Anxiety UK

Too much stress can disrupt our lives almost without us realising, we often take it for granted that we are going to feel stress and assume there is not much to be done about it. In this CBT based self help guide the authors help you to recognise what happens when under stress and how to change how you think, feel and act so that you learn to retain a balanced outlook on life and manage it more effectively too.

Perfectionism can be healthy but when it becomes unhealthy and turns into ‘clinical perfectionism’ (sometimes referred to as ‘dysfunctional perfectionism’) it can cause serious problems. It is associated with different mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and chronic fatigue syndrome. Those suffering from clinical perfectionism tend to judge themselves predominantly in terms of the pursuit and attainment of personally demanding standards and often feel unable to be flexible and change their goals, despite the significant negative impact that the pursuit of perfectionism may have on their quality of life.

The book covers how clinical perfectionism manifests itself and suggests effective coping strategies with invaluable guidance on how to avoid future relapse.

This book has been written by Anxiety UK Patron and leading researcher on child anxiety, Dr Sam Cartwright-Hatton. It offers practical advice about managing your child’s anxiety and includes worksheets, tips on the use of praise or consequences and how you can engage the school in helping your child. It is a great first read for parents who are struggling to manage their child’s behaviour, and helps parents decide which treatment or therapist would provide the most help.

Clear, easy-to-understand information on better parenting. And not just for depressed and anxious children either: its advice is applicable for all parents. And I particularly like the agony aunt sections. Sam’s advice is already working wonders with my child. I wish it had been published years ago. A ‘must buy’.

Laura, Anxiety UK member (and parent!)

Living with Emetophobia is written by Nicolette Heaton-Harris. In the book she recounts her experiences of emetophobia and some of the techniques she has tried. A must for those who feel alone with their disorder.

“I suffer with emetophobia and think this book will really help people because like me it makes you realise that you are not alone with this awful phobia. I know there is no miracle cure explained in the book,  but there is no cure (as yet, but we keep hoping). It explains what it is like to live every day with emet and it also has stories from other people who live with this horrid phobia.

I for one think it is an excellent read, also it will also help emet sufferers to be able to pass the book onto family and friends so they can read it and understand the phobia a little better rather than having to keep repeating yourself and trying to explain to them what emetophobia is.”

Margaret, Anxiety UK member

This book provides hope and help for people who fear and avoid confined spaces. Written by therapist and consultant Andrea Perry, Andrea speaks honestly about her own experience of claustrophobia, and draws on the views of others who have experienced similar anxiety and overcome it.

Andrea Perry has delivered a helpful and detailed understanding of claustrophobia. Recounting her own early experiences and the distress and debilitating anxiety that claustrophobia triggers, this warm, empathic book offers a healthy understanding of the phobia, the therapies and self-help strategies that exist to build confidence and overcome the overwhelming sense of dread that it generates. From elevators to MRI scans (which can initiate claustrophobia in the most resilient individual) the reader is encouraged to recognise their personal reactions to the content as a means of improving their skill in managing the anxiety.
A. Munroe, Anxiety UK member

Step-by-step guides to self-improvement that introduce the methods of the highly regarded cognitive behavioral therapy technique to help readers conquer a broad range of disabling conditions-from worry to body image problems to obsessive compulsive disorder and more.  Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) was developed by psychologist Aaron T. Beck and is now internationally favored as a practical means of overcoming longstanding and disabling conditions, both psychological and physical. CBT suggests that it is not the situation that causes the anxiety, but our response to it in terms of throughts and behaviours. Even when our situation does not change, if we change the self-defeating ways we think, we can make ourselves feel better. This positive, pragmatic approach is popular with therapists and patients alike.

“There is so much advice about overcoming anxiety and worrying that it is sometimes difficult to know where to start and what to believe. This book is brilliant because it helps you understand your problem, and then empowers you to overcome it for yourself. One of the symptoms of anxiety is to search for lots of information, but I would encourage anyone to avoid reading all the anxiety related horror stories on the web – what is the point? Instead, take control of your own life and read this book. It was recommended to me by my cognitive behavioural therapist.”

Winston

Many people occasionally suffer from a negative body self-image but, for an increasing number of people, this can turn into a more serious preoccupation. One per cent of the population will develop Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), a condition characterised by severe preoccupation with a perceived physical defect. Body image problems can cause significant distress and can lead to further problems such as anxiety, eating disorders and social phobia. It has long been recognised that negative body image problems are a factor in the onset and maintenance of many eating disorders. However, they can be successfully treated with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques like the onesin this book.

Everyone sometimes feels foolish, embarrassed, judged or criticised, but this becomes a problem when it undermines their confidence and prevents them doing what they want to do. This title presents a self-help manual for this common problem, which explains why it happens and sets out practical methods of resolving it.

“I found this book a really helpful read after many years,from being five years old, feeling like a bit of an outcast in certain situations, and analysing every conversation and meeting for my own blunders. It’s an easy book to skim through picking up interesting and reassuring chapters, and makes you realise how common it is to feel uneasy, weird and full of self doubt, and that really even people who appear confident may be going through the same traumas.”

Terry

This title includes a series of talks from the authors of “Overcoming Traumatic Stress”. Those who go through a catastrophic life experience often feel permanently changed by the impact of what has happened. They become numb and shut off from those around them, grief or guilt may constantly weigh them down, or they may be haunted by terrifying memories or dreams. Traumatic stress, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), can result if a person’s coping resources have been completely overwhelmed. To overcome the effects of trauma, it’s necessary to change how one reacts to it and to begin to see events in a different light. The talks focus on the following themes: the different types of traumatic events; understanding your reaction; managing your symptoms; guilt, self-blame and self-respect; grief, loss and sadness; and, healing, letting go and moving on.

“Easily understandable, well set out, comprehensive and provides a wealth of practical advice, including cautions about when to take a break from the process or when to access professional help.”

BABCP Magazine

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by feeling of panic that seem to come from nowhere and yet feel terrifyingly real? Do you avoid certain situations because you think you’ll experience a panic attack?  If so, this step-by-step self-help course can give you the necessary skills to overcome and prevent such attacks and the associated agoraphobia. Based on cognitive behavioural therapy techniques and the authors’ many years of experience and expertise in treating this disabling condition, it offers an indispensable guide for anyone affected, including sufferers, their friends and families, psychologists and those working in the medical profession.

“This book was excellent in allowing me to control my panic.  Before this I avoided going out with friends, worried that my panic may manifest itself in front of them.  After going through this book I know feel truelly liberated.”

William