Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies, UK Edition E-Book

Elaine Iljon Foreman

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 545

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

There are many forms of anxiety disorder, including General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Attacks, Phobias (including social anxiety), Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Acute Stress Disorder. Even in their most mild forms, these disorders can be troubling and exhausting - at worst they can severely disable a person's ability to function in day-to-day life. Severe anxiety and phobic disorders affect 18% of the UK population. (nopanic.org.uk) Symptoms of anxiety range from the mental and emotional - depression, having difficulty concentrating, losing patience easily - to the physical - excessive thirst, headaches, pins and needles, and more (www.bbc.co.uk) Often the problem is self-feeding - people try to keep things under control whilst simultaneously worrying about being anxious all the time, and the cycle goes on. Psychotherapy, medication and self help are the key treatments for anxiety - however, as many people either don't have access to, or choose not to take, professional treatment, self help is the key for a majority of sufferers. A Dummies book on the subject will present the facts without the jargon, and help people find the trustworthy guidance they need.

Leseprobe

Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies®

by Elaine Iljon Foreman, Charles H Elliott, PhD, and Laura L Smith, PhD

Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies®

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-0-470-51176-3

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd., Glasgow

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Authors

Elaine Iljon Foreman, MSc, AFBPSs, is a consultant chartered clinical psychologist and a member of the British Psychological Society, the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, and the British Travel Health Association. Elaine specialises in the treatment of fear of flying, as well as other anxiety-related problems, including panic attacks, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobias. She applies cognitive behavioural therapy techniques to assist people in overcoming a wide range of anxieties, even when they have had long histories of these problems. Elaine has developed highly specialised treatment programmes for a wide variety of anxiety disorders based on over 25 years of clinical experience and on her continuing research and development of cognitive behaviour therapy.

Invitations to present her findings have taken Elaine to Europe, the Americas, Australia, and the Far East. She co-ordinates international research into fear of flying, and has her own specialist consultancy practice. Her Web site is at www.freedomtofly.biz.

Charles H Elliott, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and a member of the faculty at the Fielding Graduate Institute. He is a Founding Fellow in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, an internationally recognized organisation that certifies cognitive therapists for treating anxiety, panic attacks, and other emotional disorders. In his private clinical practice, he specialises in the treatment of anxiety and mood disorders. Elliott is the former president of the New Mexico Society of Biofeedback and Behavioral Medicine. He previously served as Director of Mental Health Consultation-Liaison Service at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He later was an Associate Professor in the psychiatry department at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. In addition, he has written many articles and book chapters in the area of cognitive behavior therapies. He has made numerous presentations nationally and internationally on new developments in assessment and therapy of emotional disorders. He is co-author of Why Can’t I Get What I Want? (Davies-Black, 1998; A Behavioral Science Book Club Selection), Why Can’t I Be the Parent I Want to Be? (New Harbinger Publications, 1999), and Hollow Kids:Recapturing the Soul of a Generation Lost to the Self-Esteem Myth (Prima, 2001).

Laura L Smith, PhD, is a clinical psychologist at Presbyterian Behavioral Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico. At Presbyterian, she specialises in the assessment and treatment of both adults and children with anxiety and other mood disorders. She is an adjunct faculty member at the Fielding Graduate Institute. Formerly, she was the clinical supervisor for a regional educational cooperative. In addition, she has presented on new developments in cognitive therapy to both national and international audiences. Dr Smith is co-author of Hollow Kids (Prima, 2001) and Why Can’t I Be the Parent I Want to Be? (New Harbinger Publications, 1999).

Dedication

From Elaine: This book is dedicated to Helga and Nickie Iljon, with special thanks to Sharon Malyan, a real source of inspiration to her students, friends, and most of all, family.

From Charles and Laura: We dedicate this book to our children: Alli, Brian, Sara, and Trevor. And to our parents: William Thomas Smith (1914-1999), Edna Louise Smith, Joe Bond Elliott, and Suzanne Wieder Elliott.

Authors’ Acknowledgements

Elaine would like to offer special thanks to Dr Daniel McQueen, BMedSci MBBS MRCP MRCPsych, Specialist Registrar in Psychotherapy at the Cassel Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, for his invaluable help with Chapter 15. In addition, Freda Miller, BSc (Exon), BSc (Wales) MNIMH, MCPP, offered valuable input into Chapter 14, which is much appreciated. Thanks also to Alison Yates and Simon Bell at John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Charles and Laura would like to thank, as usual, our families and friends, once again neglected.

