Book Description

From Panic to Power is Lucinda Bassett's inspiring account of the proven techniques she used to overcome anxiety disorder and regain control of her life.

A bestseller with more than 72,000 hardcover copies sold, From Panic to Power offers techniques and skills to the ever–growing number of people who are adversely affected by today's overwhelmingly stressful environment. Lucinda Bassett's effective program, which teaches people how to think differently and respond in a less anxious way, is enabling hundreds of thousands all over the world to transform their draining doubts, fears, and anxieties into positive energy and newfound freedom. Her methods allow sufferers to gain a new understanding of themselves and their challenges when dealing with anxiety and teach effective skills to help transform negative self–talk and destructive worry habits into recently discovered compassion and confidence.

Customer Reviews (88)

What a blessing Lucinda Bassett is!
I can say that after going through "Attacking Anxiety and Depression" and reading,"From Panic To Power" I have come to relize just how important every word Lucinda had to say. This lady is an angel, and I thank Jehovah God for sending her into my life, I'd have no clue where I be today if it was'nt for her annointed words. THIS WOMEN TAUGHT ME WHAT THE WORD FAITH TRULY MEANS.

Great Book!!
This book helped me so much with my anxiety.When I start to feel my anxiety come on, I think of what the book taught me and it really does help.I recomend this to anyone suffering from panic attacks and anxiety.

Great Book -Would Highly Recommend
I would highly recommend this book if you suffer from panic attacks as I do - I feel better just knowing I have it in my collection.My favorite so far, by far.

Good supplement to the Attacking Anxiety program
This review is in response to some criticism I have read about Lucinda Bassett and the book FROM PANIC TO POWER. There have been some comments on this page alleging that Lucinda Bassett is only in it for the money and that this book, and the Attacking Anxiety program, do not really offer any help to those dealing with anxiety and depression. As someone who went through the Attacking Anxiety program back in 1994 at age 18 and who is currently reviewing the program, as someone who has read the FROM PANIC TO POWER book (and who received a free autographed copy of LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS from Lucinda Bassett in gratitude for some online mentoring I had offered to others dealing with anxiety and depression), I feel qualified to address the issues of the effectiveness of Lucinda's work. Bottom line: it works. Or, rather, it helps a great deal. But one caveat -- detailed below.

Session 4 of the Attacking Anxiety program says that people who deal with anxiety often have unrealistic expectations. Our high expectations of ourselves, our friends, our lives, often cause an undo amount of anxiety and stress. We can lessen our anxiety by lessening our expectations. "Don't expect so much," Lucinda suggests. Lowering your expectations will make you more thankful for and aware of whatever little progress you make in your journey to recovery. The Attacking Anxiety program is advertised as offering you "complete recovery" from issues concerning anxiety and depression. In the version of the program that I have, it is not until session 15 (the last session) that Lucinda admits, "The truth of the matter is that it simply takes 15 weeks to go through the material in the program. There is no limit to the amount of time it takes you to get over anxiety." Eventually, she admits, "We don't know everything."

The great irony is that you sort of need to use Lucinda's advise against her own advertising slogans. I could paraphrase Lucinda's advise as, "Don't expect the Attacking Anxiety program or the book FROM PANIC TO POWER to live up to its inflated advertisement claims." If you go through the program expecting complete recovery from anxiety (with no relapses or "growth spurts"), if you read FROM PANIC TO POWER expecting a complete recovery, you will come away disappointed. The truth as I feel it now is that if you use the Attacking Anxiety program and FROM PANIC TO POWER as tools in what may be a lifelong recovery strategy and lifestyle, you will definitely see positive results. The advise I'd give to a seeker of recovery is that if you have the means you should get your hands on a copy of the Attacking Anxiety program. It is without a doubt the masterpiece of Lucinda Bassett's oeuvre. The book FROM PANIC TO POWER is in my opinion a mere supplement to the program.

I'll close with a note for the male reader and listener. Going through the Attacking Anxiety program and rereading FROM PANIC TO POWER, I can't help but notice that this is hands-down intended for a female audience. (I first became aware of Lucinda Bassett because of her appearance on Oprah, for example.) This is not to say that what Lucinda teaches won't help males. The material has helped me a great deal as the bare tools of recovery are without gender. But Lucinda Bassett herself mentions that statistically speaking far more women than men deal with anxiety and depression, and Lucinda and apparently most of her staff are female. It therefore is not surprising that much of the material is fashioned toward a female audience. Specifically, many of the stories in FROM PANIC TO POWER deal with issues that women more often than men will face (balancing the life of motherhood and career, etc.). And even in the Attacking Anxiety program, particularly in the group discussions that always take place after Lucinda's introductory monologues, a female perspective abounds. (On Lucinda's audio program Life Without Limits, a good portion of one of the tapes has Lucinda giving a pep talk about how sexy lingerie makes you feel better about yourself. You go, girl!) And sometimes the group discussion portions of the Attacking Anxiety program remind me of episodes of The View (which Lucinda has actually appeared on), and sometimes passages of FROM PANIC TO POWER read like excerpts from Better Homes and Gardens. I wish Lucinda would let a male member of her staff create at least a single-volume program about the issues facing men who are dealing with these issues.

So, to recap, FROM PANIC TO POWER is a good book overall. But it is not the end-all be-all of recovery from anxiety and/or depression. In my opinion it is but a supplement to the Attacking Anxiety program, and some of the stories will most likely be uninteresting to the male reader.

Very impressed
I think this book is very good for someone who have had a mild to moderate anxiety in their life like I am. Lucinda was absolutely right about the process of overcoming the anxiety and fear: recognize your anxiety, find a coping technique, and re-expose to the situation that creates that anxiety. I personally think that people who are still suffering from their anxieties are the ones who have not found their suitable coping techniques yet. This book gives you guidelines and ideas to overcoming the anxieties including changing your ways of thinking if they're starting to hurt you. After I finished reading it, I did gain a perspective on my dream and my way of thinking, which I was thankful for the writer.

