Jump down to:
Depression
Anxiety
Bipolar Disorder
Panic Disorder
Phobias
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Eating Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Insomnia
Stress Management
Anger Management
Substance Abuse and Codependency
Depression
What is depression? Depression is a persistent feeling of sadness and despair coupled with a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Depression is a disorder that impacts your thoughts, moods, feelings, behavior, and your body. Studies have shown that depression can also have a negative effect on one’s physical health, as well as impacting relationships with family, spouses, friends, and co-workers. Depression can also have a negative impact on one’s performance at work, can prevent one from adjusting to new life circumstances, and can prevent someone from achieving their personal goals. At times, individuals become depressed due to experiencing a stressful life event, such as loss of a loved one, loss of a job, or divorce, while other individuals experience cycles of depression that are not connected to any specific life event. Depression effects both the body and mind, and it is not something one can just “snap out of it.” or “toughen up.” Depression is not the result of weak character, and it is estimated that approximately 17 million people a year suffer from depression! Here are some common symptoms of depression:
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness or despair
- Loss of interest in daily activities that you once used to enjoy
- Disturbances in sleep (i.e. you sleep too much or too little, you wake too early)
- Agitation, irritability or easily annoyed
- Changes in weight (increased or loss of appetite)
- Impaired thinking or concentration
- Fatigue
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Lack of interest in sex
- Slowed speech and movement
- Suicidal thoughts
If you think you are suffering from depression, there is help for you. Most people with depression do respond to treatment. Please call the Manhattan Cognitive Therapy Center to schedule an appointment with one of our psychologists at 212-724-3530.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal feeling and a natural part of life that most of us experience in response to specific situations. Anxiety can often help motivate us and prepare us for life’s challenges, such as exams, job interviews, first dates, etc. But for some individuals, anxiety becomes excessive and interferes with their ability to function optimally in our lives. When anxiety leads to long-lasting, intense worrying and fear, our ability to cope with life’s challenges becomes compromised.
Anxiety disorders are often characterized by excessive, unrealistic fear and worry and can lead to difficulty sleeping and concentrating. Excessive fear and worry and can also lead to other difficulties, such as confronting and coping with challenging situations at work, at home or in our interpersonal relationships, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, avoidance, and isolation. For some individuals, anxiety can be constant and all-consuming, leading to emotional withdraw and avoiding interaction with others. Most importantly, anxiety can negatively impact your ability to enjoy your life, establish healthy relationships, succeed in your professional life, and reach your potential.
It is estimated that anxiety disorders are prevalent in 13% of the U.S. population. You don’t have to suffer from debilitating anxiety any more-there is treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been empirically validated to reduce anxiety symptoms by focusing and altering anxiety producing thoughts that one replays in their mind when faced with life’s challenges. The primary premise of CBT is to change the way someone thinks and therefore change the way they feel and behave. People experience anxiety for all types of reasons and situations. At the Manhattan Cognitive Therapy Center, your therapist will work with you exclusively to help reduce the uncomfortable effects of anxiety and put you on the path to a healthier and happier life.
Some common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Nervousness or jumpiness
- Heart palpitations or racing heartbeat
- Sweating and dizziness
- Tremors
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Frequent urination or diarrhea
- Upset stomach
- Chest pain
- Constant worrying and fear
- Impaired concentration
- Irritability
- Avoidance and isolation
- Hypervigilance
- Uneasiness and dread
Bipolar Disorder
Also known as manic-depression, Bipolar Disorder is characterized as switching between extreme moods, such as over-joyed happiness to a depressive sadness. These mood swings may last weeks and even months. Although in between the extreme episodes are periods of stability, some individuals are burdened with rapid cycling, or multiple episodes throughout the day.
At different points in our life, we all feel the ups and downs various experiences can bring. If you have Bipolar Disorder, however, you might feel overwhelmingly depressed and not even want to get out of bed in the morning. Then, the next day, you might have so much bottled up energy that you feel like you can climb mountains.
Are there times where you feel your mind is racing and you can’t control your thoughts? Do you have nights where you get little to no sleep, yet you still feel as if you’re energized and ready for the day? These are two of the many symptoms that are related to Bipolar Disorder.
As with other disorders, Bipolar Disorder is a treatable condition. Understanding how to cope with Bipolar Disorder can lead to a sense of control and the ability to live a happier, more rewarding life.
