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