However, there is one flaw in the book. I don't think this book stresses well enough on coping techniques if you experience anxiety in a particular situation. She told you some ideas, but never really shows you how. Just like another reviewer, I think she's keeping all the good stuff for her program, which is really expensive :) ... Read more

Book Description

Elyse Fitzpatrick, coauthor of Women Helping Women (a GoldMedallion Finalist), offers practical advice for conquering the paralyzingemotions many women encounter as they battle difficult, often overwhelmingconcerns about rebellious children, problems in the workplace or home, healthissues, financial difficulties, and more.

In the Bible, God gives guidance and offers the truesolution to our anxieties and fears. OvercomingFear, Worry, and Anxiety accesses this information to help women

• Identify the source of fear, worry, and anxiety
• Transform fearful thoughts into peaceful confidence
• Discover specific strategies for overcoming anxiety

Women will find comfort and encouragement through reallifeexamples of how others, including Elyse, cast their cares upon God andexperience His strength and love.

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent, truly Christian way to handle anxiety
There is a lot of fluff and junk out in the Christian publishing world and I have read too much of it. This, however, is a well written, Biblical and truly helpful book for those who suffer from fear, worry and anxiety. I have recommended it many times and donated it to my local church library. ... Read more

Book Description
A Revolutionary Approach to Treating Anxiety Disorders

This much-anticipated book is the first how-to guide to offer a detailed and practical application of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to the treatment of persons suffering from any of the broad class of anxiety disorders. In a lucid and readable style, the book brings to life the ACT approach to alleviating human suffering. The book provides clear and flexible, session-by-session guidelines for applying and integrating acceptance, mindfulness, and value-guided behavior change methods into a powerful and effective anxiety treatment approach. It offers strategies that work to remove barriers to change and foster meaningful movement forward. Theoretical information in the book is supported by detailed examples of individual therapy sessions, worksheets, and experiential exercises—as well as new assessment measures that make learning and teaching these techniques easy and engaging.The book comes with a CD-ROM that includes easily reproducible electronic versions of these materials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A useful tool
This is a fantastic tool, giving the therapist useful theory as well as specific outlines for sessions.Great for the beginner ACT therapist.The CD contains lots of useful worksheets for clients, and step-by-step outlines for therapists including lots of wonderful metaphors and stories.

A Tremendous Contribution
Having been trained in the 70's as a behavior therapist, I moved away from BT in the 80's as I became disillusioned with the mechanistic quality of the approach. Eifert and Forsyth's book beautifully brings the best of behavior therapy together with a more humanistic and interpersonal focus to provide in ACT a truly new paradigm. The so-called "third wave" of behavior therapy incorporates much of the best of other schools while remaining grounded in solid science.
I have found ACT to be a potent weapon in dealing with the anxiety disorders that our clients bring to us. I highly recommend this book for any practitioner of any orientation to wants to broaden their perspective and become more effective in treating these most debilitating disorders.

THANK-YOU TO THE AUTHORS
This book is an important contribution to therapists who want to increase effectiveness in their work with suffering beings while also learning to incorporate Eastern psychological teachings in their practice.I found it easy to read, practical, enjoyable.

Challenging new approach, worth reading
Startling new way to treat anxiety disorders from a humanistic view aimed at creating a meaningful life despite high anxiety.The book is written very clearly and contains techniques such as metaphors and stories that are excellent and can be used with more traditional therapy.

To use ACT alone in therapy to treat anxiety disorders by just reading the clear instructions of the book and using the CD that comes with it may be dangerous.It is a counter intuitive approach that must be consistantly maintained; the therapist must be 100% present at all times.It is not just a technique that can be applied; the therapist must model this approach in real life or he/she could cause more harm than good.I would love to attend in person some training in this approach and have some live supervision (as is required for EMDR therapy). Definitly worth reading and staying in touch with any new research in this approach.

The first effective unified protocol for anxiety disorders
Eifert and Forsyth come up with the first unified treatment for all anxiety disorders that actually works--an accomplishment that deserves a place in the history of psychotherapy.They do a superb job at making their protocol accessible to therapists that are new to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), including students.In the first chapters of the book, the authors explain with both rigor and clarity what ACT is all about, and contrast it with CBT.In a nutshell, while CBT focuses on symptom management and reduction, ACT focuses on symptom acceptance and doing, in spite of all the inner stuff that may show up, for purposes of living a chosen, valued life.ACT claims convincingly that the road to a good life and mental health is not trying to feel good, but to become able to do what is required (i.e., act) to live a meaningful life, guided by a person's valued directions.ACT is a new, powerful therapy, already with remarkable empirical support, that combines the best of what the psychotherapy world has to offer, that is, acceptance- and mindfulness-based, as well as experiential and existential-humanistic therapies with behavioral interventions, in particular exposure.Maybe exposure work, perhaps the main contribution of the behavioral traidition to psychotherapy, best illustrates the contrats between ACT and CBT: while in CBT exposure is undertaken with the purpose of reducing symptomatology, in ACT it is undertaken with the purpose of increasing behavioral flexibility, i.e., expanding the behavioral repertoire of the person in the presence of anxiety provoking stimuli, and ultimately actualize willingness to move in the direction of the person's values.A truly extraordinary book, and a must read for any therapist who hopes to remain in the cutting edge of his profession.Finally, the editors at New Harbinger Publications deserve praise for the vision and creativity they have put into publishing ACT literature during the last few years.The book by Eifert and Forsyth is a remarkable outcome of such efforts. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Such a helpful book!
This book has a great story that both kids and parents will relate to, but it also has some excellent techniques and tips to help elementary-aged children cope with everyday anxieties. As the mom of a daughter who tends to magnify minor problems, I loved the Worry Beast!

GREAT BOOK!
This book is hands down, the best tool for kids who have a hard time dealing with anxiety. It is simple, but wonderfully written. My kids just LOVED the beast! Thanks for a great book to add to my library!


... Read more

Book Description
The simple, untold truth about anxiety and depression is that they are habits of insecurity—and, like all habits, they can be broken. In this new edition of the highly successful Self-Coaching, Dr. Joseph Luciani shows you how to change your way of thinking and develop a healthy, adaptive way of living through his proven Self-Talk strategy for coaching yourself back to health. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (69)

Great For Anyone
I bought this for someone who has anxiety and depression but unfortunately this person refuses to read it. So I did. I was amazed at how much I learned about how and why I react to situations and how not get so upset. I really enjoyed reading this and I could apply the reactions in the book to people i know as well as to myself. Now when they get upset and take things out I me, I don't take it as personal unless it is my fault. I then change my reaction for the better. My daughter asked if she could read it so I just sent it to her. It is basically what the title implies "SELF COACHING" but it can be for ANYONE. I just might be able to help the person who won't read it.

