STRESS AND ANXIETY

ARE YOU MOODY, INTENSE, UNABLE TO RELAX, AND ANXIOUS MUCH OF THE DAY?

DO YOU HAVE FREQUENT HEADACHES, STOMACH ACHES, OR CHRONIC PAIN WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE?

DO YOU FEEL GENERALLY NERVOUS AND HYPERVENTILATE AT TIMES ?

If so, you may be under significant stress and, therefore, more likely to develop serious illness than more easy-going people. Dealing with stress has become a major task in today's society. Stress, once a vague term, is now associated with up to 80% of all medical problems.

Most of us are able to handle normal day-to-day stress without too much anxiety. For example, after an individual meets a specific stressful challange, his tense body returns to its normal level of activity relatively quickly. However, when the stress is ambiguous, prolonged, or from several sources at once (i.e. pathological stress), he develops significant anxiety and his body stays in the state of tenseness long after the stressfull circumstance is over. If exposed to pathological stress again and again without knowing how to handle it effectively, the body gradually loses its capability to recover to a normal level of activity. This condition often results in chronic headaches, colitis, ulcers, and/or high blood pressure, etc., corresponding to their personality type and how they handle stress physiologically.

Until recently, reliable ways to measure anxiety and stress in an objective manner were unavailable. Furthermore, there were few, if any, psychological techniques available to reduce one's anxiety and/or perception of pathological stress. The only alternatives were medications such as Valium and Librium. Much has changed and, today, there are many "non-drug" techniques available to reduce anxiety and stress.

Stress disorders are often hidden until it is too late. For example, there are many individuals who suffer from high blood pressure and are unaware of it. Normally, the first step in the diagnosis of a stress disorder and/or generalized anxiety disorder is to be evaluated by your family physician so that any possible medically related diagnosis can be ruled out. Although we accept self-referrals, we work closely with the patient's family physician or specialist since stress disorders are both a medical and a psychological problem.

As part of the initial evaluation at Psychological Services, the patient is given a Psychophysiological Stress Test using our biofeedback instruments. Biofeedback instruments objectively measure the amount of stress-induced anxiety present in the various systems of your body, i.e., muscular, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory and neurological systems. The results of the patient's Psychophysio-logical Stress Test are compared to both local and national norms, to determine if the patient is exhibiting an excessive amount of anxiety physiologically and whether he is able to recover from a standardized stressful stimuli in an appropriate length of time.

If appropriate, we also administer psychological testing to determine the emotional and/or social etiology of the stress disorder. These tests are health-related, personality tests and are designed to assist the therapist in setting up appropriate techniques for the patient to use to reduce their anxiety and speed their recovery from pathological stress. For example, we can reliably predict if a patient is prone to stress-related disorders and what type of stress-related disorder the patient may be prone to get. The four basic personality styles--A, B, C, and D--are prone to stress-related disorders if exposed to pathological stress and can't deal effectively with it. If a stress-related disorder is diagnosed, we set up an appropriate, individualized treatment program for each patient.

How would you like to control your blood pressure without taking a pill or losing a pound? Would you like to learn to stop having headaches or reduce or effectively eliminate arthritic pain without the use of medications? Biofeedback Therapy may be the answer for you. Since Biofeeedback devices alert patients to subtle changes thappening within their bodies, patients can learn to reverse the stress induced changes by using these devices to determine what mental, emotional and physical exercises uniquely work for them. Many stress-related disorders can be alleviated, if not eliminated, through the regular practice of the psychological techniques listed below without the use of medications. Our goal is to teach our patients how to cope with life's problems and pathological stresses without becoming dependent on medication or other drugs. We also want to help them maximize their quality of life. Medication is sometimes necessary in the beginning of the process, but we usually are able to reduce and, eventually, able to eliminate the use of medications in a relatively short period of time. We teach and use a variety of proven psychological techniques to assist our patients in effectively reducing and/or eliminating their stress and anxiety. They include "The Quieting Response," Neurostimulation Therapy, Autogenic Training, Hypnosis, Breathing Techniques, Biofeedback Therapy, Visual Imagery Training, "The Relax and Learn Process, " Behavioral Relaxation Techniques, Diet Therapy, and Exercise Therapy. These techniques are active in nature; and our patients can usually feel some relief almost immediately. We give specific, concrete instructions concerning how to use these techniques. Inaddition, we evaluate whether our patients are using the techniques correctly through the use of our biofeedback instruments during their therapy sessions. Thus, the patient's progress and the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment plan are assessed objectively on a regular basis using the biofeedback instruments. The length of treatment averages between 10-12 sessions.

There are many disorders that are primarily caused or exacerbated by your body's reaction to stress.

They include:

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