Thanks also to our enthusiastic agents, Ed and Elizabeth Knappman, who have shown consistent faith in our writing. We appreciate the expertise and professionalism of our editors at John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; special thanks to Norm Crampton, Esmeralda St. Clair, and Natasha Graf.

Thanks to Audrey Hite for keeping the house in order, Scott Love for designing our Web site and keeping our computers up and running, Diana Montoya-Boyer for keeping us organised and gathering materials, and Karen Villanueva, our personal publicist.

Finally, we appreciate all that we’ve learned from our many clients over the years. They have provided us with a greater understanding of the problems those with anxiety face, as well as the brave struggle involved in overcoming anxiety.

Publisher’s Acknowledgements

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Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Simon Bell

Commissioning Editor: Alison Yates

Content Editor: Steve Edwards

Copy Editor: Charlie Wilson

Technical Editor: Dr Cosmo Hallstrom, MB,ChB, DPM, MRCPsych, MD, MRCP, FRCPsych

Executive Editor: Jason Dunne

Executive Project Editor: Martin Tribe

Cover Photo: Joson/zefa/Corbis

Cartoons: Ed McLachlan

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Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

What Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organised

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : Detecting and Exposing Anxiety

Chapter 1: Analysing and Attacking Anxiety

Anxiety: You Can’t Escape It

Calculating the Costs of Anxiety

Recognising the Symptoms of Anxiety

Seeking Help for Your Anxiety

Chapter 2: Examining Anxiety: What’s Normal, What’s Not

Presenting the Seven Main Types of Anxiety

Sorting Out What’s Normal from What’s Not

Knowing What Anxiety Isn’t

Mimicking Anxiety: Drugs and Diseases

Stress and Health

Chapter 3: Overcoming Obstacles to Change

Unearthing the Roots of Anxiety

Moving from Self-blame to Self-acceptance

Having Second Thoughts About Change

Deciding Whether You Really Want to Get Going

Chapter 4: Watching Worries Ebb and Flow

Following Your Fears All the Way Down the Line

Sizing Up Success

Part II : Understanding Thought Remedies

Chapter 5: Becoming a Thought Detective

Distinguishing Thoughts from Feelings

Tracking Your Thoughts, Triggers, and Feelings

Tackling Your Thoughts: Thought Therapy

Cultivating Calm Thinking

The ABC of CBT

Chapter 6: Changing Your Anxiety – Provoking Assumptions

Understanding APAs

Finding Your APAs

Testing Your Beliefs and Assumptions

Suffering a Spell of APAs

Challenging Those Unhelpful Assumptions: Running a Cost/Benefit Analysis

Challenging your own APAs

Designing Balanced Assumptions

Above All: Be Kind to Yourself!

Chapter 7: Watching Out for Worry Words

Getting to Grips with Worry Words

Tracking Your Worry Words

Refuting and Replacing Your Worry Words

Part III : Acting Against Anxiety

Chapter 8: Facing Fear One Step at a Time

Exposure: Coming to Grips with Your Fears

Conquering Your Fears

Chasing Rainbows

Chapter 9: Simply Simplifying Your Life

Evaluating What’s Important Versus What’s Not

Ranking Priorities

Delegating Tasks to Free Up Extra Time

Just Saying No

Chapter 10: Getting Physical

Ready Steady . . . Exorcise!

Don’t Wait for Willpower – Just Do It

Fitting in Your Fitness Programme

Selecting an Exercise – Whatever Turns You On

Chapter 11: Sleep, Sweet Sleep

Giving Sleeplessness a Name

The ABC of Getting Your Zs

Following a Few Relaxing Routines

What to Do When Sleep Just Won’t Come

Nagging Nightmares

Part IV : Focusing on Feeling

Chapter 12: Relaxation: The Five-Minute Solution

Blowing Anxiety Away

Chilling Out

Relaxing Via Your Senses

Chapter 13: Creating Calm in Your Imagination

Letting Your Imagination Roam

Full Sensory Imaging

Customising Your Own Images

Chapter 14: Relieving Anxiety with Herbs and Dietary Supplements

Searching for Supplements

Hunting for Helpful Herbs

Chapter 15: Prescribing Peacefulness

Making Up Your Mind about Medications

Understanding Medication Options

Chapter 16: Practising Mindful Acceptance

About Turn! Accepting Anxiety?

