Help! I Think I'm Dying! Panic Attacks & Phobias: A Consumer's Guide to Getting Treatment That Works (Paperback)

by Abbot Lee, MD Granoff (Author) "At any six month period of time, some form of mental illness strikes 19% of the people living in the United States..." (more)
Key Phrases: expanding syndrome, three pound computer, based computer chip, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Dr. Granoff charts a clear, sensible course through the confusion of the pseudo-health care circus, and leads his readers to seek accurate diagnoses and effective treatment from qualified professionals. A good informative read for lay audiences ...confronts the fear and confusion about anxiety disorders." -- Frank L. Ayd, Jr., M.D. Editor, International Drug Therapy Newsletter

"From the autobiographical narrative at the beginning through the descriptions of symptoms and treatment, the book is sound helpful reading. You can use this book to help your physician help you. Dr. Granoff explains both panic attacks and ...'agoraphobia' in an easily understandable and conversational tone. A valuable manuscript which ...will be carried around by patients ...for coping with the illness while awaiting their eventual recovery." -- C. R. Hillenbrand, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Loyola University, Chicago

"I liked the idea of how to find a physician, among the maze of so-called "professionals," who really knows what he is doing in terms of treating this disorder. This is needed more now than ever before. Of course your comments are not going to make you any friends among the managed care community. I certainly think it is time for people to recognize what professionals have known all along. Not all professionals are created equal and not all have the same skills or abilities or interests.

Your description of panic attacks and your treatment guide are very succinct and clear. They offer up-to-date material that gives people a very clear understanding of exactly why they might be experiencing the problem that they are having and how to get treatment for it." -- Lawrence S. Kuhn, M.D. Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry St. Louis University, St. Louis, Chairman, Dept. of Psychiatry DePaul Health Center, St. Louis

"Most of the publications available for lay audiences in bookstores are full of fantastic nonsense. Most of the public are unable to distinguish between the quackery being sold to them and the legitimate effective treatments for panic disorder ...your book spells out in a lucid, helpful manner the legitimate treatments that really work." -- David V. Sheehan, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry & Director, Office of Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, University of South Florida

"This book is unequivocally useful for patients and their families with panic disease. Half the battle ...is understanding what the disease is, how to cope with it, and how to seek proper help. It Is clearly written, very practical, and tells patients what they need to know ...it will be very beneficial to patients or their families to read ...a good source of information about what is a very common and sometimes devastating disease." -- John M. Davis, M.D. Gillman Professor of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago, Director of Research, Illinois State Psychiatric Institute, Chicago

"Your new publication Help, I Think I'm Dying! is an outstanding consumer guide in helping people understand panic attacks and phobias. It not only provides the lay public with a down-to-earth explanation of panic, anxiety and phobias, but it also furnishes them with sensible guidance on how to select professionals who will responsibly and effectively treat individuals with this disorder." -- Robert A. Devito, M.D. Chairman, Department of Psychiatry Loyola University, Chicago

Product Description
Help! I Think I'm Dying! Panic Attacks and Phobias is acclaimed by internationally recognized psychiatrists as an "...outstanding consumer guide. A good informative read ...that will help the public ...distinguish between the quackery being sold to them and the legitimate effective treatments ...available."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Eco Images; 2 edition (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938423045
• ISBN-13: 978-0938423041
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,017,634 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone suffering panic attacks can benifit from this book., August 12, 1999

By A Customer

Dr. Granoff`s book HELP! I THINK I`M DYING! is great. I`ve readmany other books on the subject that were filled with fluff, fat andpsycho babble. Dr. Granoff has a knack for delivering knowledge in a clear and efficient manner.His writing style is easy to read. The total package helped clean up many misconceptions I had about my illness. I liked that he added supplements to his original book to update his information. His information guided me to getting more effective treatment from my doctor. I can now say I`m finally in remission and no longer suffering. I just wish I had read this book sooner. I urge anyone who has panic attacks to read Dr. Granoff`s book so they can be guided through the system armed with information necessary to return to a normal life.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Granoff is a rarity in Medicine---objective, January 15, 2003

By	Richard C. Jensen (San Diego, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book is absolutely perfect for those suffering from panic disorder. Granoff makes an excellent, excellent point, one that all primary care physicians and psychiatrists should read again and again until it's seared into their memory: the only patients with panic disorder that need antidepressants are ones who have depression as a PRIMARY symptom, not a secondary symptom. All others with panic disorder need benzodiazepines. Now, first let me say that I only 90% agree with that brilliant statement. For the lay readers out there, you may not see the brilliance---it may look like a total boring common-sense statement. But you don't understand how brainwashed the medical community is about antidepressants and benzodiazepines. Antidepressants like SSRI's and the newer ones like Remeron, Effexor, Serzone, and Wellbutrin are patented, while all benzodiazepines are generic. What does that mean? It means that generics get no positive publicity, only negative, while brand-name patented drugs get billions and billions of dollars worth of sleek, catchy advertisement, including the sales pitch that "antidepressants can help panic disorder". The reality is that antidepressants can help only about 1/3 with panic disorder, dont do much for about 40% of patients, and actually WORSEN panic symptoms in about 1/4 of people. And the 1/3 that get helped almost certainly have major depression as the primary diagnosis, AND the major depression is the primary cause of their panic disorder. Antidepressants are delayed stimulants; they will not give you a panic attack in minutes like too much caffiene can---it may take days for the antidepressant to induce more anxiety. That anxiety may fade later, or for many patients, it will never fade. For people who have only mild depression and prominent anxiety/panic, benzodiazepines are the primary therapy. A small amount of antidepressant may help, since the overstimulation caused by them is dose-dependent. For a more detailed review of these issues, I recommend the book The Failures of American Medicine.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Practical Consumers' Guide to Treatment for Anxiety/Panic, February 3, 2000

By A Customer

Dr. Granoff's book is helpful in that he not only explains the biology behind the illness (in my case, anxiety disorder), but he also guides the reader in selecting a competent professional to treat the illness. I can imagine that many who suspect they suffer from anxiety or panic disorder are unsure where to go for help. Dr. Granoff addresses these issues in a realistic and thoughtful way. I highly recommend the book.