Overcoming Anxiety: An Interview with Anat Doron

"I don’t want to scare anyone," Anat Doron begins, "but what I experienced about sixteen years ago was absolutely terrifying. Until that moment, I was just a regular girl. I had a nice job as an HR manager and was successful in everything I did. My zest for life was my hallmark. That was until the dreadful day when everything changed in an instant."

When Anat recalls that day, she remembers a possible trigger for the symptoms she experienced. "My mother had a stroke shortly before, and I was with her in the hospital day and night. But what I experienced came after she was discharged, so I’m not sure there’s really a connection between the two events. I also don’t think anyone can say that for certain."

"My Whole Body Was Shaking, There Was Intense Dizziness"

Anat's voice trembles as she recalls that day: "I was at the mall with my husband, and we were just strolling around when suddenly I felt intense dizziness and pressure in my chest. My whole body shook; it was something unexplained. I had never felt anything like it before. My husband, realizing something was wrong, sat me down at a café. About twenty minutes later, everything disappeared, but unfortunately, the next morning I felt those same symptoms again. It was really frightening, especially since the feelings didn’t go away after twenty minutes; instead, they persisted in a long and ongoing attack for a whole week."

What did you do?

"Honestly, I was convinced that what I was experiencing was a heart attack. I even checked and saw that the symptoms I was feeling were characteristic of heart attacks. Of course, I rushed to the emergency room, and they examined me and found that all the parameters were normal. They sent me for tons of tests, moving me from doctor to doctor. Everyone said they didn’t see anything unusual. For that entire week, I didn’t go to work, barely left the house; I wanted to remain in a resting state so the attack wouldn’t catch me again. I wouldn’t let my husband go to work. He needed to ‘watch’ me, as if I were a baby. I was convinced all the time that my issue was physical. The doctors didn’t suggest that there might be a mental aspect, but along with the physical symptoms, I also felt an incredible anxiety about what was happening with my body, which only worsened over time."

The moment Anat finally received an answer came after a friend of hers heard about what she was going through and recommended that she consult a particular professional—a therapist—who first told her, "You are not having a heart attack, stay calm," which already lowered her anxiety level. She then helped her understand that she was not abnormal and emphasized that this is a common phenomenon. Hand in hand, she guided Anat through the process where she understood that the symptoms she was suffering from have a name: 'panic attacks', and the good news is that one can recover from them and return to fruitful, healthy, and normal lives."

How do you explain that until that moment no one had figured out that the cause was mental?

"I really don’t know. In conventional medicine, they sent me around all the time—go to a neurologist, go to a cardiologist… Those are the most frightening statements a person with anxiety can hear. I want to emphasize that I know that things have changed a bit today, and there is more awareness. But still, not all conventional doctors know how to identify attacks related to mental health."

It Can Happen to Anyone

Along with the help and relief Anat received during those days, there also came a huge fear. "Suddenly, when the things I experienced got the name 'panic attacks', I started to worry—what is this? How does it relate to me? Is this only related to those unstable people? And does that mean I am crazy?"

Particularly now, years later, after she has fully recovered and completely out of the attacks, she feels it’s important to point out something significant—"Professionally speaking, panic attacks do not only occur in people with complicated mental backgrounds; they can happen to any of us. In some cases, an attack is triggered by a specific trigger, in other cases, it emerges without cause, and for some, it may not emerge at all. There is no predictability, nor is it an exact science, but what is clear is that it’s recognized in all age groups and is not related to socio-economic status."

It's important to understand—the panic attacks you describe are related only to imagination? Do they have no physical manifestation?

"Exactly. Everything begins and ends in the person’s imagination. Eventually, it does manifest physically, which is why it's so frightening, but physical tests show everything is normal because there is no health problem from a physical point of view, only from a mental one."

(Photo: shutterstock)

How do you get out of this? What’s the course of action?

"I can share what happened in my case—there was a lot of dedication to the process, with many prayers, and of course, the therapy that saved and revived me. For me, it was long-term therapy because I refused to give up my therapist's guidance even after I seemingly emerged from the issue. But today I know that anxiety treatment doesn’t have to be prolonged. Usually, it can be completed in eight to ten sessions, and if the situation is extreme, then in fifteen sessions. There are treatment methods considered relatively short-term, such as CBT, but there are also longer methods. Everyone who finds themselves in this situation should understand the options available to them and act accordingly."

"Over the years," she adds, "I viewed it as my mission to help others, which led me to study emotional therapy. I combine several methods, mainly ACT, healing, guided imagery, and more."

Wanting to Help Others

Several years after what she experienced, and unrelated to it, Anat began a process of return. "One of the people who clearly influenced my return is Rabbi Finger," she shares. "I always loved Hashem and was traditional, but after regularly attending a series of Rabbi Finger's lectures, he came to know me. One day he needed my help, which led to me working with him for the next nine years, managing his workshops and lectures. This was endless work, as the rabbi has many, many lectures all day and around the world."

Last year, Anat's mother passed away. This followed a long illness. Within that month, her sister also passed away. A month and a half later, her father passed away. "We experienced three losses of close family members, and it completely devastated us," Anat recounts sadly. "My siblings really broke down, and I found myself suddenly summoning strengths I didn’t know existed within me to hold everyone up. Suddenly, I realized how much the treatment I received helped me, as it stabilized me mentally. It didn’t just help me in that moment; it also influenced me later. It improved my entire life."

During the week of mourning, many comforters came, including Rabbi David Tofik, the CEO of Hidabroot. He learned that Anat had stopped working with Rabbi Finger and invited her to join Hidabroot. Two months later, Anat began working at Hidabroot as an event organizer. Shortly thereafter, when it was decided to establish the ‘Psychological Support’ department aimed at assisting people experiencing mental difficulties, it was clear that Anat would lead it.

"The department itself is relatively new; it has been around for about six months," Anat shares. "Its goal is to receive calls from people in distress, listen to them, provide initial support over the phone, and depending on the issue, refer them to appropriate therapists. We have a large network of therapists in various fields, and we are also recruiting additional therapists. Our consultation is of course free, and the therapists we refer to charge a fee that is about 50% lower than the market rate. It's important to emphasize that all the therapists we refer are G-d-fearing, as this is very important when it comes to treating mental difficulties."

Since the establishment of the department, Anat reports that the phone hasn’t stopped ringing. "You could say that the vast majority of inquiries are due to anxiety issues in all its forms, but there are also many inquiries about depression, both regular and post-partum. There are inquiries about compulsions or intrusive thoughts, and there are also people reporting low self-esteem and feelings of people-pleasing. There are issues that characterize adults and issues that primarily belong to the younger age group. We strive to provide answers for all ages—both children and adults."

Anat can't help but remember that when she first went to her therapist, by the second meeting, the therapist told her, "You are experiencing this so intensely; it seems that after you get through this, you’ll have no choice but to help other women in similar situations."

"Back then," Anat recalls, "I thought to myself that this was nonsense. How could I help others? But today I see how much the experiences I went through personally help me because I simply understand what the people who reach out to us are going through. When I talk to a woman or girl on the phone, I can assure her fully that she can get through this and know that she has something to rely on with Hashem's help."

To contact the 'Psychological Support' department: 073-3333331  or email [email protected]