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Treating Anxiety

Learn how to identify anxiety in your everyday life and discover the techniques you can use to address your anxious thoughts and behaviors.
Treating Anxiety is rated 4.8 out of 5 by 5.
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Rated 4 out of 5 by from Purpose of music during lecture unclear After reading a book by Ellen Hendriksen, I was very excited to hear her speak in this lecture. While her lecture is very informative and well-researched, I am disappointed in the presentation, especially the music that is piped in frequently. It makes the lecture appear trivial and at times difficult to understand as it overpowers the voice. The purpose of this music is not clear at all.
Date published: 2025-01-23
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Important for Us All This course provides a valuable overview of anxiety and related emotions such as stress or despair. As Dr. Hendriksen repeatedly notes, this course is informative but you cannot treat anxiety using only what is discussed here; you should work with a mental health professional to actually treat anxiety. What this course does is to help you understand how to recognize a need for treatment in yourself or a friend and to understand better what the mental health professional is doing. Since 2024, I have been using four stars for courses I recommend and I use five stars only for courses that I *urge* people to take. Treating Anxiety is a five-star course. Dr. Hendriksen has structured this course in a way that makes it easy to follow. She starts by describing what anxiety is and how to recognize it. She focuses on the affect rather than on neurobiology. In the middle part of the course, she discusses in detail specific manifestations of anxiety such as social anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and perfectionism with attention to how to recognize it. The last few lectures discuss medication and how sleep and anxiety interact. Since Dr. Hendriksen uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) theory as a basis, The Great Courses (TGC) course on CBT serves as a useful complement to this course. The last two lectures are given by guest lecturers who are specialists in the topics presented. Lecture 11 is on medication and it is given by Dr. Miller. In marked contrast with Dr. Hendriksen, Dr. Miller speaks in a monotone and uses terms and concepts that he does not explain. This lecture is difficult to follow. Lecture 12 is on sleep and anxiety and it is given by Dr. Wu. She is a good lecturer and presents much useful information. Dr. Hendriksen is in the top tier of the TGC pantheon of professors. She presents well. You can follow her well as long as you are not distracted such listening while multitasking. The course guide is written in the revised TGC style using a narrative format. It summarizes the course well. There are no useful graphics nor are there any appendices. A glossary of technical terms might have been useful. There are a few references for further reading at the end of each lecture. I used the video version. As of 2025, it was also available via Audible. There were useful graphics in the video but the course could still be taken in audio-only mode (such as while driving or exercising) without losing a lot of content. The course was published in 2025. My rating system: 5 Stars – Every TGC customer should take this course 4 Stars – Recommended 3 Stars – Go ahead and take it 2 Stars – Not recommended 1 Stars – Yuck
Date published: 2025-01-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A Path to Treating Anxiety Dr. Ellen Hendriksen is captivating in presenting a very information rich course on Treating Anxiety. Whether the learner is a novice or vintage sufferer of anxiety as this writer is, the professor provides numerous pathways to understand and possibly manage anxiety. For six decades this learner has struggled to manage a lifelong battle with anxiety, especially after Vietnam service. I was totally mesmerized by Dr. Hendriksen's engaging delivery and presentation style, her eye contact and gestures added to the learning experience. Her voice inflection and intonation when proving a critical element of healing draws in the learners focus. The professor started the course with a basic introduction into where anxiety comes from and why it lingers. She then walks the student through the various branches of anxiety and provides a thoughtful method for attempting to mute the mind as it proceeds down the anxiety path. Dr. Hendriksen covers very common levels on the anxiety spectrum , from OCD, social anxiety, perfectionism, over worry and deep self-criticism. At each node she presents possible resolution steps which can help mute the mind cycle. Lectures covering anxiety medications, the very beneficial use of exercise, and the impact of appropriate sleep levels support some resolution of anxiety. As someone who suffers from the deep anxiety issues of depersonalization and derealization since Vietnam, Dr. Hendriksen's suggestions for relief are extremely solid and valuable. I highly recommend this lecture course for all learners as it prepares one for a successful clash with anxiety. This course is well worth the investment on all fronts. I hope to see Dr. Hemdriksen again on future Great Courses Lecture sets! She is Outstanding!!
Date published: 2025-01-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A Practical and Compassionate Guide to Overcoming "Treating Anxiety" by Dr. Ellen Hendriksen is a must-watch course for anyone looking to understand better and manage anxiety. Presented compassionately and practically, the course draws on evidence-based techniques from cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Dr. Hendriksen, a renowned psychologist and author, covers a wide range of topics, including the roots of anxiety and specific strategies to tackle disorders like panic and social anxiety. The 12 engaging lectures are accessible and packed with actionable insights. Her expertise and empathetic approach make the material relatable and compelling. Highly recommended for anyone seeking clarity and tools to navigate anxiety!
Date published: 2025-01-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Outstanding and informative! I am a physician and public health official. This course is very informative for anyone. Absolutely worth it!
Date published: 2025-01-19
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Overview

Have you ever experienced anxiety? Of course you have. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing; numerous studies have shown that moderate anxiety enhances performance. But for millions of Americans, anxiety is persistent and excessive, and significantly impacts daily life. In the 12 fascinating and action-oriented lectures of Treating Anxiety, Dr. Ellen Hendriksen describes the causes and symptoms of numerous anxiety disorders and will give you many, many tools and exercises you can employ immediately to help treat your own anxiety.

