Customer Reviews

The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook (New Harbinger Workbooks)

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Did you know that anxiety disorder is fairy common and affects approximately one out of every ten people in the United States at any given time. Could we all be living under too much stress? I think so.

"Research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that anxiety disorders are the number-one mental health problem among American women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men."

Have you ever felt panicky?
Are you fearful of entering certain places?

Are you anxious in social situations?
Do you feel apprehensive for extended periods of time?

This workbook is a practical guide that offers help to anyone struggling with panic attacks, agoraphobia, social fears, generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Dr. Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D. is a psychologist and author who specializes in the treatment of phobias and other anxiety disorders.

Some of the Topics Include:

Causes of Anxiety Disorders
Visualization for Anxiety

Overcoming Negative Self-Talk
Real-Life Desensitization
Coping with Panic Attacks
Imagery Desensitization
Identifying and Expressing Feelings
Existential and spiritual Perspectives on Anxiety
Changing Mistaken Beliefs
Relaxations Techniques
Physical Exercise
Asserting Yourself
Nutrition
Medication
How to Create Your Own Recovery Program
Self-Esteem (including creating a relationship with your inner child)

This book emphasizes that anxiety can be a result of cumulative, long-term stress and there is a focus on adopting lifestyle changes to promote a more relaxed, balanced and healthy approach to life.

The chapter on Relaxation gives some great advice. Simple techniques like breathing properly or visualizing yourself in a peaceful scene can give immediate relief. There are lists of coping statements you can say to yourself to encourage calmness when you feel panic symptoms coming on. The list of 57 affirmations help you counter mistaken beliefs. Like, you tell yourself that you are responsible and in control of your life or you are willing to accept yourself the way you are and will take small steps to recover at your own pace.

I also liked the "Self-Nurturing Activities" which is a fun list of activities to make yourself feel good. Something as simple as taking a warm bath to sleeping out under the stars. The "Life Events Survey" is very interesting. The Death of a spouse, divorced, marital separation or being fired from work are at the top of the stress scale. Christmas comes in at 12 on the stress score as compared to 29 when you have trouble with inlaws.

For example: If you got married, changed to a different line of work, changed residence, and took two vacations, your total stress score would be at 132.

According to this chart, my current stress level is at 143. So, I am below the level of cumulative stress. Between 150 and 300 you would be suffering from chronic stress depending on how you perceived and coped with any particular life events.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with:

Panic Disorder
Agoraphobia
Social Phobia
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Acute Stress Disorder
Food Allergies

"But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself." -Desiderata by Max Erhmann

The most comprehensive book I've seen on
this subject!

~The Rebecca Review

This book has a good claim to being the most comprehensive text written about anxiety and phobias.

This does NOT mean that it is superficial or just touches upon the various techniques to aid sufferers - quite the opposite; there is enough detail and different recommendations to give even the most apathetic of people hope that things CAN and WILL get better. Certainly the book is written in such a fashion to enable the reader to work on individual areas eg relaxation, nutrition, self-esteem, communication at their own pace. One doesn't have to read the whole book to put the ideas into practice.

Dr Bourne is to be congratulated for keeping the language simple and, without doubt, I found the book to be very easy reading - a delight in fact. Don't be mistaken, however, the techniques are very powerful and everything is explained in sufficient detail to enable the reader to decide which approach is best for him / her.

Highly recommended. Surely "a classic" in the making.

If you want to outline a self-help recovery plan for your anxiety disorder, this is the book to get. Bourne explains each anxiety disorder, helps you figure out if you have one, and then provides the tools you need to get well.

Each chapter focuses on a different skill to learn. When designing your plan, you can decided which skills you need to learn. Skills range from better nutrition to improved self-esteem. You can learn relaxation techniques, assertiveness and more.

With each skill, Bourne presents numerous options for learning. If one way doesn't work for you, try another. Bourne's methods are based on a large library of resources, and he cites further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter.

With your therapist or on your own, you can easily begin recovery now.

Cathleen Henning
http://panicdisorder.miningco.com

The day leading up to finding this book in the bookstore was probably one of my worst days. I had been tortured all day by extreme fear and anxiety about some stupid ungrounded fear. On the way home from a shopping trip I opened up to my wife about it and started to cry. She said lets go to the local bookstore and find a book about anxiety that might help you.

I found this book on the shelf and immediately started to read it that night. Over the next few months I reread it four more times and filled the pages with highlited paragraphs which really helped me. I like the way the book is formatted with specific topics, explanations and simple techniques to practice. I was able to see myself in almost every page of this book. This really helped me feel like I was not alone on my journey. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is suffering out there today.

The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook is the premier psychiatric resource for sufferers of Anxieties and Phobic disorders. Clear, concise, descriptive with verbose exercise modules that aid the reader in discovering his or her own problem and the best ways to effectively combat it. Many books and programs promise great things for psychiatric patients or for "silent" sufferers, BUT this one delivers hope, promise, and is affordable. The wealth in this book is worth at least a year's worth of therapy that could easily cost $5,000 for a session a week. I encourage anyone to purchase and use this invaluable resource!

Felecia Constance Rowe

This book was indeed a gleam of light in the surreal darkness of anxiety. Through its detailed exercises the book teaches the suferrer how survive panic attacks, gain self esteem and even find spiritual balance.

If you are suffering from horrible panic attacks or agoraphobia, please buy this book! I was absolutely amazed at how much it helped me with my 15-20 panic attacks I was getting per week. I can now get through work each day, and have a happy homelife with my new husband. It is fabulously written and easy to read. I have worked on the exercises in the book, which are outlined for you. All I can say, is that I go over a different section almost everyday just to review and I can now feel at peace with my life.

This book is an excellent resource for therapists and counselees alike. Bourne does an excellent job covering the different disorders and explaining them in easy to understand language. He also provides a variety of techniques for people to try out. He looks at anxiety from all angles and not just one school of thought.

This is really the best, most current and effective approach to confront and relieve intense anxiety. There is no hyping any particular psychological school of thought and no self-hype.

I worked through sections of the book with a good psychologist. It's been two years and I am so thankful I used the book. The benefits are very tangible to this day.

I purchased this book a few months ago and worked with it in my spare time. I suffered from disabling panic attacks and cronic anxiety. This book has help me regain my life back and taught me how to control my panic. Till this day I still use the book as a refferance, and highly recommend it!