HOW TO BEAT STRESS

Stress is everywhere. From the time we wake up in the morning until we hit the sack again each night, the stresses inherent in daily life are a constant. While many seek out mental health professionals to help in dealing with stress, Dr. Perri Zinberg, a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist in Los Angeles CA says that while stress is present, it may not be the real problem. Dr. Zinberg explains, “Stress is just part of being alive on the planet. Working long hours, coping with the various demands we all have can cause stress. It can make us feel irritable, tense, and overwhelmed. Sometimes patients have physical symptoms like headaches, dizziness, or stomach problems that lead them to seek medical attention. When no other cause is found, the symptoms may be chalked up to stress. Oftentimes when patients come to me, the real problem isn’t stress...it’s anxiety.” Dr. Zinberg says that the terms “stress” and “anxiety” are often used interchangeably, but explains they are very different states of being, even though one can contribute to the other. “In Stress Management, the behavioral therapist may look at the particular situation the patient is in and offer suggestions as to how to reduce those factors contributing to the patient’s stress, and help the patient increase their healthy habits. Although patients might be offered antianxiety or anti-depressant medications when go to their physician with stress-related symptoms, medication seldom works in these situations because they are situational in nature; working too many hours, driving too much, etc.” Severe Anxiety or “Panic Disorder”, explains Dr. Zinberg, is a ‘fear’ response. “When a bear is chasing us, the nervous system ramps up to enable us to deal with the situation, ie – more adrenalin equates to running faster, which increases our odds of survival. There is a bona-fide threat that the body needs to deal with. A person who is in the grips of Anxiety has the ‘fear’ response in the absence of any real immediate danger.” Dr. Zinberg says that what most people in therapy don’t realize is that simply talking about their Anxiety could be making it worse because it reinforces the brain’s fear response. “Coping with Anxiety is like fighting a fire. It is natural to try to avoid the things that frighten us, but avoidance only makes the anxiety grow. The most effective way to deal with it is to go toward the fear and face it until it subsides.” In her work with her patients, Dr. Zinberg does this gradually in a supportive environment and is able to help them eradicate the unrealistic thoughts that provoke the onset of anxiety. “One very powerfully effective technique I use is to have the patient write the absolute worst-case scenario in the most detail possible and then copy that scenario down word for word several times, then read it out loud several times, then recording it and listening to it several times. By the time this process is complete, the thought that previously provoked gut wrenching anxiety is now boring and meaningless.” Many patients think ‘this isn’t going to do anything...go deeper into the fear? It’ won’t work!’ They are surprised that not only can their anxiety be resolved rapidly, but that they have a variety of tools to knowledgeably and courageously manage both anxiety and stress in the long term. Even patients who have seen several other psychologists without success, find that after Dr. Zinberg walks them through the process, the things that were causing anxiety had no more weight behind it.” Dr. Perri Zinberg is a licensed CA psychologist with over 20 years of experience in both psychotherapy and psychodiagnostic assessment (testing). In 1993, Dr. Zinberg received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles (now CSPP LA/ Alliant University), She completed her pre-doctoral internship in individual and family therapy with Cigna Mental Health, and her postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric health psychology at Children’s Hospital in Orange County. She was licensed by the CA Board of Psychology in 1995. Her current psychotherapy practice is focused on helping adolescents and young adults cope with the crippling effects of anxiety and depression. http://www.drperrizinberg.com