Everybody knows what it's like to feel anxious--the butterflies in your stomach before a first date, the tension you feel when your boss is angry, the way your heart pounds if you're in danger. Anxiety rouses you to action. It gears you up to face a threatening situation. It makes you study harder for that exam, and keeps you on your toes when you're making a speech. In general, it helps you cope.

But if you have an anxiety disorder, this normally helpful emotion can do just the opposite--it can keep you from coping and can disrupt your daily life. Anxiety disorders aren't just a case of "nerves." They are illnesses, often related to the biological makeup and life experiences of the individual, and they frequently run in families. There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with its own distinct features.

At GPS, we help people to cope with anxiety and to prevent future episodes of anxiety. There are several different anxiety disorders, but in most cases, treatment involves a combination of gradual exposure to the situations that trigger anxious feelings, as well as development of positive coping responses, which help the person to handle the experience of anxiety. We help anxious individuals not to feel overwhelmed and to acquire skills that help to reduce the feelings of panic and loss of control.