When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life - David D. Burns

While traditional therapy and drugs don't cure anxiety, revolutionary new cognitive behavior therapies can help. The bestselling author of Feeling Good provides an arsenal of behavior-changing techniques in this indispensable guide for anyone with unhealthy anxiety. nThe truth is that you can defeat your fears. With more than forty simple, effective techniques, you'll learn how to overcome every conceivable kind of anxiety without medication. Are you plagued by fears, phobias, or panic attacks? Do you toss and turn at night with a knot in your stomach, worrying about your job, your family, work, your health, or relationships? Do you suffer from crippling shyness, obsessive doubts, or feelings of insecurity? What you may not realize is that these fears are almost never based on reality. When you're anxious, you're actually fooling yourself, telling yourself things that simply aren't true. See if you can recognize yourself in any of these distortions: All-or-Nothing Thinking: My mind will go blank when I give my presentation at work, and everyone will think I'm an idiot. nFortune Telling: I just know I'll freeze up and blow it when I take my test. nMind Reading Everyone at this party can see how nervous I am. nMagnification: Flying is so dangerous. I think this plane is going to crash! nShould Statements: I shouldn't be so anxious and insecure. Other people don't feel this way. nEmotional Reasoning: I feel like I'm on the verge of cracking up! nSelf-Blame: What's wrong with me? I'm such a loser! nMental Filter: Why can't I get anything done? My life seems like one long procrastination. Now imagine what it would feel like to live a life that's free of worries and self-doubt; to go to sleep at night feeling peaceful and relaxed; to overcome your shyness and have fun with other people; to give dynamic presentations without worrying yourself sick ahead of time; to enjoy greater creativity, productivity and self-confidence. With these forty techniques, you'll be able to put the lie to the distorted thoughts that plague you and your fears will immediately disappear. Dr. Burns also shares the latest research on the drugs commonly prescribed for anxiety and depression and explains why they may sometimes do more harm than good. This is not pop psychology but proven, fast-acting techniques that have been shown to be more effective than medica