Customer Reviews

The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off, I usually hate workbooks. I can't stand to pay money for a bunch of pages filled with lines that I'm supposed to fill in, as if I am writing the book myself. THIS BOOK IS NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL. It's brief but thorough, with great ideas on every page. It takes you by the hand and explains in detail, but does it in a way that you don't feel talked down to.

Second, about half the people out there touting acceptance these days don't have any idea what they're talking about. There are a bunch of psychobabblers who go to one Steve Hayes workshop and think that since they read some Zen twenty years ago they know the whole ACT paradigm. John and Georg are really immersed in this work, and it shows up in the gentle way that they explain the key concepts. The subtle way they frame examples also shows their deep understanding of what this framework is all about. Because they understand it so well, the exercises flow from the central themes, so you can see how they build to an understanding of emotion. Readers will find themselves more forgiving of themselves and their own feelings. It's not a bunch of cognitive hoop-jumping that you see from other books that don't really understand this paradigm. Instead, you finish with the sense that this is really a way of life.

Last, you don't have to be anxious to benefit from reading this book! Much as I would love to pretend that I picked it up just to help clients and supervisees, I get wound up and freaked out like the next person. This book helps me identify moments of willingness, however brief and infrequent, and gets me to cultivate mindfulness throughout the day.

I have been to therapy in the past (for childhood abuse issues and
anxiety) and read other material on anxiety, and it truly did give me
significant relief from my symptoms, and helped my life overall. But
the goal was to totally get rid of anxiety for me. So I was always
left with the hang ups that came when I had anxiety, which every
human has, and is unavoidable. I would see the anxiety as proof that
something was wrong with me, I wasn't coping well, etc. It fed into
negative thoughts about life and myself. So I had obsessions and
hangups surrounding the residual anxiety itself. In the past several months I had started coming to some of the viewpoints in the workbook on my own, so when I found out about it, it just clicked with me on a deep level. It has been so helpful already to me, and enriched my life.

When I started identifying my values (an important step in the workbook), I realized for the first time
that a lot of what I have tried to do with my life, was about things
other people cared about and not me. I finally saw what *I* cared
for. It has already shifted the focus of my life. For instance, I'm
29 years old tomorrow, and I always thought I "should" be going out
and having drinks with friends periodically. Or doing the things
people my age "should" do. But I never really cared about that, OR
got any real enjoyment out of it. That's just a small example, but
to me was a big epiphany. The things I care about are my children,
raising them WELL. My marriage, my family, learning, doing something
meaningful with my life that helps others...etc.

So I kind of found myself in this book, and I'm not apologizing for
who I am anymore. I always felt "too serious". But I was judging by
someone else's standards.

In the realm of anxiety, I have been practicing mindfulness and
acceptance, and I keep getting these just awe inspiring moments. Where you just think, Wow! I feel like I'm getting in touch with something much bigger than myself, a place much bigger than me, where anxiety, worries, and fears are a very small and inconsequential thing. Another thing that has really changed my perception of anxiety and worries is the realization that there is much more "space" in me than just what I'm feeling at a particular time. There is "room" for a lot more in me than I thought. Room for the anxiety or fear to be there, and room for me to bring acceptance to them at the same time, and then peace. And no matter what, my values are always there, they are a constant. And they have within them much more energy than my fears to tap into. I've been feeling very spiritually peaceful and joyous at random times throughout the day since practicing this workbook.

Even my dreams have changed. Like last night I dreamt of riding an airplane and looking down at the world, viewing a beautiful sunrise, etc. It's a dream I've never had. I'm very hopeful and excited about living life this way, in acceptance. Something I've never been able to achieve before, b/c I didn't really know "how" to do it. I know I'll always have anxiety and fears and that change is going to take time, and for the first time I think that's ok.

Thank you to the writers of the book. It's an amazing addition to
the world.

I am a psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety. I found this to be a highly effective program for my anxious teens and adults. For many, it is life changing, liberating, and results in a level of peace they have not accessed before. I especially welcomed alternative ways of addressing and conceptualizing anxiety. I have found the approaches and philosophies outlined in this program to be well-received by patients. It is a great stand-alone program but is also a great adjunct to more traditional CBT approaches. The book is well written and easy to read, the illustrations are powerful, and the CD allows forms to be printed and contains excellent guided meditation exercises. What a great addition to the field of workbooks for anxious individuals!

After years of struggling with stress and anxiety, trying everything under the sun to fix my problems (with some stuff making things distinctly worse!), the message behind ACT was like a breath of fresh air. My problem wasn't the anxiety itself - it was with my struggles and ineffective coping methods. After some good work and reading books like this one, I can happily say that I am living a meaningful live in the service of what matters most to me.

I've been a member of the ACT community going on four years now. I've read several of the books, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety Disorders so I eagerly anticipated the arrival of this new workbook. It's safe to say I wasn't disappointed. I can say hands down this is the most powerful and useful self-help book out there for people who are struggling with anxiety. Period.