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder involves multiple episodes of panic attacks and can happen at any place at any time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, heart palpitations (or a racing heart), sensations of stress or nervousness, and other physical ailments, such as dizziness, trembling, headaches, and nausea. These attacks can be especially problematic, as they appear to come without warning and create a feeling of loss of control. Often times, individuals may experience physical symptoms that they have associated with a panic attack in the past and begin to fear that they will have an attack again. For example, running can cause your heart to race; A person who suffers from panic disorder will immediately misinterpret this as the beginning of a panic attack rather that a normal physiological sensation that occurs when running or rushing.
Panic attacks involve the body continually erupting into a “fight-or-flight” response that often interferes with work, relationships and the ability to live a successful, comfortable life. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been very successful in the treatment of Panic Disorder. With cognitive behavioral therapy, one can be assisted in understanding the thoughts that can trigger a panic reaction and learn how stop maladaptive thinking patterns as well as the misinterpretation of physical symptoms.
Phobias
There are various types or classifications of phobias (simple, agoraphobia, and social). The characteristics of a phobia are the irrational and persistent fear and avoidance of specific situation, activity of thing. Some common examples of phobias are fear of social situations, speaking in public, fear of flying, dogs, closed spaces, heights, snakes and spiders just to name a few.
Having a phobia, in which the fear a particular object or situation leads to intense anxiety can be very taxing physically and mentally. Treatment for a phobia is recommended when it significantly impairs ones social or occupational functioning. Cognitive therapy can help to alter thought patterns that lead to fear and avoidance. With the utilization of cognitive therapy, you will be able to replace unrealistic thinking related to your phobia and be able to manage your thoughts in a manner that allows you to engage in activities you once avoided.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which an individual feels compelled to perform “rituals” during daily activities or experiences reoccurring, unwanted thoughts that inhibit behaviors. It can also be inclusive of experiencing intense obsessions. The individual with OCD is often quite distressed because he or she recognizes that the thoughts are excessive, irrational and/or inappropriate. OCD compulsions may appear in various forms, including recurrent observable behaviors such as hand washing, repetitive “mental compulsions” such as praying rituals, or avoidant behaviors that have an almost phobic quality. Often, the obsessions and compulsions seen in OCD are a source of considerable shame and embarrassment, leading the individual to go to great lengths to hide his or her symptoms.
As with any disorder, OCD ranges from mild to severe. Any level of OCD can cause interference with your actions, thoughts, or conduct in either public or private settings. Due to the extensive areas that OCD can envelop, your quality of life can be negatively affected if these symptoms are overlooked.
Classified as one of the anxiety disorders, it is a lot more common than one might think. These compulsions and obsessions, however, can consume an individuals life. Although once believed as untreatable, documentation has shown that certain approaches with cognitive therapy have been very successful by teaching people the understanding on how to manage their symptoms and to live a more balanced life.
Some examples of Obsessions are:
- exaggerated fears of contamination from contact with people or everyday items
- nagging doubts about having locked the windows or the doors to the car, garage or home
- excessive concerns about having turned off the hair dryer stove, coffee pot, or other household appliances
- overwhelming urges to arrange items in a particular order so that they are “just right”
- fears of committing a harmful, violent, sexually inappropriate, immoral, or sacrilegious action
Some examples of Compulsions are:
- repeatedly washing hands or showering
- excessively using anti-bacterial cleaning products in an effort to eradicate potential contaminants
- avoiding contact with everyday objects such as sinks, toilets, money, doorknobs or virtually anything that an individual could construe as being contaminated
- frequently checking door locks, windows, light switches, electrical outlets, etc.
- unnecessarily arranging the contents of one’s desk, closets, cabinets, bookshelves, etc., or straightening household objects such as curtains or rugs
- hoarding useless items such as old newspapers, magazines, receipts, worn-out clothes, or other objects that most people would perceive as garbage
- repeatedly saying prayers to ensure that one has not or will not commit an unacceptable, inappropriate, or immoral action
- continually seeking assurance from others that one has not or will not commit an unacceptable, inappropriate, or immoral action
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are dangerous conditions that can lead to serious physical injury, emotional damage and even death. Eating disorders involve maladaptive patterns in eating, such as extreme dieting, binging, purging, obsessively counting calories and/or exercising as well as taking diet pills and laxatives. Persons with eating disorders generally suffer from a distorted self image and define their self worth in terms of weight and shape. Individuals with an eating disorder use food to cope with painful and uncomfortable emotions. Persons with eating disorders are often tortured by a constant obsession with weight and body image, constant thoughts of food and ways to hide their behavior from friends and family.
