Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problem experienced by children, teenagers and adults. They are associated with fear and distress that is out of proportion to the actual event. People with an anxiety disorder diagnosis have trouble putting aside their worries and experience significant impairment in their day-to-day lives. Research suggests that, if untreated, anxiety disorders tend to persist, and are associated with life long suffering. See below for more information about the types of anxiety that we treat at CAO.
Specific Phobias
Specific phobias affect approximately 10% of the population, making them one of the most common mental health disorders. Specific phobias typically start in early childhood, with children showing extreme fear and avoidance when they are exposed to their phobia. Phobias are also associated with the development of other mental health problems that develop later in life. At CAO, we offer treatment for the following phobia subtypes:
Specific phobia of vomiting (Emetophobia)
Blood injection and injury phobia (BII)
Environmental phobias e.g. of heights, flying, enclosed spaces, water, and the dark
Animal phobias e.g. fear of dogs, snakes, and insects
Click here for information about our treatment options for specific phobias.
Social Phobia
People with social phobia experience excessive fear and concern about social judgment and/or embarrassment. Social phobia can result in significant friendship and academic problems for young people, as children will avoid situations that make them anxious, such as public speaking, talking to peers, going to parties, and asking teachers for help with schoolwork. For adults, social phobia can affect work, social and family functioning. Research suggests that social phobia can be successfully treated with cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder
People with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) are often described as “worriers”. This disorder causes excessive worry about various topics, including the future, the world, work, school, friendships, and family. People with GAD may frequently seek reassurance from others, and complain of physical symptoms, such as stomachaches, nausea, muscle tension, poor concentration, trouble sleeping, and headaches.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Children with separation anxiety become distressed or upset when having to separate from their caregiver, for example at school drop off or at bedtime. They usually worry about something bad happening to either their parent or to themselves when they are apart. This problem can interfere in family, school, and social lives, as these children will try to avoid situations that cause separation from their caregiver, like going to school or attending sleepovers.
Health Anxiety
Those who suffer from health anxiety are burdened with the idea they might have, or be developing, a serious illness. They become preoccupied with bodily functions (e.g., breathing, heartbeat), minor physical abnormalities, or physical sensations, such as headaches and stomach pains. People may attempt to deal with their health anxiety by frequently seeking reassurance from family members and/or doctors about their symptoms. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for health anxiety.
Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
A panic attack is the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort including physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, chest pain/discomfort, dizziness, and/or numbness or tingling. During a panic attack, the person might fear that they are losing control or “going crazy”, or may worry they are dying. Due to the intensity of the symptoms and their tendency to mimic those of actual medical problems, people with panic disorder frequently visit emergency departments or doctors' offices, convinced they have a life-threatening issue.
Panic disorder can be diagnosed when panic attacks happen frequently and they negatively impact the person’s life. Individual’s with panic disorder will constantly worry about having another panic attack, and often avoid situations that they fear may trigger further attacks.
Agoraphobia
People who suffer from agoraphobia experience intense fear of situations in which they may have a panic attack, be unable to escape or where help may not be available. Symptoms may include avoiding public places, crowds and/or public transport. In severe cases, the individual might avoid leaving their home altogether and become housebound. CBT is an effective treatment for agoraphobia. If you, your child or family member are housebound, our team can provide internet-delivered CBT as well as home visits to kick-start their treatment.