About

Ellen Hendriksen

Using skills from this course, you can start facing your fears and gain confidence that you can handle anxiety-provoking situations.

INSTITUTION

Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Boston University

Ellen Hendriksen is a clinical psychologist who serves on the faculty at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. She earned her PhD at UCLA and completed her training at Harvard Medical School. She is the author of How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise above Social Anxiety. Her scientifically based, zero-judgment approach has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC News, The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and elsewhere.

By This Expert

Treating Anxiety
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Treating Anxiety

Trailer

Where Anxiety Comes from and Why It Persists

01: Where Anxiety Comes from and Why It Persists

Have you ever considered that you just might owe your life to anxiety? Learn how evolution favored those with a healthy amount of anxiety, including your personal ancestors. But yes, you can have too much of a good thing. Explore the boundary between everyday anxiety and the clinically significant anxiety that is experienced by about one-third of the population in their lifetime.

27 min
Understanding and Challenging Anxiety

02: Understanding and Challenging Anxiety

What exactly is anxiety? Discover the numerous relationships between the three elements of anxiety: thoughts, physiological sensations, and behavior. As you’ll see, anxiety can start with any of these three elements and amplify from there. But what if your anxiety didn’t hold you back? What could you accomplish? Learn the difference between goals and values, and how to create your own personal Challenge List.

26 min
Your Anxious Thoughts: Overcoming Worry

03: Your Anxious Thoughts: Overcoming Worry

Worry that feels uncontrollable and physical tension are the two pillars of a very common anxiety diagnosis called general anxiety disorder. Explore why we all worry from time to time and the difference between worry and general thinking. Most important, you’ll learn about the four cornerstone tools from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that can help you start to decrease your worry load today.

31 min
Your Body: Tools for Anxiety and Panic

04: Your Body: Tools for Anxiety and Panic

Explore the causes of the physiological symptoms of anxiety from blushing to shortness of breath to trembling hands. And how does potentially helpful anxiety turn into its most extreme form—panic? Learn about the panic cycle, why our avoidance behaviors do more long-term harm than good, and the simple physiological and cognitive tools you can use to make a very real difference today.

31 min
Your Actions: Living a Valued Life

05: Your Actions: Living a Valued Life

Of the three components of anxiety, behavior is the factor we can best control. Participate in an exercise to identify your values and then learn how those values drive your behavior and affect your anxiety. Explore Choice Point, a mental-health tool that can help you assess behaviors. Are your behaviors moving you toward or away from your personal values?

25 min
Rise above Social Anxiety

06: Rise above Social Anxiety

Because we are social animals living our lives in social situations, social anxiety can have a significant affect on our ability to attain our goals. Learn why this type of anxiety is all about our fear that people will find something deficient about us that we would rather hide—our “fatal flaw.” Explore two skills—task-focused attention and giving yourself some structure—that can help you get around social anxiety and its fears.

28 min
Live Well with OCD

07: Live Well with OCD

Learn about the many different types of obsessions—the uncontrollable, recurring, and distressing thoughts, images, or urges—and the actions people feel they must take in response. Explore the tools of cognitive defusion and acceptance, tools that don’t strive to get rid of the distressing thoughts but can change the relationship with the obsession to allow for a more peaceful life.

28 min
From Perfectionism to Flexibility

08: From Perfectionism to Flexibility

Learn about perfectionism—not a diagnosis, but a mindset that drives many different types of anxiety. While you’re probably familiar with the term, it is commonly thought to mean striving to be perfect. Instead, perfectionism, with its two pillars of over-evaluation and self-criticism, is actually about a cycle of never feeling good enough. Explore several tools that can help you change the rigid thinking of perfectionism to a more flexible, peaceful way of existing.

26 min
From Self-Criticism to Self-Compassion

09: From Self-Criticism to Self-Compassion

Self-criticism is a normal part of existence and without it, we wouldn’t survive. In evolutionary terms, it helps keep us safely ensconced in our tribe, increasing our chance to see another day. But with anxiety, self-criticism can get in our way. Explore the characteristics of pathological self-criticism and the nine needs it fulfills in us. Nine? No wonder it’s so difficult to let go. But you will discover methods that do work. In this case, put behavior first, and your beliefs will catch up.

27 min
Make Decisions and Get Things Done

10: Make Decisions and Get Things Done

Explore the anxiety manifestations of indecision and procrastination, both of which are rooted in avoidance (of uncertainty and negative emotions) and keep us from moving forward in our lives. Discover tools to help you address the uncertainty-causing indecision, and tools to help you manage the emotions you’re avoiding with procrastination. You’ll also learn several ways to find a one-on-one therapist or a support group.

27 min
Seeking Treatment: Medication

11: Seeking Treatment: Medication

Medication can be a powerful and effective tool in the treatment of anxiety. But to choose a medication that is right for your body, your life, and your anxiety, you’ll need to become an informed consumer. Learn about anxiety medication from psychiatrist Dr. Christopher Miller of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He answers questions about the types of anxiety medication, their effects on the brain, their efficacy, and so much more.

45 min
Sleep and Anxiety

12: Sleep and Anxiety

A recent study synthesizing more than 50 years of sleep research showed that even short periods of sleep loss resulted in increased anxiety symptoms. Meet Dr. Jade Wu, a board-certified sleep psychologist who answers questions about the complex relationship between sleep and anxiety. You’ll learn about the most common sleep problems for people with anxiety: why our brains won’t “turn off” at night; the pros and cons of melatonin, supplements, and sleep medications; and much more.

36 min