All of us have something that we are afraid of. That fear can be slight, or it can be very extreme. But a specific phobia disorder goes beyond just extreme fear; there is also the presence of avoidance.

Panic disorder is one of the ways that normal fear and anxiety can become a problem. A panic attack is a sudden rush of fear. It can include a variety of physical symptoms.

Some of the common reasons that people come to see me for counseling are fear and anxiety. You may hear the word “fear” and think of moments of terror and alarm.You may hear the word “anxiety” and think of moments of worry or fretting.

If you struggle with the presence of anger in your life, you know the hurt and pain it can bring to you and to others. When you look at that hurt and pain, the most sensible response seems to be to exert some control over your anger. When you start to feel the anger rising, your mind tells you that this anger is dangerous.

This problem has been in my life for as long as I can remember. It has always been this way. I’ve tried and tried, but I can’t get rid of it; it always shows up again. These are some of the thoughts that may come to you in response to a problem that has been around for a long time.

The word “anxiety” comes from a Latin word that means “to choke or to strangle.” If you struggle with anxiety, you can identify with that image. There may be times when the anxiety is so powerful that it is difficult to breath; you literally feel like you are choking or being strangled.

It is interesting to compare the original meaning of a word with how it is used today. Sometimes, looking at the original meaning can open up your understanding of a word. The word for today is “cope.” Cope comes from an Old French word that means “to quarrel, to hit or punch, to deliver blows, to engage in combat.”

In control or out of control…given a choice between those two, you would choose the first one. Being in control is something to strive for; being out of control is something to avoid.

There are many versions to this story, probably because it contains some truth. In different places across the world, natives have created a way to trap monkeys. Now, monkeys are smart creatures, so you would think this trap would have to rather complex; in fact, it is quite simple.

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and suddenly realize that you have heard little of what they were saying? Have you been talking among a group of friends and suddenly realized that your mind has wandered? Perhaps you have had someone complain that you aren’t listening. It is not unusual to respond to that complaint with something like, “I’m sorry; my mind was somewhere else.” So where, exactly, is that somewhere else, and how do you get back to here?