Anxiety Disorders

Q & A with Dr. Paul Foxman

by Paul Foxman, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Anxiety Disorders, a private practice and therapist training program in Burlington, Vermont. Dr. Foxman is the author of The Worried Child (2004) and Dancing With Fear (1996), and other publications on the topic of anxiety. Dr. Foxman's web site is www.drfoxman.com.

Why and how does anxiety develop?

Anxiety is related to the survival instinct. Normally, we react self-protectively to threat or danger with the “fight or flight response.” This state of high mental alertness and physical arousal prepares us to “fight” or “flee” from danger. However, the fear reaction can occur when there is no present danger or threat. For example, if a child is a victim of bullying in school he is likely to perceive school as a dangerous place and experience anxiety in that setting. He may even refuse to go to school or develop separation anxiety. In other words, anxiety is the fear reaction to a perception or anticipation of danger when no actual threat is present. Sensitive people—those who react strongly to external or internal experiences—have a higher risk of developing anxiety.

In an effort to control anxiety, we may avoid certain situations, worry frequently, or develop obsessive-compulsive and other behavior. These patterns are not productive and they usually interfere with daily life.

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Resource Organizations » Anxiety Disorders

10 listing(s), including 1 offering support groups

In Boston

Boston University Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders

www.bu.edu/card/
648 Beacon Street
6th Floor
Boston, MA  02215
617-353-9610
The Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) at Boston University specializes in the research, evaluation, and treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adults. The website includes clinical descriptions of common anxiety-related conditions such as phobias, OCD, panic disorder, eating disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder. The site also lists opportunities to participate in research studies and receive services free of charge.

MGH Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders

www.massgeneral.org/psychiatry/services/treatmentprograms.aspx?id=1131
Simches Research Building
85 Cambridge St., Suite 2200
Boston, MA  02114
1-866-449-6779
The Center is investigating the efficacy of treatments for Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Complicated Grief, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, while seeking to learn more about the underlying causes and course of Anxiety Disorders.
The first step to participating in a research study is a brief phone interview, which will help us determine whether any of our studies might be appropriate for you. If eligible, we would invite you in for an initial screening visit. Please call 1-866-44-WORRY for this phone interview.

In Massachusetts

Hallowell Center

www.drhallowell.com
142 North Road
Sudbury, MA  01776
978-287-0810
Hallowell Centers offer comprehensive mental health diagnostic and treatment services to patients and their families. The centers provide a full range of diagnostic, medical, counseling, support and alternative treatment services for children and with learning issues, mental heath disorders and ADHD. The website offers a listing of lectures and events, interactive resources, books and tapes, and resources by topic of interest.

Mood Gym

www.moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome/new/splash
MoodGYM is an interactive program designed to help you:
* Identify whether you are having problems with emotions like anxiety and depression,
* Learn skills that can help you cope with these emotions.
MoodGYM is based on two programs which are successful in preventing and treating depression and anxiety. These are: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy.
MoodGYM is designed to be used by people who would like to prevent mental health problems or manage problems which are troubling but not incapacitating. MoodGYM is not specifically designed for use by people with clinical levels of depression or anxiety. MoodGYM suggests that those with depression scores above 2-3 seek contact with a health professional.

Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation of Greater Boston

www.ocfboston.org
Offers support group(s)
115 Mill Street
Belmont, MA  02478
The Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation of Greater Boston (OCF/GB) was formed in 1995 by a small group of people diagnosed with OCD, their families and friends. This affiliate of the International OCD Foundation was organized in response to the absence of local support groups and educational resources. Although its name suggests a jurisdiction limited to the Greater Boston area, it extends its services in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
The primary goals of the organization are: to assist individuals afflicted with OCD identify, seek, and gain access to appropriate support and affordable treatment; to provide education and information about OCD and related disorders to sufferers and their families; and to assist those diagnosed with OCD to become recognized as valuable members of their community.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness

www.namimass.org
400 West Cummings Park
Suite 6650
Woburn, MA  01801
781-938-4048
Toll Free: 800-370-9085
Fax: 781-938-4069
The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for informaion on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and adocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in MA, contact NAMI Massachusetts.

Outside Massachusetts

Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA)

www.adaa.org
8730 Georgia Ave
Silver Spring, MD  20910
240.485.1001
The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the prevention, treatment and cure of anxiety disorders and to improve the lives of all people who suffer from them. ADAA is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to informing the public, health care professionals, and media that anxiety disorders are real, serious, and treatable. ADAA promotes professional and public awareness of anxiety and related disorders and their impact on people's lives, and encourages the advancement of scientific knowledge about causes and treatment of anxiety and related disorders. The organization also links people who need treatment with the health care professionals who provide it.

E-Couch

ecouch.anu.edu.au/welcome
E-couch is a self-help interactive program with modules for depression, generalised anxiety & worry, social anxiety, relationship breakdown, and loss & grief.
It provides evidence-based information and teaches strategies drawn from cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal therapies as well as relaxation and physical activity.

Freedom From Fear

www.freedomfromfear.org
308 Seaview Avenue
Staten Island, NY  10305
718-351-1717 x19
Freedom From Fear is a national not-for-profit mental health advocacy association. The mission of FFF is to impact, in a positive way, the lives of all those affected by anxiety, depressive and related disorders through advocacy, education, research and community support. The website provides information on anxiety and depression along with self-screening tools for these conditions, referrals for support groups and mental health professionals, and resources on accessing treatment for those with and without health insurance.

Worry Wise Kids

worrywisekids.org
This site was launched because of the urgent need to address the growing needs of our children to be equipped to cope with and overcome the stress, worry and anxieties in their life. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for anxious children and their families by providing parents, educators and mental health professionals with comprehensive, user-friendly information on the full range of anxiety disorders. Because children may be secretive about their worries and suffer in silence, our goal is to help adults who care about kids to be on the lookout for red flags. We offer information about treatment options, kid-friendly explanations for the mechanisms that create and maintain anxiety, parenting do's and don'ts, how to handle school issues and more.

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Additional Sources of Information

From SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center

From the School Psychiatry Program and MADI Resource Center

Disclaimer: Material on the Project INTERFACE web site is intended as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment, nor should it be considered medical or mental health advice. Project INTERFACE urges families to discuss all information and questions related to medical or mental health care with a health care professional.