STATE OF MIND

Over the years Los Angeles has developed an abundance of ugly architecture, congested freeways, foul air and, according to local therapists, a plethora of hybrid phobias. “There are a number of paranoid, depressive and anxiety-ridden disorders germane to Los Angeles,” says Richard Cohn, a Santa Monica-based family therapist. “Many of my patients suffer from the ‘Am I pretty enough?’ syndrome,” he says. “Hollywood is a cruel place to look for employment. People often come to my office after being rejected hundreds of times. They just can’t ever seem to be beautiful enough.”

Jill Grey, a Brentwood-based psychotherapist, blames the high rate of anorexia and bulimia on that same obsession. “Eating disorders are very prevalent in this city,” she says. “There’s a need to be perfect to order to justify your existence.”

But success in the glam factory can bring its own mental quirks. “There are many famous actors who’ve developed social phobias,” says Laurel Oziel, a psychotherapist and social worker with practices in Beverly Hills and Sherman Oaks. “These persistent and irrational fears can include eating in public and using public lavatories, (fears) that interfere with their daily lives.”

Just becoming an L.A. resident can have traumatic side effects, Cohn says. “I call this the transplant syndrome--patients exhibit extreme restlessness, feelings of isolation and alienation. There’s a severe sense of loneliness in this city that many times develops into deeply depressive states. People have no sense of community. Because of a radical dependence on the automobile, no one walks anywhere.”

Freeway-phobias are common too, says Anita Frankel, a Silver Lake/Los Feliz-based psychotherapist and biofeedback therapist. “A lot of people come to me with freeway fears. The freeway can be an anonymous, scary place where people feel alone and trapped. Many begin to obsess about the fumes and what might happen if the car breaks down. I recommend they surrender to the feeling and say, ‘I know I’m sweating and I’m really scared right now, but it’s going to be OK.’ Deep breathing helps shift the attention. So does thinking erotic thoughts. I’ve had people tell me they’ve begun to masturbate in gridlock traffic. It might not work for everyone but, let’s face it, erotic arousal is totally incompatible with anxiety.”