Time in!
This book is the most motivational tool for motivation in my playbook. Just yesterday, in fact, I screamed at myself that I'm a "f**kin' p*ssy," then dropped and gave myself 50.

Great book!
I haven't finished this book yet but it is basic enough to incorporate into your life to help you get through your depression and anxiety.

I have been depressed since the age of 19 and I'm now 36 so I am excited to see how much it can help me in the long run.

Helps w/ the issues (and much more)
It's been about 3-4 years since I read this book.I was in a dark period after a family tragedy.I'm a very well adjusted and happy adult and this book is a big part of it.

Revolutionary?No.It's just a simple way to re-engineer self-image.What Dr. Joe advocates is 1. disrupt the negative self-talk (all depression patients know about the neg. self talk).2. replace the negative "ST" with positive "ST."3. practice this habit over and over until it becomes routine (perhaps the most challenging part).4. After doing this exercise for about 6-12 months, suddenly you discover that this activity becomes habit, and you then pleasantly discover that your self image is constantly positive and you feel much-much better.

Then, you start to apply this technique to other parts of your life, and, if you're like me, you realize that all that stuff the dali lama preaches is real: you really do have control over your life!

This book requires steady work-hard work which, if practiced, becomes easy with time.Hang in there folks!Stick to the plan and you will find your way out of the dark hole!

Who else do I recommend?Check out Tal Ben-Shahar's books.He's another positive psychologist.Good stuff.

LOGICAL and Basic!Very helpful!
This book is for anyone tired of feeling like a victim of their own thoughts.After reading this book I was able to immediately incorporate his techniques successfully.For example, I had a class that always makes gives me anxiety so when I was in class and feeling awful, I looked at the clock and said to myself, "2 more hours.I can handle anything for 2 hours."After that I was fine!It's not just about telling yourself positive things that may be untrue or simply unhelpful, it's about separating fact from fiction.It was true I hated the class, but it was also true that I could handle it for 2 hours.Once you separate fact from fiction you begin to see how your self doubt doesn't need to have the upper hand.You can choose to stop feeling insecure and start LIVING.Negative thoughts stop us from action and freedom from these thought allows us to LIVE.I also recommend the book Dancing with Fear by Foxman, very good and very helpful, but if you want something more pragmatic - buy Luciani's book. ... Read more

Book Description
Now in its 4th edition, Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic, Therapist Guide updates, extends, and improves upon the most effective, evidence-based treatment program available for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia. -Program is now organized by skill, instead of by session so treatment can be tailored to the individual-Presents breathing and thinking skills as methods for facing, rather than reducing fear and anxiety-Focuses on learning how to face agoraphobic situations and the scary physical symptoms of panic from an entirely new perspective-Includes a completely new chapter for adapting the treatment for effective delivery in 6 sessions within primary care settings-Provides up-to-date information on pharmacology Written and revised by the developers of the program, this book provides therapists will all the tools necessary to deliver effective treatment for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia.It provides step-by-step instructions for teaching clients the skills to overcome their fear of panic and panic attacks, as well as case vignettes and techniques for addressing atypical and problematic responses. This therapist guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that has been recommended for use by public health services around the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A little too vague for me.
I couldn't relate to the scenarios in the book very well as a lot of them dealt with social anxiety and seemingly less complex issues than I was looking for, but it was a good informative book none the less.

Okay but read his books....
Maybe it's me but I prefer to read Dr. Ellis' books to the tapes. The tapes just don't seem to have the impact,at least for me.This one went on and on about some guy's sex life and learning how to come correctly. I'm not a prude but I would hesitate to loan this to my mother or someone not as comfortable with blunt sexual language.Still I have a great deal of respect for REBT and like the books.

Easy read; comprehensive action methods to control anxiety
At the time I bought this book, I was unaware of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, had never heard of Dr. Albert Ellis, and wasn't really looking to solve any particular anxiety problem of my own.Always a fan of Dale Carnegie's "How to ..." instructional writings, I figured this would be a new perspective on a popular and important subject.What I learned was that Dr. Ellis has extensive experience (since 1943) in psychotherapy and actually devised REBT in 1955.Like Carnegie, he is quite good at putting his research and wisdom into books (more than sixty), and turning this knowledge into useful information for those who might be trying to solve a problem related to emotion and personality.

To me, the most important part of REBT is "Rational," the exercise of thinking through what is causing anxiety, why your beliefs about it are unfounded (i.e., irrational) and unnecessary, and what you can do to convince yourself that anxiety can be lessened, if not eliminated, through a formulaic rational process.Throughout most of this book, Dr. Ellis clearly describes nearly twenty very specific methods for controlling anxiety.This was all new to me, but I found the methods to make total sense, and imagined that almost all of us could find any number of these helpful in addressing specific anxiety scenarios.

The way in which Dr. Ellis sets forth the varying aspects of REBT is impressive.He's easy to read, and almost grandfatherly in his tone.Each method is portrayed first by explanation, then by documenting a real example using one of his psychotherapy patients.The last three chapters contain 231 "Rational Maxims" which sum up the main points of the methods discussed in detail earlier, and are written in the first person for us to recite when REBT enforcement is needed.Good idea!Some might find this book to be a little repetitive (therapy is like that), and thus may be better off with the abridged version.For someone new to REBT, I'm glad Dr. Ellis presented these methods in a comprehensive manner, and I'll always have the Rational Maxims for review on short order.
... Read more

