Middle school can be an anxiety provoking time. Among children 13 to 18, anxiety (31.9%) is the most common mental health disorder. Moreover, 7.1 percent of children ages 3 to 17 currently suffer from an anxiety problem. CBT SoCal’s Dr. Julissa Cortes and her colleague…
CBT SoCal recently welcomed Melissa Aristoza, ACSW to the team and she already led a staff training. As an associate clinical social worker she supports children, teens, families, and adults dealing with issues related to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, autism, and addiction. She…
Most people would be freely admit to wanting to avoid vomiting. However, for some, the possibility of vomiting induces intense mental distress. Emetophobia is the psychiatric term for an intense fear of vomiting. It is a phobia that leads people to avoid any foods, activities,…
Most of the time, people seeking treatment for addiction may have other concerns to address, such as depression or anxiety. In fact, addiction and anxiety often move together, as sufferers find that using a substance relieves their feelings of worry and restlessness. We can also…
Do you ever hope that a social event will be cancelled? Do you ever make up an excuse to get out of a prior engagement because it is easier than dealing with people? Avoidance is the easiest and often the most common method of dealing…
Although the pandemic appears to be winding down, some aspects of life, such as video calls, will likely stay the same. Whether people are working from home, utilizing telehealth, or just Facetiming with friends and family, video calls are here to stay. In a recent…
What do you do if you want to be vaccinated, but you have an intense fear of needles? What do you do if you have a phobia- an intense, excessive, persistent fear of an object or situation? In a recent article in the Los Angeles…
Who wants to get poked and prodded with needles? In reality, not many people actually enjoy getting a shot in the arm. However, many people are currently finding themselves in a dilemma. On one hand, they fear finding themselves infected by covid-19, or worse, a…
Is anxiety just another habit? Dr. Judson Brewer discusses his book Unwinding anxiety in an online interview with the Friend’s of the Semel Institute. In their discussion, he lays out how anxiety, like other habits, can be identified, better understood, and adapted into something more…
What is the difference between stress and anxiety? According to a recent article by the American Psychological Association (APA), stress and anxiety are similar in many ways. They can both lead to similar outcomes such as insomnia, fatigue, muscle tension, and irritability among other things.…
Olympic athletes are often able to demonstrate feats of athleticism that would be impossible for the average person. Their athletic abilities could understandably lead people to believe that they must be as remarkable emotionally as they are physically. However, athletes such as Michael Phelps have…
In recent days, we have seen a new strain of COVID-19, a continued rise of COVID-19 cases, political chaos in the United States, and a violent insurrection in the Capitol building. As these events unfold, many people are asking themselves questions such as, “Am I…