You may not benefit from all the anxiety treatments or methods indicated in the books, but certainly there will be some techniques that will help to reduce your anxiety. Keep in mind that you have to do your part though by consistently practicing what is taught. Only reading the information in the books will not help much.
Whether you are looking for information about social anxiety treatment, panic attack treatment or treatment for any other type of anxiety, these books will be a valuable resource to you.
Some or all of the reviews below may be based on previous editions. Where this is the case, it is still highly likely that the review apply to almost all of the content from the latest edition.
1- The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, by Edmund J. Bourne
Unlike the other two books reviewed below which limit themselves basically to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, this book covers several aspects of anxiety treatment, including nutrition, physical exercises, cognitive-behavioral techniques, medication, among several others. The chapters include exercises related to the topics covered.
Chapter 1 describes each type of anxiety disorder, the corresponding symptoms and a summary of the current treatments. At the end of the chapter, there is a self-diagnosis questionnaire which helps to determine the types of anxiety the reader is suffering from.
Chapter 2 shows in detail the several factors that result in anxiety disorders, including heredity, cumulative stress, biological causes, rearing during childhood and others.
Chapter 3 presents some real life examples and the methods employed for treatment. It also presents the steps for a successful recovery program, including a very helpful weekly practice record.
The remaining chapters (4 to 19) show the several approaches for treating anxiety disorder.
There are also appendices with additional information about overcoming anxiety.
If you want an excellent book that presents, in detail, several aspects related to treatment of anxiety disorder (not only CBT techniques), then this book is for you.
2- Anxiety, Phobias & Panic, by Reneau Z. Peurifoy
This book is about cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help reduce/eliminate anxiety disorder.
The book starts by describing the different types of anxiety disorders and related symptoms. After this, it talks about what causes anxiety disorder.
The second chapter presents some quick techniques to help reducing the symptoms (but not the causes) of anxiety. This is useful to give some relief in the short term, while you are working with the techniques that address the causes of your anxiety.
Chapter 3 discusses how to identify and reduce stress.
The next chapters talk about CBT techniques to deal with different factors (such as, perfectionism, excessive need for approval, low self-esteem) that cause anxiety.
I specially liked the chapters 13 and 14, which discuss in detail how to deal with conflicting situation and being assertive with people. People who suffer from anxiety disorder usually have trouble with expressing their feelings and being assertive when somebody hurts them. These chapters are an excellent guide on how to improve these aspects.
The book finishes by describing how to make sure you continue your progress toward reduction/elimination of anxiety disorder.
3- When Panic Attacks, by David D. Burns
David Burns is famous for his best-seller books on depression treatment based on cognitive-behavioral techniques (CBT).
Following the same line of his books about depression, “When Panic Attacks” presents CBT methods for anxiety treatment.
It contains more (CBT) techniques than the previous two books that I reviewed above.
The book illustrates the techniques presented with several real life examples. The book explains so well the methods proposed that sometimes I feel it could be more direct to the point.
I liked the way the author structured the application of the methods suggested. For many of the techniques presented, there is a corresponding worksheet for putting the technique into practice. This is very helpful, because it makes you write down your thoughts (if you don’t write them down, it is very difficult and not an effective way of applying the techniques) and provide an efficient and systematic way of putting the techniques into practice.
In one of the final chapters, the author presents a list of the 40 methods suggested in the book for treating anxiety. The same chapter also presents a diagram and a table that show how to select the methods to be used. In addition, this chapter presents a summary of each one of the 40 techniques.
If you would like to understand very well the psychological (CBT) techniques for overcoming anxiety along with systematic and efficient way of applying them, then this book is for you.
I will present my reviews of three of the best self-help books that talk about overcoming anxiety disorder. I purchased these books after an extensive review of opinions from other readers and after researching the contents of the books myself.
You may not benefit from all the anxiety treatments or methods indicated in the books, but certainly there will be some techniques that will help to reduce your anxiety. Keep in mind that you have to do your part though by consistently practicing what is taught. Only reading the information in the books will not help much.
Whether you are looking for information about social anxiety treatment, panic attack treatment or treatment for any other type of anxiety, these books will be a valuable resource to you.
Some or all of the reviews below may be based on previous editions. Where this is the case, it is still highly likely that the review apply to almost all of the content from the latest edition.
1- The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, by Edmund J. Bourne
Unlike the other two books reviewed below which limit themselves basically to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, this book covers several aspects of anxiety treatment, including nutrition, physical exercises, cognitive-behavioral techniques, medication, among several others. The chapters include exercises related to the topics covered.
Chapter 1 describes each type of anxiety disorder, the corresponding symptoms and a summary of the current treatments. At the end of the chapter, there is a self-diagnosis questionnaire which helps to determine the types of anxiety the reader is suffering from.
Chapter 2 shows in detail the several factors that result in anxiety disorders, including heredity, cumulative stress, biological causes, rearing during childhood and others.
Chapter 3 presents some real life examples and the methods employed for treatment. It also presents the steps for a successful recovery program, including a very helpful weekly practice record.
The remaining chapters (4 to 19) show the several approaches for treating anxiety disorder.
There are also appendices with additional information about overcoming anxiety.
If you want an excellent book that presents, in detail, several aspects related to treatment of anxiety disorder (not only CBT techniques), then this book is for you.
2- Anxiety, Phobias & Panic, by Reneau Z. Peurifoy
This book is about cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help reduce/eliminate anxiety disorder.
The book starts by describing the different types of anxiety disorders and related symptoms. After this, it talks about what causes anxiety disorder.
The second chapter presents some quick techniques to help reducing the symptoms (but not the causes) of anxiety. This is useful to give some relief in the short term, while you are working with the techniques that address the causes of your anxiety.
Chapter 3 discusses how to identify and reduce stress.
The next chapters talk about CBT techniques to deal with different factors (such as, perfectionism, excessive need for approval, low self-esteem) that cause anxiety.
I specially liked the chapters 13 and 14, which discuss in detail how to deal with conflicting situation and being assertive with people. People who suffer from anxiety disorder usually have trouble with expressing their feelings and being assertive when somebody hurts them. These chapters are an excellent guide on how to improve these aspects.
The book finishes by describing how to make sure you continue your progress toward reduction/elimination of anxiety disorder.
3- When Panic Attacks, by David D. Burns
David Burns is famous for his best-seller books on depression treatment based on cognitive-behavioral techniques (CBT).
Following the same line of his books about depression, “When Panic Attacks” presents CBT methods for anxiety treatment.
It contains more (CBT) techniques than the previous two books that I reviewed above.
The book illustrates the techniques presented with several real life examples. The book explains so well the methods proposed that sometimes I feel it could be more direct to the point.
I liked the way the author structured the application of the methods suggested. For many of the techniques presented, there is a corresponding worksheet for putting the technique into practice. This is very helpful, because it makes you write down your thoughts (if you don’t write them down, it is very difficult and not an effective way of applying the techniques) and provide an efficient and systematic way of putting the techniques into practice.
In one of the final chapters, the author presents a list of the 40 methods suggested in the book for treating anxiety. The same chapter also presents a diagram and a table that show how to select the methods to be used. In addition, this chapter presents a summary of each one of the 40 techniques.
If you would like to understand very well the psychological (CBT) techniques for overcoming anxiety along with systematic and efficient way of applying them, then this book is for you.