Book Description
Harold Bloom's The Anxiety of Influence has cast its own long shadow of influence since it was first published in 1973. Through an insightful study of Romantic poets, Bloom puts forth his central vision of the relations between tradition and the individual artist. Although Bloom was never the leader of any critical "camp," his argument that all literary texts are a response to those that precede them had an enormous impact on the practice of deconstruction and poststructuralist literary theory in this country. The book remains a central work of criticism for all students of literature and has sold over 17,000 copies in paperback since 1984. Written in a moving personal style, anchored by concrete examples, and memorably quotable, Bloom's book maintains that the anxiety of influence cannot be evaded--neither by poets nor by responsible readers and critics. This second edition contains a new Introduction, which explains the genesis of Bloom's thinking and the subsequent influence of the book on literary criticism of the past twenty years.criticism of the past twenty years. Here, Bloom asserts that the anxiety of influence comes out of a complex act of strong misreading, a creative interpretation he calls "poetic misprision." The influence-anxiety does not so much concern the forerunner but rather is an anxiety achieved in and by the story, novel, play, poem, or essay. In other words, without Keats's reading of Shakespeare, Milton, and Wordsworth, we could not have Keats's odes and sonnets and his two Hyperions. Given the enormous attention generated by Bloom's controversial The Western Cannon, this new edition is certain to find a readymade audience among the new generation of scholars, students, and layreaders interested in the Bloom cannon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

philosophy of influence in poetry and the arts
David Bloom is probably the leading proponent of literary influence theory, and his thoughts have even spilled over into other arts (specifically into music -- see Mark Evan Bonds's AFTER BEETHOVEN and Joseph Straus's REMAKING THE PAST, for example); but his four books on influence are esoteric, to say the least.References require such a vast knowledge of poetry, literature, mythology, et al that his writings are beyond the casual reader.If you want to sink your teeth into something substantial, even controversial, start here!

An informative, manageable read
Whether or not you're a student of poetry, Harold Bloom's book, which made him famous in the seventies (at least in the academy), is a fun book to read. The argument, that the poets' craft is essentially anxiety relative and reactive to their precursors, is something I think we all believe on some level. For those of you who are tired of the idea of literary critics as historians with new clothing, of criticism that is like boring history about something otherwise not boring, this book will be interesting.

Ignore the hysterical detractors
People such as Camper-Mann simply don't understand Bloom's ground-breaking book. It is not a typical academic piece of theorizing. Bloom begins with his own aesthetic responses, and discovers that writers who came later in a tradition have a real difficulty finding an original vision or creating original work. Bloom then tries to work out a theory to account for this.

At no point does Bloom suggest that a deterministic process is at work here. The great poets defy determinism and struggle against it. It was not pre-ordained that John Milton would appear in the 2nd generation after Shakespeare. Milton's own creative will carved out a place for him among the great poets. However, Milton appeared after the greatest poet in the language, and his attempt to stand up to the Shakespearean achievement had a massive impact on his poetry. In the same way, Wordsworth and Shelley wrote differently for having read and absorbed Milton. These are historical facts that Bloom tries to account for.

As for T.S. Eliot, he was profoundly influenced by Walt Whitman's poetry, but turned back to Christian ideas in a way that Whitman and other modern poets had refused to do. That is what's wrong with Eliot's work. Christianity is not a very profound source for poetic inspiration in the modern age.

Yes and no
Yes Bloom is a great and inspiring critic, a great creator himself. Yes, Bloom's work is filled with tremendously interesting insights into Literature,remarkable unexpected connections between creators who seemed so distant from each other.
No, Literature does not follow the simple law of progression, or the simple Law of a creator's strong reaction to the strong creators before. There are figures in Literature who in some way seem to be reacting to no one( Hopkins is one good example) and figures whose whole discourse is in absorbing the creation of others not to transcend them but to celebrate them.( Borges) There are also creators who however they may be influenced by others, as Kafka was influenced by Dickens and perhaps Kierkegaard, have such a unique way of seeing the world that they seem to be born of themselves. In Literature it is not necessary always to stand on the shoulders of Giants much less knock the Giant down if one is to move forward.
The laws of literary creation are as mysterious and individual as the next new voice whichcomes to the world. Quixote may over- ride the romantic chivalrous literature Cervantes parodies but he does this in a comically humane way that no one before or since has or could surpass.

Greater than, you know? a book for people who read poetry.
I have previously described myself in a review as the most spaced-out poet on the planet, without describing the awful legal context in which such a view of myself is absolutely necessary. This book makes the context clear, but a general reader still might not understand how concrete this difficulty is because THE ANXIETY OF INFLUENCE is overtly a book about poetry, and hardly at all about exercising judgment. The page of the book where I left it open the longest, and where the book subsequently opened most easily, and which I read most often in the five weeks in which I was interested in this book, was page 58, which describes a poet who "experiences anxiety necessarily towards any danger that might end him as a poet." Without dwelling on the personalities of the people involved, it seems to me that the anxiety which this book is about is clearest in the case of the presidential election of 2000, in which the ability of the Florida Supreme Court to act as the ultimate judges of that opportunity to count ballots was subject to the power of the United States Supreme Court to judge the election in some way which would produce a result which would be opposite to what a majority of the Florida Supreme Court desired. (...)and poets can be much more open about what they are doing than judges, so it isn't too surprising that this book is about poets.

Freud and Nietzsche form a nice frame of reference for what is happening in this book. I kept looking for mentions of Rilke, which wasn't fruitful until page 99, the first page on "Daemonization or The Counter-Sublime." There it says, "History, to Rilke, was the index of men born too soon, but as a strong poet Rilke would not let himself know that art is the index of men born too late. . . . the dialectic between art and art, or what Rank was to call the artist's struggle against art . . . governed even Rilke, who outlasted most of his blocking agents, for in him the revisionary ratio of daemonization was stronger than in any other poet of our century." There is a page just before page 99 which quotes Emerson on the highest truth about all things going well, "long intervals of time, years, centuries, are of no account." (p. 98). Emerson shows up again on page 138, with the idea, "Who seem to die live," to precede the final section of the book, "Apophrates or The Return of the Dead." This part doesn't relate well to law, particularly for a system which keeps thinking that a judgment like the death penalty might be considered final at some point. ... Read more

Book Description
Anxiety is not always psychological but rather a disease that can now be controlled. The symptoms are devastating: sudden unprovoked attacks of anxiety-accompanied by skipping and racing of the heart, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizzy spells. Even worse is the fear that you are losing your mind. But here's the good news. The more unexpected and unprovoked the attacks or the symptoms, the more likely that the victim is suffering from a biologically beset disease. What's more, medical science can now overcome this disease in virtually all cases through a combination of drugs and behavior therapy. Dr. David V. Sheenan, formerly of the Havard Medical School, is now the Director of Research of the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He draws upon recent research and his own pioneering breakthroughs in the treatment of anxiety to present in this book: -Quizzes that will help you determine whether your anxiety is caused by normal stress or is the result of a genetically influenced physical disorder. Seven progressive stages of the disease-and the four steps necessary for recovery. Detailed case histories of former anxiety victims who are now leading full and productive lives. Reassurance and guidance to family members and friends who want to help, but don't know how. This book offers new hope to millions of men and women across the country. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

The Best Book I have ever read for Panic Disorder
I developed Panic disorder in 1978. I have collected
over 20 books on Panic and anxiety disorders. This
book, in my opinion, was the best. BUY IT !!!

