Understand Anxiety in Children So You Can Take Action – Go!

May 1st, 2013 | Leave a comment »
Published by Dr. Yip

Many children exhibit behavioral and/or attentional problems. Some of these symptoms are age appropriate and disappear as the child matures, while others require further attention from professionals. However, when it comes to childhood mental health, school personnel, pediatricians, therapists, and other professionals are often quick to label a child simply from pure observation, rather than understanding the symptoms from the child’s experience. Unlike popular belief, anxiety, rather than ADHD or autism, is the most prevalent mental health disorder in children. Studies indicate that 13 out of every 100 children ages 9 through 17 experiences some kind of anxiety disorder. Furthermore, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 25% of 13-18 year olds will experience an anxiety disorder during their adolescence. Since parents are often left with confusion from all of the various childhood anxiety disorders, it’s crucial for parents to be well informed in order to advocate for appropriate services for their child.

What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is the result when a person perceives danger. Anxiety, in and of itself, is not unhealthy or abnormal. This is an adaptive, innate response that keeps you surviving when faced with real threats. The problem occurs when a person misinterprets innocent situations, objects, or people as harmful. Whenever you perceive a threat, the brain’s alarm system responds and floods your body with hormonal chemicals to help you quickly react via fighting or fleeing. However, this natural “fight-or-flight” response cannot filter the difference between a real danger or a false alarm. It simply reacts to whatever threat you perceive. Anxiety becomes a disorder when a person consistently misinterprets these false alarms as real dangers. As a result, the anxiety sufferer perpetually avoids the falsely perceived threats and/or overreacts with fearful responses.
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Pediatric OCD Action Plan

May 1st, 2013 | Leave a comment »
Published by Salma Wahidi

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most common mental health disorders among children and adolescents. OCD symptoms may go unnoticed for months and years until the symptoms are severe enough to draw attention. Parents can help their child if they know about the signs and symptoms of OCD. For example, when parents notice their child spending long periods of time in bathrooms washing and cleaning themselves, repeating certain behaviors, or having excessive fears of coming into contact with someone or something, then the child may have OCD. These are only a few common signs of OCD, and symptoms vary from one child to another. OCD often impairs a child’s social and academic functioning, which result in lower grades at school, isolation from other children, and anxiety about going to school.
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Mindfulness Demystified

March 1st, 2013 | Leave a comment »
Published by Dr. Yip

According to Merriam Webster, the definitions for mindfulness are: 1) bearing in mind; 2) inclined to be aware. Neither of these truly captures the Eastern tradition of simply “to be”. The fact is that there is no one specific word in the English language that encapsulates the state of ‘moment-to-moment awareness of present events that is absent of judgment’. Sadly over the last few decades, the Western world has been inundated with the word “mindfulness” without a full understanding of its notion. This has caused much confusion of the true nature of the practice. Let’s demystify the concept of mindfulness to lessen the confusion and return to the Eastern root of its true meaning.

Mindfulness is not relaxation. In fact, to cultivate a state of mindfulness, you must be alert and focused in the present moment. Many mindfulness practices instruct you to refocus your attention onto the breath. However, this doesn’t mean to use breathing as a relaxation exercise. Breathing is simply a target to bring your awareness back to the present, since the present is where the breath occurs. Although you will “feel” more relaxed over time through mindfulness practice, the relaxation comes as a result of your focused attention versus merely your breaths. This brings us to the second point.
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Stepping Out of the Storm (S.O.S.)

March 1st, 2013 | Leave a comment »
Published by Dr. Stutman

By Lauren Stutman, Psy.D. & Lily Spost, M.A.

Have you ever felt like you were not in the driver’s seat when strong emotions take hold of a situation? If the answer is yes, this is actually good news. Cultivating awareness is the first step to taking control of the only thing you can control: your perspective. A change in perspective is a change in your experience of reality. In order to achieve this shift, you must first become mindful of what you want.

