Anxiety disorder clinic opens at USU
ALAN MURRAY The USU Psychology Community Clinic was recently opened and will service members of the local community. (Alan Murray/Herald Journal)

Read more on The Logan Herald Journal

Image taken on 2009-08-07 12:43:02 by Ed Yourdon.

Sweat yourself to happiness
The positive effects of exercise don’t have to end with your workout. Fitness magazine tells you how sweating it out can rewire your brain for happiness.

Read more on The Springfield News-Leader

Not surprisingly, many people fear public speaking. For people who suffer panic and anxiety attacks, it can become a major source of distress. Public speaking doesn’t necessarily mean standing on a podium and giving a speech. It can be as simple as sitting in a classroom and having a discussion with peers and feeling tight-chested, short of breath, and incapacitated by anxiety just because of having to speak in front of other people. This fear is centered on giving verbal feedback to others.

The fear experienced by people who suffer from panic attacks and anxiety disorders is different from the typical public speaking anxiety. Jitters and nervousness before giving a speech are quite common, but having a panic attack, which is a debilitating situation, is not something most people experience.

People who have to deal with anxiety and panic attacks can fight the fear of public speaking in a few ways. The key is to build confidence, getting back to a non-anxious state of mind. Now, instead of experiencing anxiety and suddenly thinking “oh no, how am I going to deal with this?”, we can instead turn the anxiety to our advantage. Thinking “I knew this was going to happen, and have been expecting it. I am not threatened by these sensations and will conquer my fears instead of being debilitated” can be a powerful antidote.

Controlling fear and anxiety in this way can help you fight the fear of public speaking. These intense feelings can actually fuel your speech, giving you momentum instead of making you unable to continue delivering your speech.

agoraphobia.. I’ll let the poem tell the story how Pho occupied my life…. for a while anyway. Pho That first overcast day when Pho floated in I wasn’t in a good mood for chit chatter Cantankerous lover gone, my mind a spin Like a fly on the wall, Pho saw the batter. In time, As my emotions stormed, Pho settled in reply My mind, way too addled to manage study Unlike grudging lover, Pho sat to comply Not keenly social, Pho became my buddy. In time, Regular door knocks began to clap thunder Incessant phone ringing loudly cut the air Sweaty palms beneath the sheet I lay under Unaware Pho’s amicability was my despair. In time, Weetbix dry, coffee wet – black if milk ran out Vegemite toast not too bad without butter Everything bland to avoid going about Downhill to the shop or past a true nutter. In time, Weeks clipped days, clouding many a moment Waking up often feeling numb in my head Pho on my side seemed to augur atonement Not taking calls from people, I slept instead. In time, Telly switched on infected the living room At PM’s children overboard I screamed COWARD! While blinkered spats reinforced refugees’ gloom I lost God under fixed images of J. Howard. In time, Post box flooding, the mail slid under my door As for reading, my nausea ended it Left correspondence unopened on the floor When debt piled higher nobody tended it. In time, Drearily I slopped about in smelly attire A sign I was past caring for my vocation Pho hissed to skip showers. The water, fire High in …