Very insightful, helpful book
This book was suggested to me by a social worker, and I was somewhat skeptical of it coming from him; but I read it nevertheless..Let me say, that this book provides insights and methods not often understood by many in the medical field.In saying that, I mean that it is very rare to come across someone that can relate to someone that suffers from Generalized Anxiety Disorder and panic attacks the way that this author does..A must read if you or someone in your immediate family suffers from one of these problems.

A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This book is AMAZING!!!Although some of the chapters are a little (okay, a LOT) outdated, mainly the one about medications...I skipped through it...I would recommend this book to ANYONE struggling with panic attacks or ANYONE struggling with UNDERSTANDING someone with panic attacks!!!If you think someone in your life is nuts for freaking out over something tiny pick up this book it could explain A LOT!!!

Omissions and Narrow Viewpoint
This book has some excellent information which can be found in other less biased books. Since the author is a doctor, I'd expect him to have the viewpoint he does. However, unlike other authors on the topic, he is completely negligent in his presentation. He completely overstresses the biological component of anxiety and the necessity of medication, calling the psychological viewpoint outdated.

As both a long-time sufferer of severe anxiety and depression, and a psychology student, I can attest to the fact that anxiety is not caused just by one source of stress in life. His stages of the development of agoraphobia are correct. I lived through it.

However, I also lived through the recovery he describes in the last chapters. And I did it WITHOUT medication. He says recovery is possible without medication, and yet the person will still be vulnerable to relapsing if any major stressors re-appear. The protagonist in the book (there are actual characters-a real 'love' story, undoubtedly used as a technique to draw readers and believers to his simplistic answer). The woman, at the end of the book, tries only ONE medication which magically works for her.

This scenario is highly, highly unrealistic. Most people struggle with trying various medications. Whether this is a function of the disease or not, it is the typical occurrence from what I have both witnessed personally and through research. Additionally, the woman in the book might not just forget to take her medication (as she does in one section and suffers a relapse), but she might also require higher and higher doses in order to keep herself completely biologically armored from any further anxiety attacks.

This book presents a really cute story. Unfortunately, this is rarely the way it happens. He completely neglects the behavioral aspects of anxiety disorders, such as need for control. He also ignores the fact that many people have mixed anxiety-depression, and that depression isn't always a result of the anxiety limiting them, but that it can be a precursor to anxiety.

Also, some names of medications are omitted and incorrect, unless these are publishing errors. For instance, he mentions Alprazolam as a new drug, which it isn't, and also talks about its anti-depressant qualities. Well, Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine. It is NOT an antidepressant. Next, he mentions the trade names of all the benzodiazepines except for Diazepam, which we know as Valium.

While the names of drugs might be innocent omissions, his simplistic presentation of anxiety is NOT without extreme bias and favoritism for medicine. Is there a biological component to anxiety? Of course there is. As long as we are alive, there is a biological component to everything. But this does not mean that medication is REQUIRED to correct it. Anxiety isn't diabetes. It won't kill you if you don't take Prozac. Medication is a temporary relief, not a lifetime solution. The only real solution is learning that anxiety will not kill you. This doctor seems aimed to convince you otherwise.

You don't have to believe me, after all the author is the one with the medical degree. But I know my experience was completely different than what he has presented when it comes to treatment, and since I am human and there are others like me, I would assume I am not alone. I write the above as a warning to those who are new to this field and are looking for basic insight into their anxiety problems. You want to heal biologically? Look at your diet, exercise, vitamins, the basics! Don't go running to the doctor for nothing, wasting months trying medications with side effects more devastating than the anxiety itself.

Excellent book
I've had this book for 13 years and never attempted to read it until now.I thought alot of my symptoms were unique to me because I never heard of anyone else having them until I read this book. I like the way the author describes all of the steps anxiety goes through.It has helped me to recognize things I went through before I realized I had a problem with anxiety. I really feel much better about myself and believe that I do have a chance to get over my problems with anxiety. ... Read more

Book Description
Nothing can destroy health and quality of life faster than chronic anxiety, that vague feeling of unease and distress that something, somehow is hopelessly wrong. Unfortunately, problems with anxiety, common before, are steadily on the rise. Anxiety disorders have always been the most common psychological problems, but new reports suggest that nearly 25 percent of Americans at any given time suffer from some form of anxiety. In response to this growing problem, the scientists at the Institute of HeartMath have adapted their revolutionary techniques into a fast and simple program that anyone can use to break free from anxiety once and for all.

