PSY 04 — Anxiety Disorders and Evidence-Based Treatments
Quarter: Summer
Instructor(s): Marwa Azab
Date(s): Jul 23—Aug 20
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 5:30—7:20 pm (PT)
Tuition: $360
Refund Deadline: Jul 25
Unit(s): 1
Enrollment Limit: 45
Status: Open
Quarter: Summer
Day: Wednesdays
Duration: 5 weeks
Time: 5:30—7:20 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jul 23—Aug 20
Unit(s): 1
Tuition: $360
Refund Deadline: Jul 25
Instructor(s): Marwa Azab
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Enrollment Limit: 45
Recording Available: Yes
Status: 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 that 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 that 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
Marwa Azab is a neuroscientist and the author of An Update on Anxiety Disorders: Etiological, Cognitive & Neuroscientific Aspects. She is a TEDx speaker and writes "Neuroscience in Everyday Life" for Psychology Today. Azab has been featured on ABC, NBC, and BBC News. She received a PhD in neuroscience from UC Irvine. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.