Peter C. Cousins, Ph.D., ABPP
 | |  | |  |
(713) 523-5778
(281) 361-5778
(281) 361-5778
Change Brings Happiness!
| 3000 Richmond Avenue Suite 425 Houston, TX 77098 19747 Highway 59 North Suite 222 Humble, TX 77338 |
You can call or email me at
Many of us up have grown up with a history of trauma or
abuse, that we would like to leave in our past. Whether the
trauma has just happened recently or it is something that we
have lived with a long time, sometimes we need help dealing
with it. We now know that trauma during childhood changes
the brain in terms of how it develops anatomically, and adult
trauma changes how the brain functions.
New research on brain function suggests that anxiety
disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are distinct from fear
disorders, such as Panic Disorder and Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD). In anxiety disorders a tendency to
worry too much is coupled with various physical or behavioral
manifestations. In fear disorders, there is a conditioned
response to an event that initially caused a fear response,
and observations of other creatures have led to greater
understanding of the same responses in humans.
The basis of fear disorders is the fear response, which
consists of an initial freeze (like a deer in the headlights) and
then a release of strong stress hormones which in the original
situation provoke a desire for fight of flight, which may or may
not be acted upon depending the situation, since sometimes
the trauma cannot be escaped. However in the event that
something in the environment reminds of the trauma we may
attempt to either avoid it, as in Phobias, or Agoraphobia, or
we may simply develop irrational fears of the fear response
itself (Panic Disorder), or a combination of avoidance,
intrusive reexperiencing, and parts of the fear response
(Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
abuse, that we would like to leave in our past. Whether the
trauma has just happened recently or it is something that we
have lived with a long time, sometimes we need help dealing
with it. We now know that trauma during childhood changes
the brain in terms of how it develops anatomically, and adult
trauma changes how the brain functions.
New research on brain function suggests that anxiety
disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are distinct from fear
disorders, such as Panic Disorder and Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD). In anxiety disorders a tendency to
worry too much is coupled with various physical or behavioral
manifestations. In fear disorders, there is a conditioned
response to an event that initially caused a fear response,
and observations of other creatures have led to greater
understanding of the same responses in humans.
The basis of fear disorders is the fear response, which
consists of an initial freeze (like a deer in the headlights) and
then a release of strong stress hormones which in the original
situation provoke a desire for fight of flight, which may or may
not be acted upon depending the situation, since sometimes
the trauma cannot be escaped. However in the event that
something in the environment reminds of the trauma we may
attempt to either avoid it, as in Phobias, or Agoraphobia, or
we may simply develop irrational fears of the fear response
itself (Panic Disorder), or a combination of avoidance,
intrusive reexperiencing, and parts of the fear response
(Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Because we now understand that anxiety disorders and
fear disorders are different we also understand that they
require differing treatment approaches. Whereas
Generalized Anxiety Disorders and respond to a variety
of psychotherapeutic approaches and medications as well
as OCD , the fear disorders have not been shown to
respond well to medication but rather can benefit from
cognitive behavioral approaches which utilize education,
relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, self-monitoring
and especially exposure to the things that are being
avoided. Dr. Cousins has twenty-five years experience in
providing successful treatment for people that suffer from
all of the above disorders whether they have been going
on for a few weeks or many years. He understands what
is needed and can help you make a decision not to live
with the problem but to conquer it. Each individual
problem and person is different but most people can
benefit from treatment. Sometimes we suffer a lot longer
than the time it takes to feel better.
fear disorders are different we also understand that they
require differing treatment approaches. Whereas
Generalized Anxiety Disorders and respond to a variety
of psychotherapeutic approaches and medications as well
as OCD , the fear disorders have not been shown to
respond well to medication but rather can benefit from
cognitive behavioral approaches which utilize education,
relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, self-monitoring
and especially exposure to the things that are being
avoided. Dr. Cousins has twenty-five years experience in
providing successful treatment for people that suffer from
all of the above disorders whether they have been going
on for a few weeks or many years. He understands what
is needed and can help you make a decision not to live
with the problem but to conquer it. Each individual
problem and person is different but most people can
benefit from treatment. Sometimes we suffer a lot longer
than the time it takes to feel better.
