Q. I'm a woman in my 50s who will soon be divorced and bankrupt. I am afraid of being alone, being penniless, being homeless and dying. I'm in constant fear and I can't sleep. My psychiatrist says I have to learn to use my own coping skills. How? Is cognitive behavior therapy for me?

A. You're not alone — many folks are stressed from the double whammy of the holiday blues and tanking economy. Sounds like you have anxiety, defined as excessive worry and tension, and perhaps also depression (sadness, lack of enjoyment of things, or feeling worthless). Yes — cognitive behavior therapy can do wonders for depression or anxiety.

Michi Wong, a clinical psychologist at Kaiser, says therapy would help you recognize how you deal with stress, and over time could help you change maladaptive coping behaviors that only prolong the misery. Behavioral health professionals are uniquely trained to understand the mind-body connection to help you develop healthier ways of managing stress and understand emotionally laden issues.

Therapy can guide you to take care of yourself better, pay attention to your emotional needs and feelings and learn to interrupt the constancy of stress with relaxation and self-nurturing. For a list of local psychologists, call Aloha United Way's 211 or go online to www.hawaiipsychology.org.

It is OK to ask for help from friends, family or church when you feel overwhelmed. Between 4:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., you can call the United Self-Help warm line at 931-6444 if you need someone to talk to. USH also has free depression, anxiety, self-esteem and bipolar support groups. You share coping skills with others, support each other throughout the week, listen to guest speakers and conclude with refreshments and socializing. USH director Bud Bowles says there's a party the fourth Friday of each month at the Waikiki Community Center auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m.

How do you deal with events like divorce, the death of loved ones, job loss or serious illness? Go online to www.APAhelpcenter.org and read "The Road To Resilience," which lists 10 ways to build resilience. For online chat rooms and information on depression and anxiety, try www.healthyplace.com. For information on antidepressant drugs, which also work well for anxiety, click on "depression" at this Web site under "HealthyPlace Communities," then go to "treatments."

Get regular exercise and sunshine, and volunteer to help others. Michi epitomizes all the above. Through project Pure Light, she has enabled paraplegics and the physically and mentally disabled to participate in ocean sports with the Hawaiian outrigger canoe — their competitive crew did Moloka'i this year! Be patient — with therapy, you will start enjoying life again.

Dr. Landis Lum is a family-practice physician for Kaiser Permanente and an associate clinical professor at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine. Send your questions to: Prescriptions, Island Life, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com; or fax 535-8170. This column is not intended to provide medical advice.