The authors approach this work with gentleness, humility, and compassion. If you're like many people who have been suffering from excessive stress, fear, or anxiety, you don't need more information or knowledge. You need something that works, and that's just what they're offering in this new workbook. The emphasis is on finding workable ways of living a more valued and meaningful life.

Here it is in plain English. If you're struggling with worry, fear, stress, or anxiety, and what you've been doing to control or manage your problems isn't working, get this workbook. It might just change your life.

I've enjoyed integrating ACT into my practice. I feel it is a solid approach and frankly haven't had much luck with other approaches. I do not believe that this or any other form of therapy is the be all and end all, however for clinicians and patients who are unfamiliar with the ACT philosophy, this book is practical and accessible.

I enjoyed this book. The 'workbook' part of the title worried me at first because I disliked writing journals and tracking down thoughts all the time, but the information and exercises outweigh the writing, and the writing isn't as vast as cognitive therapy books.

This book is easy to comprehend, and the design and layout of the pages are simple, and the pictures are humorous.

But most importantly the content of the book is effective. It teaches that getting rid of anxiety isn't the answer. Rather, feeling the sensations from anxiety for what they really are, and noticing the judgments and fears that surround it, while doing things you care about (despite how you feel) is the key to finding relief. They constantly remind you as the reader, that from experience, you know following your habits hasn't worked.

Being kind to yourself and your anxiety is also emphasized. It helps soften the judgments of our anxiety, reminds us that these feelings are still a part of us, though don't define who we are.

Another significant component of the book regards values. The book introduces this subject with an exercise where you write your life as a worrier on a tombstone. This causes the reader to realize that life shouldn't be about trying to stop worrying, but doing things you want to do. So what if you're worried and scared to death? You let yourself be worried while doing these things (the exercises prepare you for this).

If various therapies for anxiety were diets, then, in my opinion, ACT is like the old school way of dieting. You work hard and put effort into it, and eventually succeed. There are fab diets, ones that claim instant success. But in reality, things like this take commitment, and effort--there are no shortcuts.

I would give this book a hundred stars if I could. I've struggled with anxiety for over 25 years. I've been agoraphobic for 15 of those years. I've had therapy, have a virtual library of anxiety books and take tranquilizers. I am the person this book was written for. Within a few paragraphs, the authors had nailed my personality.

A few days of reading this book, I was able to stop engaging in struggle with the anxiety and go with the flow. I learned how to step back and observe the anxiety, rather than react to it. This is in spite of several anxiety attacks I have had as a result of the long process of withdrawing from Ativan, a highly addictive tranquilizer. I drove myself to a neighboring town for the first time in years. I'm doing a lot more than I used to do, and I am really thankful to the authors of this book for giving me the tools to do it.

I'm floored that after YEARS of therapy and after reading numerous other books about anxiety I have not been presented with the information contained in this book. If you feel trapped by anxiety, this book can help you get out.

I have to admit, I haven't even finished the book yet. The first four chapters turned on the light for me. I can't wait to read the rest!

This book is excellent news for anyone -therapist or client - using ACT to work with anxiety disorders. It is written in an easy-to-read, down-to-earth, entertaining manner, accompanied by excellent illustrations, and a wealth of practical tools. I particularly like the way they place such strong emphasis on compassion. A CD is included with recordings of mindfulness skills, and pdf files of key worksheets. John and George do a great job of making ACT clear and accessible, in a simple but effective step-by-step program that nicely complements their textbook. It's a `must have' for any budding ACT therapist - and also for most of their clients!

I am very excited about this book. I am a therapist and work with a lot of clients who deal with anxiety that causes them differing problems in life. The workbook is easy to follow and explains everything step by step. There are heaps of easy to follow exercises and it is written in a user friendly caring manner.

I love that it is based on the latest research.

I can use the excercises myself and this is the acid test for me. I never recommend a book that I would work with myself and get results. This will be a must have book. The downside is it that it makes all my other books redundant.

If your life has been on hold while you have been unsuccessfully trying to free yourself from your struggles and suffering with anxiety, this workbook is for you. Forsyth and Eifert will not offer you more of the same old tips and suggestions on how to bring anxiety to its knees, but a kinder and gentler approach based upon mindfulness, acceptance, and compassion. The workbook is well-organized, easy to follow, and informed by both the clinical and research experiences that have made the authors experts in applying acceptance and commitment therapy(ACT)to anxiety disorders. A CD that accompanies the workbook is itself worth its cost. It provides an array of printable worksheets to take you through a series of exercises as well as audiofiles of 9 different mindfulness exercises that will teach you how to bring a more open and caring attitude to your experience of anxiety. This workbook is not only recommended to those who wrestle with anxiety on a daily basis, but also for those who have loved ones who do and to mental health professionals with anxious clients.
The workbook in particular is the pefect companion to Forsyth and Eifert's earlier practitioner's guidebook on ACT for anxiety disorders. Mental health professionals who are relatively new to ACT will find coordinating their services with progessing through the workbook with anxious clients invaluable.