Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
If you’re constantly catastrophizing, worrying about 'what ifs', afraid of the unknown and feel the need to be in control, one psychologist says these are signs that you may be dealing with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
"Generalized anxiety disorder is kind of a misnomer and I blame the title," Anna Maria Tosco, clinical psychologist and founder of Sassy Psychologist, said on CTV's Your Morning Wednesday. "It's actually quite specific, and it involves excessive worry about a lot of things in your life to the point where it's not allowing you to sleep, it consumes you, you're not functioning well."
GAD is one of the most common anxiety disorders and can prevent someone from fully engaging with their life, a fact sheet by the Canadian Psychological Association explains. It can manifest in fear of meeting people, panic attacks and depression.
Tosco says that when the symptoms are uncontrollable, psychologists consider it a "diagnosis."
"Oftentimes people say it comes from at some point in your past… there was trauma, or a bad breakup, or an illness where you were left to think that the world wasn't safe," Tosco said.
There are steps for people to combat GAD. Tosco says the first is to "stop playing the horror movie version of the future."
"Don't get me wrong, it exists," Tosco said of the worst-case scenario. "But to go there, and to give all of your airtime there is unfair, there's a plethora of other possibilities. So we get them to consider the other possibilities that exist, not just the catastrophe."
The Canadian Psychological Association says therapy is effective in the treatment of GAD. According to the fact sheet, a Canadian study saw 77 per cent of those receiving 16 sessions of psychotherapy remained GAD-free one year after treatment.
Tosco says she teaches a tool called "imaginal exposure", which allows the person to envision the worry and deal with the emotions without crippling day-to-day tasks, as well as an "empowerment strategy".
"What I've learned with people with GAD, is they come to learn that not only do they not trust the environment, but they also don't trust themselves," Tosco said. "If a crisis or something catastrophic does happen, they have more power and resilience than they've come to believe."
Tosco says people who believe they have GAD should seek help from medical professionals.
"A lot of people don't realize worrying is fine, worrying is allowed, but if it's consuming you to the point where you're not functioning well, that's when please talk to your doctor about it," Tosco said.
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
Three officers on a U.S. Marshals Task Force serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded in a shootout Monday at a North Carolina home, police said.
A Calgary elementary school principal has been charged with possession of child pornography, authorities announced Monday.
The Vancouver Island Health Authority is downplaying what staff describe as a cockroach infestation in a medical unit of Saanich Peninsula Hospital.
Toronto police say 12 people are facing a combined 102 charges in connection with an investigation into a major credit fraud scheme.
One of the winners of a historic US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot last month is an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.
Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears will avoid what could have been a long, ugly and revealing trial with a settlement of the lingering issues in the court conservatorship that controlled her life and financial decisions for nearly 14 years.
The clock is ticking ahead of the deadline to file a 2023 income tax return. A personal finance expert explains why you should get them done -- even if you owe more than you can pay.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.