Here When you are ready · Currently accepting new clients
Anxiety Disorders
Persistent, excessive fear and worry that goes beyond ordinary worry.
What are Anxiety Disorders?
Anxiety is a normal and necessary human experience — a response to perceived threat that prepares the body and mind to respond to danger. Anxiety disorders develop when this response becomes excessive, persistent and disproportionate to actual threat — occurring in situations that are not genuinely dangerous, interfering with daily functioning and proving difficult or impossible to control through ordinary reassurance or rational thinking.
Anxiety disorders are the most common category of mental health conditions — affecting a significant proportion of the population at some point in their lives. They are also among the most treatable. With accurate assessment and evidence-based treatment the vast majority of people with anxiety disorders experience meaningful and lasting improvement.
Anxiety disorders share common features — excessive fear or worry, physical symptoms of anxiety and avoidance — but differ significantly in what triggers the anxiety, how it presents and what maintains it. Accurate diagnosis is essential because treatment differs depending on the specific disorder.
At Karasick Psychology we provide evidence-based assessment and treatment for the full range of anxiety disorders in adolescents and adults.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders share many symptoms — a thorough assessment is the most reliable way to determine what you are experiencing.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Worry is pervasive, excessive and difficult to control — spanning multiple areas of life rather than focusing on one specific concern. The worry is present most days regardless of circumstances.
Social Anxiety Disorder:
Anxiety is specifically triggered by social situations and fear of negative evaluation, embarrassment or humiliation by others. Worry centres on social performance rather than general life concerns.
Panic Disorder
Characterised by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks — sudden surges of intense fear with physical symptoms — and persistent worry about having another attack or its consequences.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts or obsessions and repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed to reduce distress. Unlike GAD worry, OCD obsessions are experienced as ego-dystonic — feeling foreign and distressing rather than realistic concerns.
Health Anxiety
Excessive preoccupation with having or developing a serious illness — previously known as Hypochondria. Medical reassurance provides only temporary relief before anxiety returns. Health anxiety responds well to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy targeting the maintaining cycle of checking and reassurance seeking.
Learn More →
Phobias
Intense, persistent and disproportionate fear of a specific object, situation or activity — including specific phobias, social phobia and fear of losing bodily control. Phobias are among the most treatable of all anxiety disorders.
Anxiety Disorders — Understanding the Differences
Anxiety disorders share many features — understanding what distinguishes them is the foundation of accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
What they have in common
▪ Excessive fear or worry that is disproportionate to actual threat
▪ Physical symptoms — racing heart, shortness of breath, muscle tension, nausea
▪ Avoidance of situations, objects or activities that trigger anxiety
▪ Significant impairment in daily functioning, relationships or quality of life
▪ Anxiety that is difficult or impossible to control through ordinary reassurance
▪ A tendency to worsen over time without effective treatment
What distinguishes them
▪ GAD — worry is pervasive across multiple life areas, present most days
▪ Social Anxiety — fear is specifically triggered by social evaluation and judgment
▪ Panic Disorder — anxiety centres on recurrent unexpected panic attacks and their consequences
▪ OCD — driven by intrusive thoughts and compulsive responses rather than worry
▪ Phobias — fear is specific to a particular object, situation or activity
▪ Health Anxiety — anxiety centres specifically on illness and physical symptoms
Symptoms
Does this sound familiar?
▪ Persistent worry or fear that feels impossible to switch off
▪ Avoiding situations, people or activities because of anxiety
▪ Physical symptoms — racing heart, shortness of breath, muscle tension, nausea, dizziness
▪ Anxiety that is significantly affecting your relationships, work or quality of life
▪ Knowing the anxiety is disproportionate but feeling unable to control it
▪ Anticipatory anxiety — worrying about anxiety itself or about having another episode
▪ Using substances, reassurance or avoidance to manage anxiety
▪ Anxiety that has been present for as long as you can remember
▪ Anxiety that has worsened significantly over time or following a specific event
▪ Feeling like anxiety is controlling your life rather than the other way around
Treatment
Evidence-based care for the full range of anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders are among the most treatable of all mental health conditions. At Karasick Psychology treatment begins with accurate assessment — identifying the specific anxiety disorder or combination of disorders present and understanding the individual factors maintaining the anxiety. Treatment is then tailored to the specific presentation rather than applying a generic anxiety protocol.
We draw primarily from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy — the gold standard evidence-based treatment for anxiety disorders. Depending on the specific disorder treatment may incorporate exposure work, cognitive restructuring, behavioural experiments, acceptance-based strategies and relapse prevention skills. The goal is not just symptom reduction but lasting change in the underlying patterns that maintain anxiety.
What to expect
Treatment begins with a thorough assessment of your anxiety — its nature, history, triggers, maintaining factors and impact on your life. From there therapy is structured, collaborative and goal-oriented — with clear explanation of the treatment approach and regular review of progress.
CONTACT INFO
- 403 633-6545
- admin@karasick.ca
- Book Online
-
Monday - Thursday: 8am - 7pm
Friday: 8am - 1pm - Special times available upon request
Reaching out for therapy is hard, but struggling alone is harder. Contact us to learn how we can support your path toward healing, development, and lasting improvement.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions that involve excessive and persistent fear, worry, or anxiety that can interfere with daily activities.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about everyday situations, accompanied by physical symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping.
Specific phobias are intense fears of specific objects or situations, such as flying, heights, or spiders.
Social Anxiety Disorder is a fear of being judged or scrutinized by others, leading to avoidance of social situations
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts or obsessions, which lead to repetitive behaviors or compulsions.
Panic Disorder involves sudden and unexpected panic attacks, which are intense periods of fear accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, and a rapid heartbeat.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event, leading to symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, and hypervigilance.
Each anxiety disorder has unique symptoms and may require different treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, medication, or a combination of these. It’s essential to receive a proper diagnosis from a mental health professional to ensure effective treatment. Co-occurring disorders such as depression or substance use disorder can also complicate treatment, making it even more important to seek help from a skilled assessor.
CONTACT INFO
- 403 633-6545
- admin@karasick.ca
- Book Online
-
Monday - Thursday: 8am - 7pm
Friday: 8am - 1pm - Special times available upon request
Reaching out for therapy is hard, but struggling alone is harder. Contact us to learn how we can support your path toward healing, development, and lasting improvement.