Anxiety negatively affects the quality of life, work productivity, and relationships. If you experience social fears, obsessive thinking, or other forms of anxiety, contact licensed psychologist Damon G. LaBarbera, PhD, for an in person consult in Rockville Centre, New York. Dr. LaBarbera also offers telehealth services from Rockville Centre and Union City, New Jersey. Expert care is only a click away. Book an appointment by phone or online for expert anxiety care.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety symptoms include worry, excessive fear of negative events, obsessing, dread of situations or objects, or panic episodes.

Physical signs of anxiety include muscle tension, sweating, shaking, tightness in the chest, “rubbery” legs, or “butterflies in the stomach.” Anxiety is a primary reason individuals seek help from a psychologist.

Anxiety Disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Simple Phobia, and Social Phobia. Anxiety can also occur in disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Exposure to trauma also commonly creates anxious feelings. Therapy is an effective treatment. Identifying the type of anxiety, applying targeted treatment, and achieving measurable relief is the goal of therapy. There is no need to suffer the unpleasant effects of anxiety when help is available.

What are symptoms of anxiety?

Anxiety symptoms often include:

• Nervousness
• Startling easily
• Difficulties sleeping
• Trouble concentrating
• Trembling in the hands or legs
• Pounding heart rate
• Constant muscle tension
• Panic attacks
• Obsessive worry or rituals
• Continuous worry about something bad happening
• Feelings of numbness in the extremities
• Dissociation

Anxiety symptoms can “wax and wane” over time, shifting in severity or seeming to disappear, only to re-emerge later in stress. Children and adolescents are not immune to anxiety; anxiety can be mistaken for other disorders without proper diagnosis.

Are there different types of anxiety?

Types of anxiety include: 

Panic attacks

These are sudden bursts of anxiety, sometimes accompanied by sweating, lightheadedness, difficulty breathing, shaking or rubbery legs, and a sense of losing control.

The person may think they are having a heart attack or losing control of their thoughts. Panic attacks can occur as part of Panic Disorder or as a symptom of another disorder.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is the fear of venturing away from a safe place. After a panic attack, individuals may develop “anticipatory anxiety,” in which they fear having another attack and avoid places they associate with previous panic attacks. A person can become isolated, home-bound, or avoid travel because of fear of being hindered by anxiety.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD) characterizes individuals who avoid others, are shy, fearful in evaluative situations, avoid confrontation, self-conscious, and interpersonally anxious. 

Separation Anxiety Disorder

This disorder can affect a child who fears separation from a parent, worries that close figures may leave or be injured, fears burglars or storms that may harm family members,  or is unable to concentrate at school because of worrying about a parent.

How is anxiety treated?

Dr. LaBarbera has treated anxiety disorders for over three decades, using behavioral and cognitive behavioral techniques, coaching, lifestyle changes, and stress management exercises. He has worked with hundreds of veterans using re-experiencing and cognitive processing techniques to lessen trauma.  

CBT teaches you to change the flawed thoughts fueling your anxiety and transform the accompanying emotions. The effect of traumatic memories can be lessened by cognitive processing of stressful events. 

Call Damon G. LaBarbera, PhD, today or book an appointment online for expert anxiety relief.