Aisling Psychology & Counselling Dr. Willa Litvack Registered Psychologist Some degree of fear and anxiety are essential, alerting us to danger and steering us in the other direction. But, when fear and anxiety is excessive and unrealistic they can permeate every area of our lives, interfering with relationships, performance at work, social activities and recreation, and with our ability to get sufficient rest and nutrition. Approximately 12% of Canadians will experience an anxiety disorder during any given year, and 25% will experience an anxiety disorder in our lifetime. Sufferers most often recognize the illogic of their responses but nonetheless experience them as real, cognitively, emotionally, and physiologically. There are different types of anxiety disorder: Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a persistent pattern of excessive and unproductive worry often resulting in muscle tension, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, and irritability. Specific Phobias are excessive fears of particular objects ,situations or activities. Phobic responses can be elicited by almost anything, but most commonly by animals (especially snakes, rodents, and insects), heights, closed spaces, flying, water, fire, and blood. Social Phobia is a pattern of extreme and debilitating shyness. Those with social phobia typically worry that they will be judged negatively or will look foolish and be humiliated. Panic Disorder involves recurrent unanticipated attacks of intense anxiety. Sufferers may fear that they are dying and experience physical symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, abdominal distress, numbness, tingling, or faintness. Obsessions are persistent thoughts, impulses or images that are intrusive and cause marked anxiety or distress. Sufferers may try to ignore or suppress them or to counteract them with other thoughts or actions (compulsions). Compulsions are repetitive behaviours (Such as washing, checking, or placing things in a particular order.) or mental acts (Such as praying, counting or repeating words). ANXIETY Fortunately, anxiety disorders respond extremely well to treatment in the form  of counseling, alone or in combination with medication. BY: NETMATRIX © 2011 AISLING Phone: 403-244-3344    Email Administration at admin@aislingonline.com Dr. Litvack at willa.litvack@aislingonline.com Located in northwest Calgary, near the University of Calgary, the Foothills and Alberta Childrens’ Hospitals, and Market Mall