When faced with various obstacles, most people tend to allow their emotions to dictate their behaviors. When this occurs, it is as if you are stuck in a storm. As emotions increase, the blizzard of your thoughts can be disorienting, much like driving in the middle of a snowstorm. If you value your safety, you will pull over. Taking some time to let the storm pass may be all that is needed to successfully navigate such situations.
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Mindful Team Building to Foster Patient Success

March 1st, 2013 | Leave a comment »
Published by Kay Ramsey

Here at RFC, we understand how critical teamwork is for the effectiveness of our organization in providing quality patient care. As a growing mental health treatment center, there are 4 essential components that our team is built on in order to offer the most beneficial treatment solutions and foster patient success.

1. Trust: Just as our patients trust our therapists, trust is critical in any team. Each person in the team has a relationship with another team member. A relationship without trust is not really a relationship at all. Trust is the basis for creating a healthy work environment. It is the foundation for conflict resolution, collaboration, and effective communication between team members.

2. Conflict Resolution: Our therapists work with patients and their families to resolve conflicts caused by anxiety. In the RFC team, conflict management minimizes the friction and discord between team members. Its objective is not to ignore issues, however instead, address conflict in a proactive manner that produces a peaceful resolution. Through conflict, different ideas, values, and beliefs are exposed that, when respected, can generate more effective communication and understanding among team members.
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Mind Training: Positive vs. Optimistic Thinking

January 1st, 2013 | Leave a comment »
Published by Dr. Yip

Welcome to the New Year. This is the time when many people make resolutions for self-improvement to achieve a new, improved ‘you’. Whether it is a new exercise regimen or a new diet craze that you must stick to 7 days a week, the truth is that most resolutions fail before February even begins. Many of us get stuck in unrealistic thoughts and beliefs that lead to disappointment, anxiety, and stress when our expectation doesn’t come to fruition. To fix this, I’d like to suggest a New Year resolution that involves mind training to foster healthy, realistic thoughts and emotions for many years to come… Not just for 2013. I call this “optimistic thinking”.

We’ve all heard the term positive thinking or positive affirmations. Many of you have even been advised to practice more of it. However, to attain healthy, realistic thoughts, positive thinking won’t get you there. Positive thinking is not the same as optimistic thinking. Let’s compare two scenarios of a positive versus an optimistic thinker to illustrate the difference.
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Turning Resolutions into Lasting Habits

January 1st, 2013 | Leave a comment »
Published by Rebecca Fountain

With the start of the New Year and “Heart Healthy” February fast approaching, many individuals have set positive goals and resolutions for themselves. While we make these resolutions with the best of intentions, they can be hard to maintain. Whether it’s changing your diet to lower your cholesterol or exercising more often, try some of these helpful tips that can help you turn your goals and resolutions into positive and permanent habits.

• Reward yourself: Reinforce yourself for working toward your goal, and make the experience as enjoyable as possible. Remember, your reward can be anything, so be creative. For example, if your behavior is to exercise more often, you can try listening to your favorite music or watching your favorite show while you exercise. Or reward yourself with a delicious smoothie afterward.
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New Year, New RFC!

December 31st, 2012 | Leave a comment »
Published by Julius Mariano

The Renewed Freedom Center is happy to announce that we have completely renewed our image! As we kick off the New Year, the Renewed Freedom Center is proud to share the recent completion of our expanding facility!

During the second half of last year, RFC welcomed several clinical interns and therapists to our staff.

Rebecca Fountain, M.A., Salma Wahidi, B.S., and Lily Spost, B.A. are our three psychological interns from the Clinical Program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology – Los Angeles under the supervision of RFC’s Director of Training, Sarah A. Haider, Psy.D.
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Let’s Give the Gift of Hope to Sufferers of Anxiety Disorders

December 31st, 2012 | Leave a comment »
Published by Salma Wahidi

It is exciting to welcome another year. Most of us are energized about the joy and happiness associated with the start of a New Year. However, for many, the New Year may be associated with anxiety and fear. While this may be a time for celebration, it may also be a difficult time for those suffering from anxiety disorders.

It is not pleasant when your mind is constantly preoccupied with worries and unwanted thoughts. It is not joyful when you are so isolated that even the thought of being in a crowd triggers fear and anxiety. It is not peaceful when you are reliving traumatic and terrifying experiences in your dreams and flashbacks. Nothing is festive when fear and anxiety take control of your life.
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