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Archive for the ‘Anxiety Panic’ Category
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 by Amanda_HP
Imagine the psychological torture of being told by others that you look fine, yet inside, you know that your (perceived) physical deformities make you unattractive. That is the crux of Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
Many associate it with eating disorders, but Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is an anxiety disorder which centers around being excessively concerned and preoccupied by a perceived defect in the person’s physical features (body image). It usually starts in adolescence, a time when looks can be everything, and affects both women and men. (Read: Body-Image Distortion a Growing Problem Among Women and Men)
The sufferer may complain of a single, or several specific features, or a vague feature or general appearance, causing psychological distress. BDD can impair work and/or social functioning, sometimes to the point of severe depression and anxiety, development of other anxiety disorders, social withdrawal or complete social isolation, and more.
The Impact of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
This week’s guest, Rebecca, is a bright woman, age 27, college educated, and writes medical literature geared towards children. She says the symptoms of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) appeared at age 7. By the time she was 22, OCD consumed her to the point she was unable to leave her home. “I couldn’t function in the slightest sense,” says Rebecca.
Rebecca finally found a therapist to treat her OCD. The therapist also recognized the symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Her issues revolve around perceived facial deformities. “I feel my nose is too wide. My chin is too weak. My lip lies too low on my face.”
All this has contributed to physical, as well as psychological and social problems, which Rebecca will be talking about on this week’s show.
About the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show
The HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show airs live every Tuesday night at 5:30 pm PST / 7:30 pm CST / and 8:30 pm EST. Our guest and HealthyPlace Medical Director, Dr. Harry Croft, will be taking your personal questions. (Read Dr. Croft’s blog post on Body Dysmorphic Disorder)
If you miss the live show, you can always click the “on-demand” button on the player and watch the show at your convenience.
Share Your BDD Experieces
We also invite you to call us at 1-888-883-8045 and share your experience with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). (Info on Sharing Your Mental Health Experiences here.) You can also leave comments below.
Tags: anxiety disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, body image, eating disorders, healthyplace tv show, OCD
Posted in Anxiety Panic, Coming Shows, eating disorders | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 23rd, 2009 by Christina Torres
Imagine you’re so nervous about eating around others, you break out in sweats just at the thought of it. And by the time you arrive for the meal, you’re sick to your stomach.
Our guest, Aimee White, understands the problem. She has Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) and on the show, Aimee provided us with insight into how Social Anxiety Disorder has impacted her life; leaving her somewhat isolated and unable to eat around others.
Watch the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show “on-demand.” Learn what led to Aimee’s social anxiety and how she eventually took control of her life by researching her symptoms after being misdiagnosed. (Aimee’s blog on Social Anxiety Disorder is here).
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social Anxiety Disorder is so much more than simple shyness. Healthyplace.com Medical Director, Dr. Harry Croft, referred to Social Anxiety Disorder as “shyness to the max.”
According to Dr. Croft, those living with the social anxiety avoid public places for fear of being ridiculed or embarrassed over something they do or say. However, it is often difficult to avoid social situations altogether, so for sufferers battling Social Anxiety Disorder, being put in those situations may cause the following physical symptoms:
• Sweating
• Heart palpitations
• Rapid heartbeat
• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Diarrhea
Healthyplace.com knows that suffering from a mental illness is not easy. We never want you to feel alone. With our newest feature, you can share your mental health experiences, comments and stories with others by calling 1-888-883-8045. Take a minute to share and you just might be giving someone the inspiration they need. The mental health experiences recordings are posted in a widget on the HealthyPlace homepage and the HealthyPlace Mental Health Support Network homepage.
Join us next Tuesday, October 27, as we talk about Postpartum Depression and the difficulties it can bring into what is supposed to be a joyous time of life. Dr. Croft will be on hand to talk about symptoms and treatment of postpartum depression to get you back on track.
Watch us live at 5:30 pm PST / 7:30 pm CST / 8:30 pm EST. See you then!
Tags: healthyplace tv, mental health, psychology, shyness, social anxiety disorder, social phobia
Posted in Anxiety Panic, TV Show | No Comments »
Sunday, October 18th, 2009 by Christina Torres
Have you ever been uncomfortable in social situations? Have you ever felt nervous about a first date, before a big presentation or public performance, or maybe your first day at a new job? These situations often make the heart beat rapidly and cause sweat to build.
It is often normal to feel this way before a major event is about to unfold. However, when these symptoms arise from everyday situations, it becomes debilitating and in it’s extreme form, can cause a sufferer to live a lonely life behind closed doors. It’s called Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) and we’ll be discussing it this Tuesday.
Extreme Anxiety Around Social Situations
Our guest, Aimee, understands Social Anxiety Disorder. Her relentless symptoms have caused her to think twice about engaging in an activity that is simple for many of us to do: eat around others.
All my life I have been skinny- too skinny. Growing up, instead of fat jokes I got nicknamed “Chicken Legs.” In a society where meal proportions get bigger and bigger, I constantly heard, “That’s all you’re going to eat? Several times in my life, I have been asked by people that were just concerned about me, in all seriousness, if I had an eating disorder. So I began to not enjoy eating around others. I got tired of the jokes and the constant worrying that if I didn’t eat enough or perform just right that people might think something was wrong with me or that I have an eating disorder.”
Aimee is determined to help others that suffer from social anxiety, so don’t miss her story. And, of course, HealthyPlace.com Medical Director, Dr. Harry Croft, will be here to provide insight into Social Anxiety Disorder and answer your personal questions on the subject.
