Confronting Anxiety

April 4, 2016

Mary Carpenter

…was explaining. The videos were a revelation. Anxiety disorders, the most common type of mental illness, are mental conditions in which intense, irrational feelings of fear and anxiety are expressed frequently and to a debilitating degree. Because anxiety disorders are…

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Retirement for the Anxiety-Ridden

July 6, 2015

Nancy McKeon

…let go of their careers. These particular clients could have retired two years before–so why hadn’t they? Their anxiety and questions at this meeting offered some explanation. And these clients, as well as those of other financial-planning firms around Washington,…

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Anxiety Antidote: Hallmark Sappy Movies

November 15, 2020

Janet Kelly

iStock BELIEVE IT or not, there is something you can do to escape the anxiety triggered by the coronavirus, the bickering of politicians, the accusations of a dirty election and the frenzy of journalists fanning the flames of it all….

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Separation Anxiety

February 14, 2017

Janet Kelly

iStock THE WORLD is turning upside down, and there are so many reasons to reach for Xanax that sometimes it’s a good thing to sweat the small stuff. Consider this then: A friend of mine in New York has a…

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Packing Anxiety

August 16, 2022

Janet Kelly

iStock HANDS UP if you’re traveling during the next few weeks. It’s been a while since many of us have gone anywhere that required packing a suitcase. If even before Covid, you panicked over packing, we get it. The variables,…

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Ketamine's Brain-Changing Effects

July 29, 2019

Mary Carpenter

…Barlow, director of the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University. Anywhere from 50 to 70% of those diagnosed with depression also suffer anxiety. When co-existing, these conditions can become more chronic, impair functioning at work and in…

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Short of Breath? Some Possible Reasons

January 21, 2019

Mary Carpenter

…breathing is one of the main practical suggestions for fighting anxiety. It’s a feedback loop.” Deeper breathing is a balm to anxious feelings, which in turn makes it easier to breathe more deeply. In addition to decreasing anxiety and improving…

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Worrying and Waiting During Covid

November 23, 2020

Mary Carpenter

…participants wore them, the few infections among mask wearers indicated the crucial need to employ every protective measure available.) On skyrocketing stress, the 2020 rates are impressive. A CDC report in August found anxiety symptoms had tripled and depression quadrupled…

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Adult ADHD

October 4, 2021

Mary Carpenter

…simpler ADD.) On the other hand, adults make up one third of those prescribed ADHD-related medications. And in recent years, more adults have discovered ADHD at the root of their depression or extreme anxiety—while, conversely, anxiety is often misdiagnosed as…

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Getting to the Hearts of Women

May 22, 2023

Mary Carpenter

…blood pressure or irregular heartbeat; doctors also prescribe them “off label” for people who struggle with anxiety—most often the kind that arises in specific situations like public speaking, rather than for those living with a diagnosed anxiety disorder. R.C. received…

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Sound's Effects

December 5, 2022

Mary Carpenter

iStock By Mary Carpenter Much of the inspiration for researching sound’s effects on the body comes from its potential benefits for sleep and for pain and anxiety relief. While the emotional effects of sound bathing might appear easier to assess…

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Just Breathe

August 25, 2014

Mary Carpenter

…in Psychology Today. Deep diaphragmatic breathing with a long, slow exhale “is key to stimulating the vagal nerve.” Anxiety before giving a speech or having blood drawn can be exacerbated by a fight-or-flight reaction: “all the symptoms of performance anxiety

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Addicted to Shopping

September 12, 2016

Mary Carpenter

…with the general population, have lower self-esteem, a tendency toward fantasizing and vulnerability to depression and anxiety. Shopping addiction has been traced to emotional deprivation in childhood, perfectionism, the need for control and other issues. Once a particular substance or…

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Your Vintage is Showing: Alcohol and Aging

November 6, 2017

Mary Carpenter

…to anti-anxiety and anti- depressant drugs; and the increased stresses of life. Negative effects on sleep of light drinking may also worsen with age —along with a general increase in nighttime wakefulness—caused by higher levels of alcohol in the brain….

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Therapy Goes Psychedelic

April 23, 2018

Mary Carpenter

…potential of psychedelics drugs for insight and other positive effects are spurring studies on LSD, psilocybin, ketamine (“special K”) and MDMA (“ecstasy”) as treatments for depression, anxiety, addiction and PTSD. Although these drugs have different effects, all work via the…

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The Booming CBD Business

May 13, 2019

Mary Carpenter

…CBD became calmer during a stressful public speaking task, compared to those receiving a lower or higher dose (commercially available CBD doses usually hover around 10-20 mg). On the other hand, doses as low as 25 mg/d decreased anxiety scores…

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Whenever You Feel Afraid, Hum!

April 2, 2020

Janet Kelly

Hum for happiness. / iStock With stress and anxiety at possibly an all-time record in the Age of Covid-19, we’re rerunning Alexa Mergen’s 2017 post on humming, a mood lifter for tough times. IT’S simple; it takes only a few…

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Borderline Personality Disorder and DBT

April 26, 2021

Mary Carpenter

…website. “Borderline” refers to symptoms first thought to be “on the border” between neurosis and psychosis, which can include anxiety, paranoid thinking and anger. People with BPD, according to one theory, are born with a hard-wired disposition toward emotional vulnerability,…

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