Letting Go of Ego

Focusing on the Present Moment

Making Mindfulness a Part of Your Life

Part V : Helping Others with Anxiety

Chapter 17: Helping Your Children Fight Anxiety

Separating Normal from Abnormal

Identifying the Most Common Childhood Anxiety Disorders

Nipping Anxiety in the Bud

Helping Already Anxious Children

Chapter 18: Coping with Your Partner’s Anxiety

Discovering Whether Your Partner Suffers with Anxiety

Talking Together about Anxiety

Guiding the Way

It Takes Two: Two Heads Are Better Than One

Accepting Anxiety with Love

Part VI : The Part of Tens

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Stop Anxiety Quickly

Breathing Out Your Anxiety

Talking with a Friend

Exercising Aerobically

Soothing the Body

Taking Rescue Remedy

Challenging Your Anxious Thinking

Listening to Music

Alternative Activities

Making Love

Staying with the Moment

Chapter 20: Ten Anxiety Busters That Just Don’t Work

Avoiding What Scares You

Whining and Complaining

Seeking Reassurance

Wishing and Hoping

Looking for a Quick Fix

Drowning Your Anxiety

Eating for Comfort

Trying Too Hard

Keeping a Stiff Upper Lip

Taking Medication as the Sole Solution

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Deal with Relapse

Expecting Anxiety

Understanding That Relapses Pass Too

Finding Out Why Anxiety Returned

Seeing a Doctor

Trying What Worked Before

Doing Something Different

Getting Support

Considering a Top Up

Looking at the Stages of Change

Accepting Anxiety

Chapter 22: Ten Signs That You Need Help – and Where to Get It

Having Suicidal Thoughts or Plans

Feeling Hopeless

Feeling Both Anxious and Depressed

Trying – and Still Feeling Stuck

Struggling at Home

Dealing with Major Problems at Work

Suffering from Severe Obsessions or Compulsions

Showing Signs of PTSD

Having Sleepless Nights

Turning to Drink or Drugs

Finding Help

Appendix: Resources for You

Self-Help Books

Resources to Help Children

Accessing Web Sites to Discover More about Anxiety

: Further Reading

Introduction

Growing up today, children and parents face yet more worries and anxieties added to the old. Children have always been taught, ‘Don’t talk to strangers’, and there are new messages such as ‘Report suspicious packages’. High profile terrorist incidents give a heightened sense of danger and vulnerability. To some extent we all worry, and there are sometimes good reasons to.

But although today’s world gives people plenty to worry about, so it always has. Just as we don’t want to become victims of terrorism, for example, we can’t let ourselves become victims of anxiety. Anxiety clouds thinking and weakens people’s resolve to live life to the fullest. Some anxiety is realistic and inescapable; yet people can keep it from dominating their lives. Even under duress, everyone can preserve a degree of serenity, and hold on to their humanity, common sense, strength, and zest for life. We can all still love and laugh.

Because we, the authors, believe in our collective resilience, we take a humorous and at times irreverent approach to conquering anxiety. Our message is based on sound, scientifically proven methods. But we won’t bore you with the scientific details. Instead, we present a clear, rapid-fire set of strategies for beating back anxiety and winning the war against worry.

About This Book

We have three goals in writing this book. First, we want you to understand just what anxiety is and its different forms. Second, we think that knowing what’s good about anxiety and what’s bad about it is good for you. Finally, we cover what you’re probably most interested in – discovering how to overcome your anxiety or how to help someone else who has anxiety.

Unlike most books, you don’t have to start on page one and read straight through. Use the extensive Table of Contents to pick and choose what you want to read. Don’t worry about reading parts in any particular order. For example, if you really don’t want much information about the who, what, when, where, and why’s of anxiety, and whether you have it, go ahead and skip Part I. However, we encourage you to at least skim Part I because it contains fascinating facts and information as well as ideas for getting started.

What Not to Read

Not only do you not have to read each and every chapter in order or at all, you don’t have to look at each and every icon or aside. We try to give you plenty of current information and facts about anxiety. Some may not interest you, so don’t get too anxious about skipping around.

Foolish Assumptions

Who may pick up this book? We assume, probably not too foolishly, that you or someone you love suffers from some type of problem with anxiety. We also believe that you want information to help tame tension and conquer anxiety. Finally, we imagine that you’re curious about a variety of helpful strategies to choose from that can fit your lifestyle and personality.

How This Book Is Organised

Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies is organised into six parts and 22 chapters. Here, we tell you a little about each part.

