Download April 2012 NewsletterThe whole team at Advanced Therapy Solutions (ATS) wants to welcome you to what will be one of many steps on your journey of healing and recovery. We started ATS in 2004 to offer mental health services to those who were having problems finding them elsewhere. We found that individuals were struggling to find timely services and were being asked to wait weeks or months to get an appointment. From day one we have been committed to offering timely services. For therapy services, this means you will be offered an appointment within three business days of an initial phone conversation with a therapist; for child and adolescent services, this means services will start within 30 days of an initial intake meeting. We understand that when an individual or family is in need, they don’t want to wait weeks or months for support and assistance.
We have always been committed to meeting the needs of our community, which is why we started in the first place. Through conversations with families, case managers and professionals, we began to identify additional areas of need in our community. We now offer Children’s HCBS services for kids on the Intellectual Disability, Brain Injury, and Children’s Mental Health Waivers, Group Therapy: KidsShare and Teenshare (a unique service in Central Iowa), and Behavioral Health Intervention Services. We have also recently become one of the first providers of Home-Based Habilitation Services for teens and young adults.
As ATS has continued to meet the needs of our community we have grown significantly, including adding many committed and passionate professionals to support and assist in your healing journey. You will not find a more committed and supportive team to partner with you and your family in your time of need.
Anxiety Disorders
By: Maggie Dornfeld, LMSW: Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS) Coordinator
From the April 2012 Advanced Therapy Solutions Newsletter
Fear, worry, stress, nervousness, and apprehension – these are words that people use to describe anxiety. Most people experience some form of anxiety in their lives. Some anxiety is good for us and can spur us to excel. For example, anxiety due an upcoming test may compel us to study for it. However for some people anxiety is a bigger presence in their lives.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR (DSM-IV-TR) Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a condition in which people experience excessive anxiety and worry and are unable to control that worry. They may feel easily tired or be unable to sleep, feel restless or irritable, experience difficulty concentrating, and have tense muscles. For these individuals their anxiety consumes their lives and prevents them from successfully functioning in their day-to-day life at home, school, or work. Some people with GAD are unable to leave their homes or even their rooms due to their anxiety and some experience panic attacks. However it is possible to work to overcome your anxiety so that you can resume the activities you enjoyed prior to the anxiety.
Some individuals who experience anxiety are able to find ways on their own to cope with their anxiety. Many seek out professionals to aid them in doing this with the goal of learning strategies to help calm the anxiety so that they can fully live their life.
Many mental health professionals help individuals identify coping skills to use when feeling anxious such as deep breathing, mindfulness, or relaxation exercises. Professionals may also help individuals identify triggers and support them in becoming desensitized to those triggers. Some who suffer from anxiety benefit from medications prescribed by a psychiatrist that can help calm a person’s nervous system. However it is important to note that medications do not treat the underlying reason for anxiety, only provide temporary relief to the symptoms of anxiety. Many medications cause side effects that may be unpleasant.
Thousands of anxiety-sufferers have learned to live successfully despite their anxiety. Many of you may have heard of Royce White, an Iowa State basketball player who may be drafted into the NBA. White has spoken up about his anxiety and how he has worked to overcome it to become a successful basketball player. His story is not unique. Advanced Therapy Solutions wants to be “At your side. On your side.” and help people live the lives they have always dreamed.
Click here for the April 2012 Advanced Therapy Solutions Newsletter
