Anxiety Expert Jerry Kennard shares Anxiety management news and commentary at AnxietyConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950 http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950 http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/93116/vaccinate-swine-flu Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:18:00 -0500 Jerry Kennard It's November, which means we're on the leading edge of winter. As ever, it's a season associated with coughs, colds and influenza. When the H1N1 (swine flu) strain was first reported in Mexico, we all sat up and took notice of the death toll. It really did look like a nasty virus was coming our way. A few months later and opinions seem to have polarized as to whether swine flu is the monster it first appeared or whether there is... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/93116/vaccinate-swine-flu http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/92433/assessing-anxiety Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:02:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard Before any psychological treatment for anxiety can commence a detailed and accurate assessment should be made. Assessment is the very first step in the therapy process, but it continues as the therapy progresses and sometimes for months after therapy has concluded. Various methods might be used and this is the focus of this Sharepost.   The most widely used assessment method involves structured clinical interviews. These are specifically... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/92433/assessing-anxiety http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/91309/behavioral-therapy Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:49:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an approach to treatment based around the relationship between thoughts (cognitions) and the behaviors stemming from these. By focusing on particular thoughts and beliefs known to negatively affect mood and behavior the therapist collaborates with the client in order to alleviate the problem(s). In this Sharepost I'll look at panic episodes as an example. The intention of therapy is to reveal how beliefs, thinking... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/91309/behavioral-therapy http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/90371/vulnerability-panic Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard People with a history of panic episodes appear to be more sensitive to changes in their bodily sensations. This seems to leave them more vulnerable to misinterpreting the sensations and thus more prone to the experience of panic.   Professor David M. Clark, a psychologist and director of the Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma at the Maudsley Hospital in the UK, suggests there are at least three types of vulnerability. The first is a... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/90371/vulnerability-panic http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/89362/childhood-problems Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:58:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard There is an undeniable association between stress and sleepless nights. Most people have first hand experience of this but what is less clear is whether the stress we experience in early life has an effect on sleep later in life. Alice M. Gregory and Nicola L. Barclay, two British psychologists, have attempted to answer this question by reviewing literature from a variety of studies.   One source of material came from the Dunedin study.... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/89362/childhood-problems http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/88305/anxiety-exhaustion Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:06:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard It's coming up to two years now since a former colleague changed her life around and began to return to health. Although the details will vary, her story will probably resonate with others.   The working day started just like any other in that she got up for work, went through her usual routines and then a few moments before leaving something changed. "It was as though someone flicked a switch. In an instant I became lightheaded, anxious... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/88305/anxiety-exhaustion http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/87523/embarrassment Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:32:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard Many people find themselves embarrassed in social situations. Embarrassment commonly reveals itself in the form of shyness or awkwardness. Embarrassment may occur during times of praise as much to times when we make a complete fool of ourselves. The situations are entirely different yet either can potentially result in excruciating self-consciousness.   We've always recognized embarrassment as a feature of human behavior but until... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/87523/embarrassment http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/86348/stress-relationship Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:16:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard Problems in the bedroom aren't all related to sex. A significant trigger in stressful relationships does however relate to poor sleep. Lying next to someone who fidgets, snores, thrashes, shouts out or kicks is no fun.   Not being able to sleep properly can stir up all sorts of potential problems. Fatigue has an effect on the planning and self-control centers of the brain. Men who don't get a proper sleep will often become snappy,... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/86348/stress-relationship http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/85468/stress-laws Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:29:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard For many people time spent with the in-laws is little more than an exercise in defense and counter-manipulation. Tensions can sometimes build to a point where they tear families apart. So what causes the problems and what, if any, are the solutions?   Dr. Terri Apter is a psychologist and academic in the field of family dynamics. Her 20 year study of families provides insight into some of the common reasons for conflict. Dr. Apter... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/85468/stress-laws http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/84028/spot-nervous-wreck Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:32:00 -0400 Jerry Kennard What a curious turn of phrase ‘nervous wreck' is. A wreck implies something that was once fully functional but is now beyond repair. As for ‘nervous', well we know that refers to anxiety. So the implication is that as a result of anxiety the affected person is now a mangled emotional heap beyond repair? This is something worth thinking about.   There seems little doubt that anxiety is one of the most pervasive psychological... http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/1950/84028/spot-nervous-wreck