The three major categories of eating disorders are Bulimia, Anorexia, and Binge Eating. Each of these disorders is characterized by a classifiable pattern of destructive eating behavior. Bulimia consists of purging in an effort to dispense the consumed calories and/or fat after an episode of binge eating. Anorexia is classified as the unreasonable and severe restrictions of food consumption in order to lose weight-to the point that the individual’s weight is extremely unhealthy or life threatening. Binge eating consists of compulsively consuming large quantities of food following be feelings of guilt, depression and disgust.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on dysfunctional thoughts that are involved in destructive eating patterns. The primary goal in CBT is to allow an individual to become more self aware of how they use food to cope with uncomfortable and painful emotions.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is classified as an anxiety disorder that develops when an individual experiences a traumatic event, such as a life threatening situation, a natural disaster, vehicular accident, war or rape. Specific symptoms of PTSD include re-experiencing the traumatic event through flashbacks and bad dreams; avoiding reminders of the event by avoiding talking about the event or avoiding people, places and activities that remind you of the trauma; Lastly, symptoms of heightened arousal and anxiety are persistent in PTSD and lead to irritability, hyper-vigilance as well as, difficulty concentrating and sleeping.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for PTSD focuses on helping an individual cope with the trauma and process feelings associated with the event rather than avoid it. Through CBT you therapist will help you to resolve negative feelings associated with the trauma, identify distorted and irrational thoughts and re-establish a sense of control over thoughts and memories of the traumatic event.
Insomnia
A very common problem, insomnia – having extreme difficulty falling or staying asleep – can leave you feeling exceedingly tired, physically drained, and irritable. Insomnia can negatively effect your mood, weaken your immune system, diminish your ability to handle simple tasks, not to mention impede your attention and concentration during important situations, such as driving a car.
Understanding the causes of your insomnia and identifying barriers to a restful nights sleep are the cornerstones for treatment of insomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help with insomnia in numerous ways. First by assisting an individual in identifying the causes of insomnia and second by determining how you are thinking about sleep. Often time individuals with insomnia become stressed by their inability to sleep and become anxious during bedtime due to fear of not being able to fall asleep. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy an individual learns how to challenge and change maladaptive thoughts and assumptions about sleep which may be preventing them from getting the restful night’s sleep they need.
Stress Management
The Kenzington account is due in one hour. You can’t be late for Lisa’s dance performance. The mortgage bill was lost in the mail, and your car is going to cost $1,200 to fix . . . and it’s only Monday.
Although we are all confronted with stressful situations, constantly operating at a heightened level of stress can negatively affect health, peace of mind, relationships and energy levels. Stress management teaches individuals that there are effective and healthy ways to cope with stress.
Through cognitive therapy, you will be able to learn to manage stress by realizing that you are in control of your life. Cognitive therapy can help you reduce stress by taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment and changing the way you react to stressful situation. Most importantly, stress management can help an individual achieve a balance between work, family, friends and relaxation.
Anger Management
Did that driver just cut in front of you? He had a red light . . . what was he thinking? That’s it. Time to tailgate and honk until he learns his lesson and nobody better get on my nerves at work! I’ve had a bad start to the day, so don’t make me take it out on you!
Is this a familiar scene?
One of the most natural human reactions is anger. Anger can be seen as warning sign that something is wrong with a situation. It is a feeling of hostility and discontentment that we all experience. However, if your angry outbursts are negatively affecting your relationships with co-workers, friends or family, it may be time to change with manner in which you express your anger.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help teach skills and therapeutic techniques that allow an individual to learn how to express anger in a healthy and assertive manner. Most important, learning anger management skills can help to preserve important relationships and even achieve the results you want in your relationships rather than alienate others with angry outbursts. Discovering what triggers your anger is just the beginning; Learning how to curb maladaptive responses to situations that instigate anger is the ultimate success.
Substance Abuse and Codependency
coming soon