Part I: Detecting and Exposing Anxiety

In these first two chapters, you find out a great deal about anxiety, ranging from who gets it to why people become anxious. We explain the different kinds of anxiety disorders, and we tell you who is most susceptible and why.

In Chapter 3, we help you to overcome the obstacles to change. You discover the most common reasons that people resist working on their anxiety, and what to do about it if you find yourself stuck. Chapter 4 gives you ways to keep track of your progress.

Part II: Understanding Thought Remedies

In Part II, you see how thinking contributes to anxious feelings. We show you a variety of proven strategies that can transform anxious thoughts into calm thoughts. And you discover how the words that you use can increase anxiety and how simply changing your vocabulary decreases anxiety.

Part III: Acting Against Anxiety

One of the best ways to tackle anxiety is by taking action. No place for cowards here. We show you how to look your fears full in the face and conquer them. We also explore other anti-anxiety actions, such as changing your lifestyle.

Part IV: Focusing on Feeling

In this part, we offer a treasure trove of ideas for quelling anxious feelings. These ideas range from special breathing techniques to imaginary journeys – using various means to relax your body and mind. We give you the latest research findings on what works and what doesn’t among herbs, supplements, and medication.

Part V: Helping Others with Anxiety

What do you do when someone you love worries too much? We give you the tools to understand the differences between normal fear and anxiety in children. We also provide some simple guidelines to help anxious youngsters. Next, we look at how you can help an adult close to you who suffers from anxiety. As a coach or simply by providing encouragement, you can help your friend or family member conquer anxiety.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

If you’re looking for a quick fix or just to review, take a look at these helpful lists. You can read about Ten Ways to Stop Anxiety Quickly, Ten Typical Tactics Doomed to Fail, Ten Ways to Deal with Relapse, and Ten Signs That You Need Professional Help.

Icons Used in This Book

This icon represents a particular tip for getting rid of anxiety.

The Anxiety Quiz icon lets you know when it’s time to take a quiz. (Don’t worry; the quizzes aren’t scored, but they do help you organise your thinking about anxiety.)

This icon appears when we want your attention. Please read for essential information.

The Tip icon alerts you to important insights or clarifications.

These icons appear when you need to be careful or seek professional help.

Where to Go from Here

Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies offers you the best advice based on scientific research in the area of anxiety disorders. We know that if you practise the techniques and strategies provided throughout this book, you’re pretty likely to feel calmer. For most people, this book should be a complete guide to fighting fear and enabling you to progress from stress to strength.

However, some stubborn forms of anxiety need more detailed, professional attention. If your anxiety and worry significantly get in the way of your work or play, you need to get help. Start with your family doctor. Anxiety can be conquered: Don’t give up.

Part I

Detecting and Exposing Anxiety

In this part . . .

Exploring the ins and outs of anxiety, we discuss the anxiety epidemic and show how anxiety affects the entire body. In this part, you can find all the major categories of anxiety disorders, and get an overview of some things you can do to reduce anxiety. You’ll discover how you can easily get stuck tackling your anxiety, and we tell you how to prevent this from happening. Finally, we give you ways to chart your anxiety, so you can look forward to the progress that you’ll surely make towards reducing it.

Chapter 1

Analysing and Attacking Anxiety

In This Chapter

Anxiety: Growing by leaps and bounds

Paying the price for anxiety

Understanding anxiety symptoms

Getting help: Choosing the best option

Anxiety, stress, and worries. Everyone has these experiences. They are part of normal life – no way can we expect to go through life without experiencing them. But sometimes they get out of hand. Then anxiety causes pain, for a surprising number of people. Anxiety can create havoc in the home, destroy relationships, make employees lose time from work, and prevent people from living full, productive lives.

When people talk about their anxiety, you may hear any one or all of the following descriptions:

I just can’t find the right words to describe my feelings. It’s like dread and doom, but a thousand times worse. I want to scream, cry for help, but I’m paralysed. It’s the worst feeling in the world.

When my panic attacks begin, I feel tightness in my chest. It’s as though I’m drowning or suffocating, and I begin to sweat; the fear is overwhelming. I feel like I’m going to die, and I have to sit down because I’m convinced I’m going to faint.

I’m lonely. I’ve always been painfully shy. I want friends, but I’m too embarrassed to contact anyone. I guess I feel anyone I call will think that I’m not worth talking to.

I wake up worried every day, even on the weekends. I never feel I’ve caught up – there’s always a list and always responsibility. I worry all the time. Sometimes, when it’s really bad, I think about going to sleep and never waking up.