get in the way of being able to sleep or get things done at work or school.

Associated Symptoms

• Excessive worry and anxiety
• Difficulties controlling worry and anxiety
• Feeling restless or on edge
• Easily tired
• Difficulties concentrating
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Sleep difficulties

What is the impact of GAD?

• It is associated with divorce and unemployment
• It is associated with decreased work productivity
• It can negatively affect interpersonal relationships
• It is associated with moderate impairment in social and leisure activities
• It is associated with high rates of utilization of medical care
• It is associated with self-reports of having a very low quality of life

How common is GAD?

There is a 5% lifetime prevalence rate of GAD in the population. It is also a common problem among older adults.

What is social anxiety disorder?

People with social anxiety disorder experience significant anxiety in social or performance situations. Individuals with social anxiety disorder are concerned about being judged or evaluated by other people. They may believe that they will behave in an inept or unappealing way in social situations that will lead to embarrassment. Another common concern is that other people will notice signs of their anxiety such as blushing, trembling, sweating or having a shaky voice.  They often avoid social situations in which they experience significant anxiety or else suffer through them with marked distress.

Commonly feared situations include:

• Eating in restaurants
• Interacting with coworkers
• Speaking in public
• Dating
• Talking with authority figures like bosses or teachers
• Job interviews
• Meeting new people
• Making small talk
• Participating in class or meetings
• Joining in a group conversation
• Situations that require self-disclosure or sharing personal opinions

What is the impact of social anxiety disorder?

People with social anxiety disorder are less likely than others to date or marry. They may have few friends and lack closeness in the relationships that they do have. They may not go as far in their education as their talent and money will allow because of the social demands involved in completing an education (class participation, speeches, crowded campuses). Similarly, jobs may be chosen because the social demands are perceived as manageable rather than because of interest.

People with social anxiety disorder report missing more work and being less productive at work than others. In some cases, people with social anxiety disorder are unable to work at all due to their fears. Not surprisingly, individuals with social anxiety disorder typically report that their quality of life is unsatisfactory. Individuals with social anxiety disorder may become depressed due to the losses they experience as a result of their social anxiety. Some individuals also develop problems when alcohol or drugs are used to self-medicate social anxiety symptoms.

How common is social anxiety disorder?

Research suggests that as many at 12% of people suffer from social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.

What is the relationship between social anxiety disorder and avoidant personality disorder?

Both disorders involve concern about negative evaluation by other people. There is considerable overlap in the symptoms of social anxiety disorder and avoidant personality disorder. (Many people believe they are two ways of describing the same problems, with avoidant personality disorder describing a severe form of social anxiety disorder.) The treatments for both disorders are the same.

What is panic disorder?

Panic disorder is characterized by repeated panic attacks that are unexpected. Panic attacks are episodes of sudden fearfulness or terror that are accompanied by several physical symptoms (e.g., dizziness, pounding heart, sweating, nausea, shortness of breath). People with panic disorder typically live in dread of having another panic attack and may worry about the implications of the panic attacks (for example, fear that the panic attacks mean that they are going to have a heart attack, faint, have a stroke, suffocate, go crazy, hurt someone or experience some other catastrophe).

A common effect of having panic attacks is that a person begins to avoid situations where they had a panic attack or avoid situations in which they believe having a panic attack is likely. This avoidance is referred to as agoraphobia. Often the situations that are most feared are ones in which escape would be difficult or in which help may not be readily available. Individuals may begin to stay in their house and avoid places such as the grocery store, buses, driving, elevators, churches, movie theaters, restaurants and sporting events.

Symptoms commonly associated with panic attacks:

• Sweating
• Racing or palpitating heart
• Trembling or shaking
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling of choking
• Chest Pain
• Nausea or stomach pain
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Fear of losing control or going crazy
• Numbness or tingling sensations
• Chills or hot flashes

What is the impact of panic disorder?

• People with this disorder use a lot of medical resources
• They are more likely to be hospitalized for physical problems than people with other psychiatric disorders
• They miss twice as many work days as the average person
• It is associated with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, GAD and social phobia
• It can be associated with significant impairment and poor quality of life

How common is panic disorder?

Panic disorder with agoraphobia has a lifetime prevalence rate of approximately 3.5%.

What is a specific phobia?

A specific phobia is an excessive and unreasonable fear of an object or a situation. When a person is exposed to the object or situation, he or she may experience anxiety, crying, physical symptoms and avoidance of the object or situation. The individual knows that the fear is unreasonable or excessive. Nevertheless, the impairment or distress related to the specific phobia is to the point that it is problematic.

Types of specific phobias:

• Fear of animals (snakes, dogs, spiders, mice, etc.)
• Fear of things in the natural environment (heights, storms, water, etc.)
• Fear of blood or injections
• Fear of certain situations (airplanes, elevators, dentists, driving)
• Miscellaneous other fears (situations that may lead to gagging, vomiting or contracting an illness, etc.)

How common are specific phobias?

They are very common, affecting 11% of individuals at some point during their lives.