PSY 04 — Anxiety Disorders and Evidence-Based Treatments
Quarter: Summer
Day(s): Tuesdays
Course Format: Live Online (About Formats)
Duration: 5 weeks
Date(s): Aug 1—Aug 29
Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Refund Deadline: Aug 3
Unit: 1
Tuition: $345
Instructor(s): Marwa Azab
Class Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
Summer
Date(s)
Aug 1—Aug 29
5 weeks
Refund Date
Aug 3
1 Unit
Fees
$345
Instructor(s):
Marwa Azab
Recording
Yes
Open
Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.—Jodi Picoult
Anxiety has increased markedly among Americans since the start of the pandemic, with more than a third of adults reporting having experienced symptoms. Worry can be an excellent alarm or motivational cue to take action or make a change, but excessive worry can interfere with our relationships and daily lives. This course will help students to define anxiety, understand how to distinguish it from other emotions (like fear or excitement), and explore ways that anxiety can be harnessed or managed to increase performance.
We will explore the common clinical diagnoses associated with anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (fear of rejection), and panic disorder (fear of anxious emotions). We will learn why some people are more at risk for specific disorders and consider how genetics, environment, and epigenetics play into the equation. We will also delve into practical and scientific questions, including: What do neuroscientific studies reveal about these disorders? What cognitive habits do anxious people practice and how can we break those habits? We will conclude with a discussion of evidence-based treatments for anxiety and look at the roles community, connection, and compassion can play in helping us adapt in anxious times and achieve greater calm and contentedness.
Anxiety has increased markedly among Americans since the start of the pandemic, with more than a third of adults reporting having experienced symptoms. Worry can be an excellent alarm or motivational cue to take action or make a change, but excessive worry can interfere with our relationships and daily lives. This course will help students to define anxiety, understand how to distinguish it from other emotions (like fear or excitement), and explore ways that anxiety can be harnessed or managed to increase performance.
We will explore the common clinical diagnoses associated with anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (fear of rejection), and panic disorder (fear of anxious emotions). We will learn why some people are more at risk for specific disorders and consider how genetics, environment, and epigenetics play into the equation. We will also delve into practical and scientific questions, including: What do neuroscientific studies reveal about these disorders? What cognitive habits do anxious people practice and how can we break those habits? We will conclude with a discussion of evidence-based treatments for anxiety and look at the roles community, connection, and compassion can play in helping us adapt in anxious times and achieve greater calm and contentedness.
No background in psychology is required.
MARWA AZAB
Adjunct Professor of Psychology, CSU Long Beach; Neuroscientist; Author
Marwa Azab received a PhD in neuroscience from UC Irvine. She is the author of Anxiety Disorders: Etiological, Cognitive & Neuroscientific Perspectives (forthcoming). She is a TEDx speaker and writes the Neuroscience in Everyday Life blog for Psychology Today. Textbooks for this course:
(Recommended) Marwa Azab, An Update on Anxiety Disorders: Etiological, Cognitive & Neuroscientific Aspects (ISBN 978-3031193613)