At the core of the HeartMath method of emotional regulation is the idea that, by focusing on positive feelings such as appreciation, care, or compassion, anyone can create dramatic changes in his or her heart rhythms. These changes precipitate a series of neural, hormonal, and biochemical events that dissipate stress and anger and lead to greater well-being. The benefits from using this system are remarkable and far-reaching: blood pressure drops, stress hormone levels fall, immune system activity increases, and anti-aging hormone levels rise. Through its interactive learning system, this book teaches you how to use the HeartMath method, enabling you to see and experience in real time how thoughts and emotions affect your heart rhythms. It shows you how to engage your heart to bring emotion, body, and mind into balance, and helps you stay in a zone of focused clarity, optimal health, and high performance. Changes brought about through this method are fast-acting and long-lasting—the perfect antidote to our chaotic and anxiety-provoking lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent and Truly Helpful
Discovering HeartMath and their materials about a year ago has greatly improved my life. Transforming Anxiety gave me the understanding and tools I needed to nearly eliminate low grade anxiety I have lived in for decades. When I do experience bouts occassionally, I know just what to do and can often stop it in it's tracks. The difference this has made for me is profound. It has allowed me to pursue long held dreams I could not before due to constant anxiety. Remarkable.

must buy!
we all have stress and anxiety and it's killing us slowly whether we know it or not. the heartmath approach to dealing with stress and anxiety is excellent. highly recommended for ALL! :) ... Read more

Book Description
"Human beings have the unique ability to compress a lifetime of stress into every passing moment," says Dr. Martin Rossman. When we worry, he teaches, the body prepares for "fight or flight," putting in motion a chain of physiological effects that can leave us exhausted, depressed, or physically ill. Anxiety Relief shows listeners how to reverse these debilitating effects through relaxing, rejuvenating guided imagery techniques Dr. Rossman has prescribed to thousands challenged by stress. One information-packed CD session includes: deep body-mind relaxation; the inner wisdom dialogue; and the "worry warrior" technique for converting fear and worry into positive energy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

excellent assist to let go of anxiety and breathe deeply again
Marty's way of introducing is very permissive and without expectation, allowing me to go at my own pace.I was recently diagnosed with cancer and sleep has not come easily and I have frequently felt myself overwhelmed.Listening to the whole CD or sections of it has been extremely helpful and grounding. Sometimes I fall asleep while listening to it.Marty's voice quality is soothing and calming.I've also given it to a few of my anxious patients who have found it helpful, and am in the position of having to order more for my office.

soothing
I'm sure what he actually says is helpful (it is!) but I found his voice so soothing it put me to sleep before I could focus on what he was saying!

Anxiety Relief
This CD was very soothing but I feel like I almost have it memorized now.I wish there were more exercises to relax to, on here I believe there is only 4.The only thing I didn't like about it was that he says the same thing at the beginning of each exercise.Also I was looking for something maybe with some soothing music this CD only has a little at the beginning and the end.Overall I think it was a good purchase though. ... Read more

Book Description
SERIES COPY:The Adolescent Mental Health Initiative series addresses some of the major mental health issues facing teenagers today--eating disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia. Of thebooks planned for the series, the first four, including the two presented here, focus on how parents and other adults, including teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, and even pediatricians, can help afflicted teens overcome the disrupting and often devastating challenges of these disorders.Each book is an authoritative guide that offers essential information such as how to go about getting a diagnosis, what the latest treatment options and prevention strategies are, how to help teens cope with mental illness at home and at school and, perhaps most importantly, what the warning signs and red flags are that parents and other adults should look out for in teenagers who may be at risk for these diseases. Combining the expertise of leading psychiatrists and psychologists with the experience of everyday people who have faced these disorders in their own children, the books are designed to help adults deal effectively with adolescent mental illness and to empower them to act immediately and wisely in getting teens the best available treatment possible.Growing up can be stressful for any teenager, but it is considerably harder for the many adolescents who develop an anxiety disorder.This book is an essential guide for parents, teachers, or other adults involved with teenagers who may be affected by these disorders. By bringing together two strands of expertise-that of mental health professionals and of parents who have lived through the experience of their own teenager's mental illness--If Your Adolescent Has an Anxiety Disorder provides adult readers with the clinical information and practical advice they need to understand and help the teen.There are chapters detailing four of the different types of anxiety disorders, including social anxiety, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Each includes a clearly written definition, a discussion of factors that can contribute to developing the disorder, treatment information, and case studies based on a real family's own experience with the disease.Tips and quotes from parents are sprinkled liberally throughout the text, and helpful sidebars provide more detailed information.The authors also provide a chapter fully dedicated to discussing treatment options, including what role parents play in treatment, how to juggle treatment and school, and how to handle insurance and managed care issuesKnowing the right information about anxiety disorders is the first step towards helping adolescents who are dealing with them grow to become healthy, happy adults ... Read more

Book Description
DESCRIPTION: In this classic guide--newly revised and updated--expert Reneau Peurifoy shows readers how to understand and overcome all types of anxiety-related disorders. Anxiety is an unpleasant, though mostly unavoidable, aspect of modern life--but for many, normal anxiety can become something far more serious and debilitating. Now, in this updated and revised edition of ANXIETY, PHOBIAS PANIC, readers will learn how their condition developed and how to overcome their anxiety-related problems. Areas covered include: + uncovering the causes of anxiety + building stress tolerance + identifying and correcting harmful modes of thinking + relaxation techniques + tools for managing anxiety + and much more. Plus, this revised edition includes new discoveries about the brain, new information about OCD and social phobias, and a section on relapse prevention. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

For the anxious and frustrated.. a book that understands
I first read this book in New Zealand.. and soon became hooked. Mainly as I suffer from anxiety and depression. I found it insiteful and cathartic. It helped me to understand more fully my idiosyncracies and attitudes, and gave me more peace of mind. It offers good advice on how to help combat these debilitating conditions and gain your life back. I would highly recommend it to anyone who suffers from these conditions, or lives with anyone who has them, to better understand what feelings are involved, and that no one ever chooses to suffer; for many reasons, it is simply how our brain reacts to difficult situations, and no one is to blame. An empathetic, yet highly practical book.

copies to family and friends
I have had a copy for many years and have given copies to a grandchild and one child, since anxiety can be inherited (my father had it, and we also have hypoglycemia). I have also given the order forms in the back to friends. I first became aware of panic attacks as an eight year old, but I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my forties, and only after many counseling sessions for panic which didn't help.I found this book and it meant the end of Xanax for me.One doesn't have to read it all at once.The first things to learn are distraction and breathing exercises.Then move on to magnification and other thought control processes.

easy for laymen
very easy to understand the causes of panic and aniexity, creates easy to understandsolutions for people suffering from long term panic, GAD, etc..

a great step-by-step practical solution
I have just started using this book and it is such a relief. It is immensely practical and effective.

This is a newer edition; for more rave reviews from people who have been through the whole program, check out the older edition:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0446670537/

(The link will be slow because it has to rebuild "your" view, but just give it time).