Do You or a Loved One Have Social Anxiety Disorder?
If so, how about sharing your personal experiences with Social Anxiety Disorder? Call the HealthyPlace “Share Your Mental Health Experiences” toll-free line at 1-888-883-8045.
Healthyplace.com has extensive information on the signs, symptoms, causes and treatments of Social Anxiety Disorder, as well as other anxiety disorders. It is our goal to help people to be both informed and in good company. Come join the HealthyPlace Support Network and you will soon be sharing your experiences and learning from others.
This Tuesday we’ll be back at our regular time, 5:30 pm PT, 7:30 pm CST, 8:30 pm EST. Join us for the live HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show or catch any of our shows later on-demand.
See you then!
Tags: anxiety disorders, healthyplace tv, sad, social anxiety disorder, social phobia
Posted in Anxiety Panic, Coming Shows | No Comments »
Sunday, April 12th, 2009 by jnowitz
Imagine feeling your chest tighten and you cannot breathe. You know you’re having a heart attack and you rush to the hospital only to be told there is nothing ‘physically’ wrong with you.
For many people suffering from panic attacks , these symptoms can be a commonplace occurrence. These anxiety attacks can be completely debilitating, preventing people from living normal lives or even going to work. Panic attacks accompany a wide range of other mental illnesses such as depression and agoraphobia .
Panic attacks, however, are treatable. We’ll be talking about that during the live HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show airing Tuesday, April 14th at 7:30p CT, 8:30 ET. Joining the show are two women who have successfully overcome their panic attacks . Our guests, along with HealthyPlace.com’s Medical Director, Dr. Harry Croft, will share several key points for those suffering from panic attacks. (Read Dr. Croft’s blog post on How To Manage Your Panic Attacks .) You will be able to ask our guests and Dr. Croft questions during the live show, and during the second half of the show, you can ask Dr. Croft any mental health question that’s on your mind.
If you suffer from panic attacks and want to share your story with us, produce a video on youtube (and then email me the link). If you would like to share your story or any questions for Dr. Croft feel free to email us as well: Producer AT healthyplace.com .
The HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show airs live every Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM Central/ 8:30 PM Eastern. For more information about how the show works, you can click here .
Tags: agoraphobia, anxiety, healthyplace tv, panic attacks, panic disorder
Posted in Anxiety Panic, Coming Shows | No Comments »
Monday, March 23rd, 2009 by jnowitz
I wanted to thank all of you for watching our show last night on “Soldiers and the Hidden Battle, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” The show had some really great information for anyone affected by PTSD .
The show could not have happened without the help of Nathan Havey and Rick of In their Boots . In their boots created over 12 documentaries about the lives of soldiers and the issues they face when returning back home. They plan to produce another ten documentaries this year. In their Boots also plans to take their films on the road this year which will include panel discussions exploring issues soldiers face. The tentative schedule is below.
- Houston in April to explore the complexities of Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- May in Washington, DC to highlight the problem of homelessness among veterans and effective ways to address it.
- June in Atlanta to demonstrate the need for ‘veteran’s courts’ and alternative sentencing to support veterans in their efforts to reintegrate when they return home.
- July in Chicago to examine the impact on children of losing a family member in the war.
If you missed the show, don’t worry! As with all our shows, you can view them in their entirety by visiting the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV show homepage, clicking the menu button on the viewer, and selecting on-demand .
I always appreciate hearing from you. If you have any comments or questions, please email me at Producer AT heatlhyplace.com .
Tags: healthyplace tv, in their boots, post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, soldiers, veterans
Posted in Anxiety Panic, TV Show | No Comments »
Saturday, March 14th, 2009 by jnowitz
Well over one million American troops have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. While many troops have given the ultimate sacrifice, many more soldiers may be closet casualties of the war; suffering from nightmares, flashbacks, aggression, and alienation from loved ones. They may not even be able to hold down a job. (See description of PTSD )
Our HealthyPlace TV Show, this coming Tuesday, March 17 is titled: “Soldiers and the Hidden Battle, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”
The Psychological Casualties of War
While post-battlefield stress was first described in the 8th century, our modern description and understanding did not develop until the 1970’s. Post traumatic stress disorder can affect anyone who has suffered a trauma, from rape to war.
With our troops having faced extended tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, a lot of focus has been given to the physical injuries our troops experienced. What about the injuries that cannot be seen on an x-ray? We intend to help shed light on some of the debilitating psychological effects, mainly PTSD, war can leave on our soldiers long after all other wounds have healed.
Also, make sure you read Dr. Harry Croft’s blog post describing PTSD . Having evaluated over 4,000 veterans for PTSD, Dr. Croft has a unique and educated viewpoint on the disorder.
I am looking forward to your participation in our next live show - Tuesday, March 17th at 7:30p CT, 8:30 ET, and 5:30 PT. If you have been affected by PTSD in any way, we want to hear your story. Make a video, write a story, but whatever you do, be heard. Upload your videos to youtube, and send me an email, producer AT healthyplace.com . We will be playing these videos during the live show. Details on how the HealthyPlace TV Show works can be found here.
During the second half of the show, you’ll have an opportunity to ask HealthyPlace.com Medical Director and Board-Certified Psychiatrist, Dr. Harry Croft, your personal mental health questions.
Tags: battlefield stress, healthyplace tv, post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, soldiers, veterans, vets
Posted in Anxiety Panic, Coming Shows | No Comments »
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