Customer Reviews

The Sky Is Falling: Understanding and Coping with Phobias, Panic, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

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

 

 

For the person who suffers from the anguish of panic, horrific images, anxiety attacks, obsessive - compulsive ideation, and uncontrollable fear, here is a book which not only presents a sensitive perspective on these highly disruptive personal problems, which complicate our daily lives, here also is a "help" the sufferer can use without being only dependent on medication only, or many, namy expensive hours in a theraphists office. Raeann's insightful presentations and worksheets, help people to identify specific "triggers" that set them off, then using several different methods learn how to manage the fear, panic and anxiety those "triggers" produce. As a lifelong sufferer of Anxierty, Panic and Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder, here for the first time is a book which truely talks to the sufferer. I can't recoment this book highly enough

I found this book troubling, because right from the start it presents inaccurate information about the treatment and cause of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Early on in the book, the author writes the following about the "in vivo" therapy she does with clients with OCD. This therapy exposes the client to a feared object/situation/etc. with the support of the therapist.

"The idea was that I, as the therapist, could demonstrate that there really was no objective danger in any of these things or situations, and help the fearful person to confront each of the items on the list and see that nothing terrible happend. When we had worked all the way through the list, the person would see the folly of these fears and no longer be fearful." And then she goes on to say how most of the time this works to cure the fear.

Exposure to feared objects/situations is an accepted and highly regarded part of treatment for OCD. However, the purpose is not to show the client that their fear is irrational or unecessary and knowing this does not cure OCD. In fact, in most cases people with OCD recognize that their fears are excessive and unecessary - but despite this knowledge they remain powerful, disturbing, and sometimes disabling. Therapy through exposure is intended to give the client opportunities to learn to live with the extreme anxieties of these situations and to learn healthy ways to cope with them. You CANNOT convince someone with OCD that their obsessive anxieties are in error and thereby cure them. That is not the nature of the disorder or the intent of the widely-used exposure therapy many Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists employ.

The second major red flag you will run into right away in this book is how the author keeps giving examples of OCD "caused" by faulty parenting. (Her first example is that her mother's excessive washing of her as a child caused her to have OCD and the second is about a mother who inadvertantly taught her daughter that thinking about someone dying could make it happen.) Though the exact causes of OCD are still uknown, it is NOT an accepted theory in the modern-day that faulty parenting can cause OCD.

Though I am sure there are interesting aspects to this book, I would recommend you look elsewhere for more accurate information on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

the elements of her therapeutic practice with those suffering from anxiety disorders in a way that helps the sufferers and their families understand what they are going through.

Dr. Dumont coins the term "magic thinking" to convey how sufferers grow convinced that a disaster in the making is real, is happening to them, without the benefit of rational thought. Phobias and obsessive compulsive disorders are brought to the forefront through case studies, and in each, Dr. Dumont not only describes the behaviors, she describes the accompanying thoughts.
It is an interesting book to explore, because she has been able to put into words how some people can depart from reality, despite their intellectual capacity. She helps make their fears real, not only for them, but for their support systems.

There is an excellent part of the book that is devoted to a tolerance and treatment program; and also a description of the role of medication and other resources for those afflicted by anxiety in this fundamentally life-shattering way. It is an excellent introduction for those who need the treatment to understand why a therapist trained to help them will be able to help them break through the barriers, but it is also a realistic awakening that this is a life-changing regimen that they will need to practice to insure that they gain control of their lives forever, and are not controlled instead, by the phobia or the OCD.

One of the very best books ever written to gain insight on panic disorders, Dr. Dumont expands our sensitivity and awareness to the need for cognitive behavior therapy.

Simply a must read for OCD-sufferers and their friends!

This book is an extremely well written book on the problems that people have with phobias, panic and obsessive-compulsive disorder. When I first was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, I read all of the books I could find on the subject. This is one of the best ones I found. It offers insight into the situations that sufferers of anxiety disorders go through.

I have OCD and I have read this book. It is an excellent book for those who are seeking to understand the hidden torments of panic, phobias, OCD and the like. The case studies are realistic, the material is believable, and the theories are solid. This book brings to light the thought processes of the typically "anxious" thinker. Read it, it will enlighten you.

There is no science in this book. It is basicly a book saying that a person with OCD can just 'get over it' when they cannot because brain scans have PROVEN that the brain is over active and not functioning correctly. OCD is a serious mental illness, not a fault of faulty thinking nor is it the person with OCD's fault.

I am sure the author is a caring person but she is not a doctor and seems to have formed her own ideas and theories and not consulted what other SCIENTISTS are learning. It is important to note that she is NOT a doctor, not a scientist, nor is she studying this disease.

She is basicly saying it is the fault of your thinking processes, not the fault of the disease. Yes, her book has some good ideas in it but she doesn't seem to realize that OCD is a real illness of the brain which, in OCD people, does not work correctly. AND it is not illness specific, meaning she talks of many mental illnesses NOT JUST OCD, and makes general statements.

I would recommend Brain Lock by Jeffrey Schwartz, who is a doctor and has some real science and brain scans to back up what he is saying. And read other books on OCD also, those authored by real doctors though.

I have OCD and Brain Lock was recommended to me by my therapist.

I enjoyed all of the stories of others suffering from OCD. Most are extreme cases, but overall I could relate to the fear, etc. It was nice to know there are others with the same problem.

Absolutely a must-read for those suffering from OCD or other Obsessions, or for those who want to understand loved-ones dealing with these disorders. Your understanding will greatly expand. Also includes steps towards recovery. Highly recommended.

I can't give full 5 stars, as i'm rating the whole book.
The best part of the book comes towards the end, page 229 onwards. The preceeding chapters are typical items one can find in all OCD books.
If I were to rate only those towards the end, dealing with how to get better,
I'll simply rate this book 6 out of 5 stars.