If you really want to get better, if you're ready to do whatever it takes (because it does take hard work!), then this book can really help you take those steps. It's one of the few that are genuinely about "self-help" - how to gain internal strength and heal yourself. Good luck! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Terrific empirically supported self-help text
This is the best treatment manual I've seen for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It presents a scientifically sound cognitive-behavioral therapy protocol in user-friendly language. Individuals with GAD can either work through it on their own or with a therapist. The Therapist Manual is excellent, too; I highly recommend both.

Garbage
This book was absolutely terrible.I purchased it with high hopes, but instead I threw it away.I couldn't have the heart to sell it used to someone else, because one person should only get burned buying this book. ... Read more

Book Description
• The definitive book on overcoming performance anxiety

• Helpful for performers of all types

• Practical, step-by-step guidance plus spaces for journaling and interactive exercises

The Performance Anxiety Workbook shows how to approach public performances calmly and comfortably, without sweaty palms and a pounding heart. Effective anxiety-management techniques and practical, step-by-step workbook exercises—plus thoughtful guidance from the author, a licensed psychotherapist—make this book uniquely enlightening and empowering for anyone in the spotlight ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I completely disagree
I feel just the opposite about almost everything the other reviewer felt -- advice for general anxiety and phobia is mostly useless when applied to the arts. And, if all it took was "See yourself by a beautiful, relaxing stream" or even "You're doing great on stage! You're a regular Pavarotti!" I could go to any new age store or my mom. I love the way Maisel does masterfully relate many cognitive therapy terms to the arts -- I have a lot of trouble doing that myself and it's just as great when applied to my problems as it seems to be for more run of the mill stuff that others have found useful in it.

excellent resource for anyone with stage fright
Maisel's book is an excellent, comprehensive, thoughtful resource for anyone suffering from stage fright. Highly recommended!

Accentuate the positive (I'm not so positive about this book)
I bought this one and Don Greene's Audition Success.Greene's book I found very helpful and positive, and it had a practical approach you could apply right away.It was uplifting, if a little cheesey at times, and made one focus on positive thinking and constructive feelings right away.

I've read to around page 70 of Maisel's book.I have to say I'm put off by the beginning of this book.So far it is too intellectualized for me. It is not very intuitive or clearly process oriented, and the tone is negative. He loves giving labels, there is a section where he has named no less than 21 different types of fears you can suffer from!Whew.Glad I don't have all of them.

He spends much of the first 70 pages on the various stages of one's potential avoidance of one's problem of anxiety.This is done through a series of exaggerated "type" characters I found tedious and not very useful for me.(He chides his fictional performers for their misguided hangups, telling us what they should have done instead of exhibiting their neurotic behavior.)Of course some of the ideas are very solid, it's more the presentation that is annoying.

I don't feel getting into all these detailed cognitive terms is practical for me.I did learn some things, but I have done some cognitive type analysis in a psychotherapy setting before.I would prefer more exercises focusing on strong visualization and positive focus techniques, and getting "inside" the performance.

I think there are more practical exercises at the end of the book, so you might want to look at it in a bookstore before deciding whether it's right for you.I liked The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook more than this book, as far as anxiety goes.And I have read better things on the web about performance anxiety in musicians' chat groups.


... Read more

Amazon.com
Women and Anxiety: A Step-by-Step Program for Managing Anxiety and Depression is a "self-help guide for recovery of your well-being," designed to empower you to take control "in a new, hopeful way, rather than with old, hurtful patterns." This book aims to help you understand the basis of your troublesome feelings and become less enraged, guilt ridden, and pessimistic by using the author's 20-step program.

Everyone suffers from anxiety, says author DeRosis, a psychiatrist specializing in women's mental health. It becomes a problem when it is excessive and causes suffering and/or incapacitation. DeRosis teaches you to see anxiety as a signal of inner conflict that you can resolve, and to harness your restless energy productively.

She examines anxiety's underlying emotions, such as anger, perfectionist expectations, marital dissatisfaction, and role or age transitions. The 20-step program helps you expose the conflicts that create anxiety, and then change features of your life. You deal with only one "trouble point" at a time, so that you can clarify and resolve an issue, make a change, and create a sense of accomplishment. Case studies illustrate how several women worked through these steps, so you can follow their examples. --Joan PriceBook Description
Anxiety and depression are facts of life, but you don't have to live with them! Single parenthood. Marriage problems. AIDS. Sexual freedom. Divorce. Career demands. The glass ceiling. Run with the Wolves or play by The Rules. Pro-life. Choice. Alternative lifestyles. No wonder women are anxious and depressed. Never before have women been confronted with so many bewildering choices and so many incessant demands. How do women cope? How can they defeat self-defeating attitudes and actions? How can they conquer their fears, win the battle with anxiety and triumph over depression? Women & Anxiety, first published in 1979, is now completely revised and updated for the 1990s. Women & Anxiety offers readers a new, dynamic, and easy-to-use strategy for dealing with the problems of stress, anxiety, and depression. In an inspiring and practical style, noted psychiatrist Dr. Helen DeRosis will show women of today how to manage anxiety in an easy step-by-step program. With sensible suggestions and solutions, this book will show you how to turn anxiety into a positive force in your life and how to learn to channel it in healthy and constructive ways. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Psychology and hope
There are some excellent and helpful secular books on women and anxiety. This one covers much of the same ground but from a clearly Biblical perspective. Furthermore, the hope offered here makes this an outstanding resource for Christian women. The book can also help men suffering from the same affliction.

You Get What You Put Into It!
For some reason I had hoped for this book to have a magic solution or one important thing that I would need to change in order to reduce the level of anxiety in my life.Had that been true, she certainly would not have needed two hundred and eighty-nine pages to tell me.Sadly, but now seemingly apparent enough, I will have to work for a decrease in the level of anxiety in my life.Imagine that!The first part of the book does a good job of explaining anxiety, going over the symptoms and really getting you clued into yourself and how you show anxiety or what causes anxiety in your life.It also contains some great advice for women and their lowering self-images of today.The second part of the book contains a twenty step method of questioning yourself on one issue that is causing you significant anxiety.Dr. DeRosis has included many examples of using the steps as well as different anxiety producing situations in which people have found themselves.There were a few situations, such as the one with the emotionally impaired student, that seemed a bit far-fetched, but she still made her point in illustrating the steps taken.I have readied my response notebook with the twenty questions for my next anxiety issue.I have no comments on the effectiveness of the program, of yet, but I'm sure it is reflective of one of this books underlying themes.You get what you put into it.You put in nothing, you get nothing!

