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

