A

nxiety is invisible, yet it can
ravage the lives of those who
suffer from it. Anxiety can
make a seemingly simple task, such
as phoning a doctor’
s office to request
a prescription refill, seem daunting.
Raising a hand in class to answer a
question or being invited to a party or
social function may cause paralyzing
fear.
According to statistics from the
National Alliance of Mental Illness
(NAMI), anxiety affects approximately
40 million people in the United States.
Most people develop symptoms before
age 21, which means many teens and
young adults are struggling with anx-
iety during a time that is already ram-
pant with physical, social and emo-
tional changes and challenges.
“
Anxiety hurts,” said Dr. Carolyn
Daitch, clinical psychologist, author
and director of the Center for the
Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in
Farmington Hills. “It destroys the
normal enjoyment of life through fear,
worry, panic and obsessive thinking.”
While anxiety does not have a
specific cure, the good news is there
are many effective ways to manage
it. Daitch presented some practical
solutions in a recent program called
“Practical Tips for Curbing Anxiety”
co-sponsored by the Daniel B. Sobel
Friendship House and Core Learning
Inc., a Birmingham-based provider of
educational resources.

“We need to learn we have resources
within and without,” Daitch told an
audience comprised of parents, teens,
adults of all ages and mental health
professionals.
She described the main types of anx-
iety disorders: general anxiety, social
anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), panic disorder and phobias.
Anxiety is often accompanied by other
conditions such as depression and
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Those who suffer from anxiety often
experience physical symptoms, such
as increased heart rate, dizziness and
shortness of breath. This is especially
true of people who have been diag-
nosed with panic disorder.
“Our bodies are a file cabinet for our
minds,” Daitch said.
Jolie Banooni, 18, has struggled with
anxiety since she was 11 years old. The
Bloomfield Hills teen came to the pre-
sentation with her grandmother, Lila
Zorn of Farmington Hills, to learn new
techniques for managing her anxiety.
“It affects my everyday life,” said
Banooni, who also experiences panic
attacks and social anxi-
ety in public settings. “I
worry about every little
thing.”
During one segment
of the presentation,
Banooni volunteered
for a demonstration of
a therapeutic technique

Daitch uses in her prac-
tice. After several minutes,
which included breathing
exercises and repetitive
movement, Banooni felt
calmer and less anxious.

HEALING TECHNIQUES
Daitch uses a variety of tools and treat-
ment modalities, individually and in
combination, depending on what works
best for each patient at each stage of
therapy.

Clinical Hypnosis: Daitch describes
hypnosis as “daydreaming with a pur-
pose.
” She said people fear hypnosis will
cause them to lose control, but this is
a misconception. When performed by
a therapist who is specifically trained
in this area, hypnosis can help patients
reduce anxiety and develop self-calming
tools they can carry into their daily lives.

Mindfulness: Increasingly used by
therapists to treat a variety of condi-
tions, mindfulness is especially effective
for reducing anxiety. Daitch defines
mindfulness as “paying attention to the
present without judgment.
” For example,
acknowledging a feeling of fearfulness
can keep a person from identifying with
the fear.
“Remember that thoughts, feelings
and sensations are transitory,
” Daitch
said. “Staying with a sensation, like a
headache, will (eventually) diminish it.
”

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
This type of therapy includes learn-
ing to catch negative thoughts as they
arise and replacing them with posi-
tive backtalk.
Daitch gave examples of cognitive
statements for managing uncertainty,
such as, “There’
s the uncertainty, but it’
s
part of life and I can handle it. I have
resources if things go wrong.
”

Postponement: This is a tech-
nique wherein a patient puts
worrisome thoughts aside
and relegates them to a spe-
cific “worry time.” Some peo-
ple find it helpful to write their
worries on slips of paper and put
them into a “worry box” to be taken
out at a designated time.

Gratitude: Anxiety and gratitude are
incompatible, according to Daitch.
Keeping a gratitude journal or daily list
of things to be grateful for helps people
focus on the positive
things that happen each
day instead of worrying
about what might go
wrong.
Daitch also recom-
mends relaxation tech-
niques, such as slow
breathing, to help lessen
anxiety.
“Relaxed muscles send messages to
the brain that everything is OK,” said
Daitch, who also warns against using
alcohol to reduce anxious feelings.
“
Alcohol worsens anxiety; there is a
rebound effect.”
Banooni felt that working one-on-one
with Daitch was a positive experience.
“I 100 percent got something out of
it,” said Banooni, who is studying social
work at Oakland Community College
and aspires to be a cantor someday. “I
appreciated what she said about mind-
fulness.” ■

18 January 17 • 2019
jn

RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

jews d
in
the

Dr. Carolyn
Daitch

Jolie Banooni
and her
grandmother
Lila Zorn

Help Wanted
I

t started with the lice. After two
months of camping, I had tiny bugs
crawling all over my scalp. I knew
all it would take to get rid of them was
a shower cap, conditioner and a comb;
but once it was all over, I feared what
my friends would think after hearing I
had lice.
The end of that humiliating moment
was only the start of another. Obsessive
hand washing. Putting clothes in bags. Constant show-
ering. All to prevent a disgusting bug from landing on

my head and controlling my
body. During this time, I
learned that I needed help.
After my traumatic head
lice experience at age 11,
my OCD began to surface.
I feared contact with my own
clothes, friends and family. My erratic behav-
ior quickly became out of control; it was only
a matter of time before my happiness dissi-
pated. Some people lived their lives out of a
suitcase; I lived mine out of plastic bags.

Aerin Fink

Aerin Fink, her therapist

Ellen Tabak and Baxter,

the therapy dog


Alleviating
Alleviating Anxiety
Anxiety

Expert offers tools for handling fear, worry,
panic and obsessive thinking.

continued on page 19