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HEALTH WISE trigger distress. Fortunately, though, arming yourself with background knowledge will help you handle this sensitive client, and make his or her spa experience a true pleasure. Whether these sufferers come to you for skin care or to reap the calming effects of massage, exercising sensitivity to their condition will help them feel safe—and, hopefully, comfortable enough to visit your spa again. WHAT'S AT STAKE Most of us have at some point experienced a racing heartbeat or shortness of breath and said to ourselves, "I'm having an anxiety attack." But, more than likely, what we were actually experiencing was garden-variety stress. Anxiety specialist Lynne Freeman, PhD, MFT, founder of the Open Doors Institute (opendoorsinstitute .com) in Encino, California, and author of Panic Free: Eliminate Anxiety/ Panic Attacks Without Drugs and Take Serving clients with anxiety disorders requires extra Control of Your Life, explains some key differences: "People have stressors evsensitivity and knowledge—here's what you need ery day. External stressors can trigger to know to nurture the nervous. By Andrea Renskoff symptoms of anxiety, but for people with anxiety disorders, the triggers are internal. They create their own anxiety," she says. Imagine this: You're ushered into what looks vaguely For you, examples of outside stressors may include like a doctor's examination room, told to lie down on a difficult client, disappointing profit/loss statement or your back and then left alone. You experience unfamiliar morning argument with your teenage daughter. But sounds and smells. Suddenly, someone comes in, closes when you're having a panic attack because you're worthe door and begins setting up products and equipment ried about having a panic attack, this is a mental disorder. that you've never seen before. The room's lights are The Anxiety and Depression Association of America dimmed and a bright lamp is lowered and adjusted to (adaa.org) lists the most common anxiety disorders: shine on your face. • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): People with this This may be what a first-time facial is like to someone condition suffer from persistent, unrealistic worry suffering from an anxiety disorder. about everyday things. Symptoms might include As a spa professional, one of your primary missions muscle tension, restlessness, fatigue, irritability, edgiis to help people escape and let go of their worries and ness or gastrointestinal problems. This condition afanxieties, right? Keep in mind, though, there's day-tofects 6.8 million Americans, with women twice as day stress that most everyone experiences—and then likely to develop it as men. there's clinical anxiety. It's important to know the dif• Panic Disorder: Described as the abrupt onset of inference, because for someone with a panic or anxiety tense fear, a panic attack manifests as a feeling of disorder, even the most relaxing oasis of a day spa can 102 DAYSPA | FEBRUARY 2013 © PETER DAZELEY/GETTY IMAGES Panic Room