Customer Reviews

Undoing Perpetual Stress: The Missing Connection Between Depression, Anxiety and 21st Century Illness

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I decided to read this book because I enjoyed Dr. O'Connor's book, Undoing Depression so much. I am delighted to report that Undoing Perpetual Stress is an even better book.

What is perpetual stress like? The metaphor that Dr. O'Connor uses is that of an impala who thinks there's a cheetah behind every rock. The flight or fight response is never at rest . . . and the poor impala's health is soon destroyed.

Dr. O'Connor argues that our over stimulating world creates the same kinds of stress from unseen "threats" as the world goes whizzing by at 75 miles per hour.

In the book, he describes the sources of the stress, how stress undermines your body, immune system, brain and mind, and what you can do to put the stress comfortably in the background.

This book will appeal to those who are stressed out, those who experience anxiety and depression at the same time, those who love such people, and those who want to better understand the mind-body connection based on the latest scientific research.

Undoing Perpetual Stress is filled with many helpful exercises that will help even those who don't think they have too much stress. One of the best from my perspective was taking a psychological snapshot of yourself every five years . . . and spotting what was wrong with your life at each stage. I was astonished to realize how many memories I had repressed, but which are still influencing my psychology. And Dr. O'Connor is good about reminding you to "practice, practice, practice" the exercises and his advice.

I have been a meditator for over ten years, and this book helped me to gain a lot of perspective on what the meditation is helping and what it is not. While I have eliminated a lot of the background noise, I haven't dealt with a lot of old issues. It was helpful to find out what those issues are . . . and what to do about them. I found that my creativity and mind were suddenly freed by the process.

For parents, there's a lot of new information here on how various parenting methods influence a child over a lifetime. It's a lot better than what you read in that first book about how to be a parent. Check it out!

This book should be required reading for anyone who finishes high school.

Undoing Perpetual Stress is one of eight books of the thousands published in 2005 to receive a Books for a Better Life award in a ceremony like an "Academy Awards" for books. Hurrah to Larry McMurtry, who won an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain and reminded the audience of the importance of books. The seven other winners in this amazing prize-winning list are: The Tender Bar (J.R. Moehringer), The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls), The Treehouse (Naomi Wolf), The Sociopath Next Door (Martha Stout), Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships (John Welwood), Unattended Sorrow (Stephen Levine), and Jim Cramer's Real Money.

From an earlier review for O'Connor's book: It's a reference work, and at the same time it's good reading. You can go to your particular problem--depression, anxiety, addiction, physical illness--and get both an authoritative explanation for what's wrong, and clear, practical advice for how to recover. You can also learn about just what is unique about contemporary stress, and understand in detail exactly what it's doing to your mind, brain, and body.

This is a long book, but it's necessary for the author to prove his controversial thesis. He doesn't want to simply assert that life experience changes the brain, he wants to show you how it does. In the form of stress, it destroys brain cells, damages the immune system, and shapes our character. But the good news is that we can change our own brains for the better by making deliberate choices about the kinds of life experience we seek.

I've just finished reading a copy of this book that I had checked out from the library. I found that I would want to read certain parts again, particularly the mindfulness exercises. So I ordered a copy for my library. As a person who has been diagnosed some time ago with Fibromyalgia Syndrome, one of the Non-Specific Illnesses referred to in the book, I was especially interested in the Biopyschosocial view which I believe this author represents. I have been dissatisfied with my medical diagnosis and the lack of treatments when the condition is considered strictly medical. I have been ready to accept/integrate a mind/body model of this condition and for most of the book I was willing to accept this model. I take issue with some of Mr. O'Connors assertions that "most" people with non-specific illnesses have a history of anxiety or depression. He may have cited studies, but I did not see the footnotes. And he states unequivocally that these non-specific illnesses "ARE NOT MEDICAL ILLNESSES". This statement somehow seems at odds with the acceptance throughout the book of the reality of the physical symptoms and the fact that the brain is a part of the physical body. Even mainstream research now acknowledges that Fibromyalgia is the result of disordered brain chemistry. While his intentions are undoubted noble, wanting people to get over the idea that there is a simple explanation or cure for non-specific disorders, this assertion undoes much of the persuading of the earlier parts of the book. If the mind affects the body, and the body affects the mind and both affect the brain, then why be so strident on this point? I am going to start to practice mindfulness as a part of my life, along with considering cognitive/behavioral therapy. I don't believe (any longer) in quick cures. But a multi-disiplinary approach is for me, and I am not dismissing my physician's advice for a strictly mindfulness approach.

This is not a "Stress For Dummies" book. It is intelligent, helpful and straight forward. Dr. O'Connor takes what could be difficult issues to grasp and writes them in terms we can all understand.

As one of the millions who suffers from perpetual stress, Dr. O'Connor has provided me with new tools to help me end the cycle and live a better quality life.

This book has helped me to learn ways to manage the stress that has been so damaging to the my health. It has helped me learn how to channel it in more constructive ways that could save my mental as well as physical well being. It explain what this stress does to your body. It helped manage the heart breaking stress I have been going through during a verbally abusive marriage and finally a divorce and bitter custody battle. I agree stress plays such a large part in your health. This book helped me to realize it.

This book has been a godsend to me. The author describes & discusses so many aspects of stress, and why we are so stressed-out in the early 21st century. The volume is densely packed with information, & I find that it helps me to link up my expectations of life, with the realities of limits, relationships, physical and emotional care, and the kinds of situations that help anyone to be healthy - or perpetually stressed. I am not done with this book yet; I want to savor & absorb all that it has to offer. I highly recommend it to you. It's a great read and a wonderful ongoing reference book. You will be glad to have bought it.

At 459 mind numbing pages I would suggest saving yourself about 15 hours of reading time and pick up "Stress free for good" by Luskin and Pelletier, both books have the same goal to reduce your perpetual stress mode, both authors have the same basic credentials however this book (Undoing perpetual stress) goes on and on about the author, his last book, his theories about stress, and all his opinions. "Stress free for good" gives you quick principle to use now. Buy this book if you find stress incredible fascinating and would like to study it for 15 hours. The book is sound scientifically and has a lot of great points, but who has time to read a big scientific book when you are looking for relief from stress now? This book stressed me out.

Well worth reading if you suffer from chronic, generalized anxiety. While this book is not a substitute for professional help, it certainly gives suffers of anxiety and depression an excellent insight into the many causes of these disorders and offers ways to temper the effects of these afflictions. I would say this book is a very good adjunct to individual or group therapy.

I agree this is a wonderfully important book and extremely helpful in explaining the epidemic effects of stress and how today's culture/society is doing nothing to fix the problem. My one criticism is that the author tends to get off-topic writing about psychology--descriptions of many mental illnesses, personality disorders, etc. I understand they are closely tied, but I find myself wanting more practical information... I'm 3/4 of the way through the book and there have only been 2 or 3 exercises. Perhaps a companion workbook?

A generous thoughtful unravelling of the causes of the "age of anxiety" written in a highly readable way. A delight if you love reading & your state of mind allows sufficient concentration. It is the bookish equivalent of having an understanding, gentle companion sitting at one's bedside during an illness.