Helpful, even for men
I found this book very helpful in allowing me me to understand what sortsof beliefs and thought patterns can contribute to overwhelming feelings ofanxiety.

I've had to live with anxiety as a big part of my life for thelast six years now.In fact, I just passed the sixth anniversary of myfirst full-blown panic attack.For anyone who's had a panic disorder, youknow how frightening it is and how alone it can make you feel.This bookgives you some hope, because it helps you to understand at least partly whyyou're feeling the things you're feeling.You're not crazy, and you're notgoing to die (even if you're sure you are--I was pretty sure I was going todie almost everday for the last six years, but I'm still here).

This bookis written for women, but most of the physchological insights apply just aswell to men.I'm a 27 year old man and I found this book extremelyhelpful.I definitely recommend it to anyone who has experienceddebilitating anxiety and panic firsthand.I also think it would be a goodread for anyone who just wants to understand human behavior and negativethought tendacies better.In helping us to understand and clearly see theunrealistic expectations that we all carry around in our heads, De Rosispoints the way to living an easier, simpler, happier life.

Stand's On It's Own
If you have anxiety or panic disorder, this book is definately worthwhile. Written specifically for women, it provides step by step guides on how toget better and back to your life.It stands on it's own.Highlyrecommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent
I was throughly pleased with this purchase. What I like the most is the research that went into explaining why you would have a phobia about math.

Among Professionals Too!
I haven't read all of this book.But what I have read I've found instructive, and helpful.I would like to add or reemphasize the following.Math anxiety doesn't just among laypeople, students, high school students, upper level students, and graduate students.It exists among professional mathematicians also.Look at the resistance among many current professional mathematicians to fuzzy logic.Fuzzy logicians andpeople who have applied such may also have this strong aversion, because they use words when doing their applications.Look at Bart Kosko who writes books talking about how with fuzzy logic we can do science with less math.
Students of the history of mathematics will also remember a certain mathematician saying "What good is your proof that pi is transcendental, when transcendental numbers don't even exist?"And who can forget another prominent historical mathematician the quote "God made the integers and the rest is the work of man."As if fractions didn't even exist mathematically!Nor imaginary numbers, or transcendental numbers!And even a contemporary, famous, first class mathematical physicist recently published a mathematical book paraphrasing this quote, I suspect, entitled "God made the Integers."Honestly, it looks like everyone, and by that I mean EVERYONE, has math anxiety in one form or another.So this sort of book can do good for EVERYONE.

Kindred Spirits
I am grateful that Sheila Tobias opened up the issue of math anxiety a generation ago. She influenced me to become more aware of what was going on in the minds of my students, particularlyat the developmental level. There is no doubt that my teaching became more "student-centered" as a result of her work. Her book is one among several that now deal with this issue of taking the mystique out of math, and bringing it down to the level of the average student.
by Sandra Manigault, author of The Book for Math Empowerment and Fragments of a Woman's Life

An excellent read for all!
This is a great book to read if you are a math teacher, have kids, or ever had trouble with math. It explains math anxiety and what causes it. It is very interesting and really makes you think. Most people do not like math from something in their past and it makes you think of where you went wrong with math. If you are a teacher or parent, it really helps you see how one can have trouble with math and how to help them without bogging you down with equations or worksheets. Definitely a book that will make you think!

A wonderful book! Finally, I have conquered my math block.
An excellent book!I credit this book, when used along with a college course about math anxiety, with removing my lifelong (40 yrs) math block. Now I know that I'm just as smart as anyone else who can do math -- thereare just different ways to look at it!And now that I no longer view mathas "hard", I can actually do it -- and I am amazed to say that Iactually enjoy it!By the way, although the book may sound specificallyaimed at females, I am a male and found it very relevant and helpful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Crucial to theory of anxiety
Often overlooked, this concise exploration of origins and manifestations of anxiety is often brilliant and provocative. Freud explores the basic properties of fear, anxiety, and touches on the sexual component of these human states of mind/body. Freud hypothesizes that the origin of anxiety is founded in the repressed memory of the human's separation from the mother's originary nutrition during the act of birth. All manifestations of anxiety are (in essence) a resurgence of this primal fear. This is crucial to the role of biology and nourishment to psychoanalysis, often glossed over in its modern variants.

Eye-opening, informative, NOT for the layman
The previous reviewer was correct in his/her statement that this text is not at all for the layman. I am not trained in the field, and was only able to understand any of it after having read most of the body of Freud's work. However, at about 120 pages, this brief exegesis on anxiety (called a neurosis in Freud's day, now called a disorder) is an informative look at three things: Freud's peculiar but influential theory on neurosis; something of what psychology was in the first half of the twentieth century; and a fascinating spin on anxiety and its causes and symptoms, as Freud and the early analysts saw it.

Put simply, Freud described anxiety as essentially a glitch in the interaction between the ego (control) and id (animal desires); or a problem with a person's fight-or-flight response. This definition, I believe, has survived somewhat into the present, though Freud's explanation of the cause of the glitch resting primarily in the supression of the libido has probably been somewhat discounted. Remember: Freud's theories were very viable, it was his explanations (based on sexuality) that are brought into question.

The other components of the title, inhibitions and symptoms, can be most simply defined as follows. In the case of inhibitions, those things that prevent the id from experiencing its pleasure successfully (Freud broke the necessity of function down to what he called the Pleasure Principle, or the fact that at root we all seek pleasure to satify our id). And in the case of symptoms, the physical and psychosomatic manifestations of the results of those inhibitions working against the id.

In short, anxiety is the symptomatic result of the problems caused when inhibitions are instituted by the ego in an attempt to control the id.

The take away from this is that, although much of Freud's actual explanations have been revamped and often discarded, his theories, as in the present case of anxiety, are still fascinating and worth a look. If you can get through the couched terminology.

A Classic
Really hard to read, this book is not for the laymen. ... Read more