A Cancer Patient's Guide to Overcoming Depression and Anxiety: Getting Through Treatment and Getting Back to Your Life [Paperback]

Derek Hopko PhD (Author), Carl Lejuez PhD (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2008

Modern medicine has developed solutions that allow cancer patients to live longer lives, but depression and anxiety often make these years painful and difficult. This book develops the techniques of behavior activation therapy into practical activities people recovering from cancer can use to recognize and overcome problems with depression and anxiety. Relieved from these two sources of emotional pain and limitation, readers of this book will be able to live life fully and apply their energy to the task of getting better.

Successes build on one another, creating a model for ever more positive feelings in the future. This key to success, though, is to keep focusing on engaging in enjoyable behaviors without getting bogged down by pain, frustration, and worry. Keeping on track is easy with the step-by-step approach offered in the book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The authors have provided a useful and straightforward approach to dealing with the emotional distress that often accompanies cancer and its treatment. The strategies provided are grounded in good clinical science and are both practical and efficacious. The guide should be a real resource for anyone dealing with cancer.
—Steven D. Hollon, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University

A Cancer Patient’s Guide to Overcoming Depression and Anxiety is an excellent reference for patients, students, and clinicians alike. It provides a readable overall style and flow and captures practically relevant information that is informed by cutting-edge work in the field. Hopko and Lejuez have provided a much-needed resource to patients and scholars alike with this important and timely book.
—Michael J. Zvolensky, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at the University of Vermont

From the Publisher

This workbook offers readers with cancer a targeted and customizable program they can use to manage the depression, anxiety, and fear that often accompanies diagnosis and treatment. Based on behavior activation therapy, the techniques in this book work to help readers reconnect to pleasurable and rewarding activities as the basis for coping with negative emotions.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 1 Workbook edition (January 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572245042
• ISBN-13: 978-1572245044
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #545,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great buy. Very helpful and user-friendly., April 24, 2008

By 

Florida Mom (Sarasota, Fl) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Cancer Patient's Guide to Overcoming Depression and Anxiety: Getting Through Treatment and Getting Back to Your Life (Paperback)

This workbook has been extremely helpful in my life. It has made life with cancer more manageable and relieved my depression and anxiety. It is very user-friendly and doesn't try to confuse the reader with complicated professional lingo. The exercises are very easy to do, well structured, and not as time-consuming as some others I have tried. (The mindfulness techniques are especially great for when my kids are getting on my nerves!). This book has made my life a lot less stressful.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptional self-help book, October 27, 2008

By 

L. M. Culberson - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Cancer Patient's Guide to Overcoming Depression and Anxiety: Getting Through Treatment and Getting Back to Your Life (Paperback)

Finally, a truly useful book for dealing with the emotional side of having cancer. Hopko and Lejuez have assembled a collection of sensible techniques based on years of research on depression, anxiety, and the experience of cancer. The book begins with four chapters of useful information about cancer, cancer treatments, depression, anxiety, and the problems of avoiding upsetting situations. This is followed by six chapters of specific, well-reasoned, step-by-step instructions for overcoming depression and anxiety. (Contrary to what was said in another review, this book is not about being cured of cancer through the power of your mind - It's about coping with the emotional side of having cancer and working toward a happier and more fulfilling life). As a researcher and a clinician familiar with these issues, I would recommend this book to people coping with cancer and to therapists working with cancer patients.

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful advice for a difficult illness, December 14, 2011

By 

Laura (Atlanta, GA, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Cancer Patient's Guide to Overcoming Depression and Anxiety: Getting Through Treatment and Getting Back to Your Life (Paperback)

I'm a psychologist and I know how devastating the diagnosis of cancer can be at first. It is so important to instill hope and to provide specific coping skills. This book is a bit dry in the first chapters dealing with the demographics of the illness. It reads like a dissertation. But the coping skills later in the book are quite helpful and specific. I recommend it to cancer patients and their families as a way to respond actively and positively to the challenges of dealing with this illness.