Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick [Paperback]

David Carbonell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2004

With methods and exercises based on the author's extensive clinical experience, Panic Attacks Workbook helps people understand the true nature of their panic attacks. It demonstrates the vicious cycle of habitual responses that lead to debilitating attacks, teaches how to halt this self-destructive process, and guides people along a proven path that promotes recovery.

David Carbonell outlines such cognitive behavioral methods as diaphragmatic breathing, progressive exposure, desensitization, relaxation, keeping a panic diary, and much more. He shows how to cultivate a personal attitude that facilitates solutions rather than placing blame.

He clearly explains how the very nature of panic leads people into a chronic cycle of anticipation, panic, and helplessness, and details how to overcome this pattern with innovative responses and an attitude of acceptance. Charts, worksheets, and program outlines help point the way through the workbook and on to recovery.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. David Carbonell is the founder and director of the Anxiety Treatment Center in Chicago and New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Ulysses Press; 1 edition (October 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569754152
• ISBN-13: 978-1569754153
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Anxiety Disorders
  • #53 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Mood Disorders

More About the Author

David Carbonell, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders. He is the founder and director of the Anxiety Treatment Center, Ltd., a small group of psychologists which offers treatment of all manner of fears and phobias at several locations in and around Chicago, and the "coach" at www.anxietycoach.com, a self help web site for people troubled by fears and phobias.

Dr. Carbonell is a recognized expert in this field, and has conducted training and seminars for a variety of professional groups, including the Anxiety Disorders Association of America; the International Association of Cognitive Psychotherapy; the United Airlines Employee Assistance Program; the Rockland County and Suffolk County Psychological Associations in New York; the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association; the Illinois Employee Assistance Professionals Association; the Illinois Psychological Association, the New York Psychological Association; and Northwestern University Medical School, among others. He regularly offers a day-long workshop for professional therapists on the treatment of anxiety disorders at locations around the country, sponsored by Pesi Healthcare, Inc.

Dr. Carbonell is the author of Panic Attacks Workbook (Ulysses Press, 2004), a self help book for people with panic disorder. He is a member of the American Psychological Association; the Anxiety Disorders Association of America; the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies; the Association for Contextual and Behavioral Science; the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy; the Illinois Psychological Association; and the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation. He is licensed as a clinical psychologist by the States of Illinois and New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best self-help book for overcoming panic, June 16, 2005

By 

Neal Sideman (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick (Paperback)

In my opinion, "Panic Attacks Workbook" is the best self-help book for overcoming panic - and I have read nearly all of them. The author, Dr. David Carbonell, is one of the leading experts in the field of anxiety disorders. With clarity, compassion and humor, he presents the most effective approaches to overcoming panic. Reading this book is like having several sessions with a caring, expert therapist. If you are facing the challenge of panic attacks, this book is the place to start.

In 1998, after years of struggle, I overcame panic disorder & agoraphobia. Since 2001, I have been directing a popular website that provides resources for people recovering from these conditions. Among all the self-help books, my #1 recommendation is "Panic Attacks Workbook."

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book However Long You've Suffered!, August 3, 2005

By 

Claire W. (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick (Paperback)

This book has been the most practical and useful one on the market. It's like having a real person walk you through, step by step, not a bunch of "psychobabble". It respectfully addresses every aspect of panic you have experienced. Advice includes reasons why you might have this "problem" and how to cope, realistically. If you feel you are beyond hope, don't believe it, buy this book, read it, read it again, do the "homework" (at your own pace) and in time (you choose how soon) you will begin to see results--it may take a while, so be patient...if you don't have patience, get some! :) However long you have "suffered" there is hope. And whatever you do, DO NOT skip the part about BREATHING. Don't think you've heard it all. I especially liked all the anecdotes of Dr. Carbonell's: if you like a little humor thrown in (trust me, it helps!) with some real-life scenarios, this is the book for you. Written in everyday language, and I do not mean "dumbed down" this book has been incredibly useful. And a bargain!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Empower yourself and frighten your panic away, July 11, 2005

By 

Ann Stapleton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick (Paperback)

Dr. David Carbonell's Panic Attacks Workbook is an invaluable resource for anyone struggling with anxiety or panic disorder. Founder and director of the Anxiety Treatment Center in New York and Chicago and an expert in the treatment of anxiety disorders, Dr. Carbonell offers simple to follow, immediately useful advice on how to unmask the "panic trick" and get back to living your life. In compassionate and reassuring language, he explains that panic attacks are not your fault and provides hope that you, too, can recover from this "very treatable" condition. Emphasizing always that you are not alone (many people experience such attacks) and can get better, Dr. Carbonell offers a complete self-help recovery program that includes the use of panic diaries, desensitization, and cognitive therapy. He makes clear how panic attacks work and what to do if you have one, provides specific self-tests and exercises that will help you begin to heal yourself right away, and explains how to discuss your problem with a trusted friend or loved one, and why you might want to. He explains how to defeat the panic trick by using such techniques as belly breathing (breathing from your belly, not your chest), self-hypnosis, and the rule of opposites (whatever your panic tells you-to avoid public places, for example-do the opposite). In addition to the practical advice you'll find here, this book is distinguished by Dr. Carbonell's ability to make you feel like a normal person with a common problem and by his power to make you feel optimistic about your prospects for recovery. Arm yourself with Panic Attacks Workbook and let your panic attacks-not you-be afraid, be very afraid.