Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies, 2nd Edtion Read online

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  Library of Congress Control Number: 2010924567

  ISBN: 978-0-470-57441-6

  Manufactured in the United States of America

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  About the Authors

  Charles H. Elliott, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and a Founding Fellow in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is also a member of the faculty at Fielding Graduate University. He specializes in the treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, anger, depression, and personality disorders. Dr. Elliott has authored many professional articles and book chapters in the area of cognitive behavior therapies. He presents nationally and internationally on new developments in the assessment and therapy of emotional disorders.

  Laura L. Smith, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and adjunct faculty member at Fielding Graduate University. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults and children with obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as personality disorders, depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and learning disorders. She often provides consultations to attorneys, school districts, and governmental agencies. She presents workshops on cognitive therapy and mental-health issues to national and international audiences. Dr. Smith is a widely published author of popular and professional articles and books.

  Together, Drs. Elliott and Smith have written Borderline Personality Disorder For Dummies, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder For Dummies, Seasonal Affective Disorder For Dummies, Anxiety and Depression Workbook For Dummies, Depression For Dummies, Hollow Kids: Recapturing the Soul of a Generation Lost to the Self-Esteem Myth, and Why Can't I Be the Parent I Want to Be? They are members of the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Psychological Association and affiliated training faculty at the Cognitive Behavioral Institute of Albuquerque. Their work has been featured in various periodicals, including Family Circle, Parents, Child, and Better Homes and Gardens, as well as popular publications like the New York Post, The Washington Times, the Daily Telegraph (London), and The Christian Science Monitor.

  They have been speakers at numerous conferences, including those of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy, and the National Association of School Psychologists. They have appeared on TV networks such as CNN and Canada AM, and, in radio, they're often featured as experts on various NPR programs, as well as You: The Owner's Manual Radio Show, Doctor Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio, the Frankie Boyer Radio Show, and The Four Seasons Radio Show. They've committed their professional lives to making the science of psychology relevant and accessible to the public. Drs. Smith and Elliott are available for speaking engagements, expert interviews, and workshops. You can visit their Web site at www.psychology4people.com or their blog, "Anxiety & OCD Exposed," at http://blogs.psychcentral.com/anxiety.

  Dedication

  We dedicate this book to our growing, changing families — Brian, Alli, Sara, and Trevor. And of course to our grandchildren: Cade, Carter, Alaina, and Lauren. Thanks for the excitement — of course, enough is enough sometimes!

  Authors' Acknowledgments

  We'd like to thank our excellent editors at Wiley: Project Editor extraordinaire Vicki Adang, Acquisitions Editor Michael Lewis, and masterful Copy Editor Christy Pingleton, as well as our agents Elizabeth and Ed Knappman. We are also grateful to Dr. Scott Bea from the Cleveland Clinic for reviewing our work and making insightful suggestions.

  We also wish to thank our publicity and marketing team, which includes David Hobson and Adrienne Fontaine at Wiley. Thanks also to Alan Rubin, MD, and all the other Dummies authors for a great conference and inspiration.

  Thanks to Bob Elliott for all the savvy advice and Mathew Raikes at www.darn-computer.com for his expertise on computers and Web site support. Thanks to Trevor Wolfe and Kate Guerin for keeping us up on pop culture, social media, blogging, and tweeting on Twitter.

  We want to thank Deborah Wearn, Pamela Hargrove, Tracie Antonuk, and Geoff Smith for their continued interest. Thanks to Matt Lewis for keeping our view great. And a special thanks to Sadie and Murphy for taking us on much-needed walks.

  To Drs. Brad Richards and Jeanne Czajka from the Cognitive Behavioral Institute of Albuquerque, thanks for including us on your affiliated training faculty. To Dr. Brenda Wolfe and her husband, Ken, thanks for including us in your voyage. We're still eager to see your next book.

  Finally, we are especially grateful to our many clients we've seen, both those with anxiety disorders and those without. They helped us understand psychological issues in general, as well as anxiety. They also taught us about courage and persistence.

  Publisher's Acknowledgments

  We're proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

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

  Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

  Project Editor: Victoria M. Adang (Previous Edition: Norm Crampton)

  Acquisitions Editor: Michael Lewis (Previous Edition: Natasha Graf)

  Copy Editor: Christine Pingleton (Previous Edition: Esmerelda St. Clair)

  Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney

  Technical Editor: Scott M. Bea, PsyD

  Senior Editorial Assistant: David Lutton

  EEditorial Manager: Michelle Hacker

  Editorial Assistant: Jennette ElNaggar

  Cover Photos: iStock

  Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

  Composition Services

  Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond

  Layout and Graphics: Ashley Chamberlain, Joyce Haughey, Christine Williams

  Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Evelyn C. Gibson

  Indexer: Steve Rath

  Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

  Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

  Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

  Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel

  Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

  Publishing for Technology Dummies

  Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

  Composition Services

  Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

  Introduction

  The idea of a self-help book on anxiety in the For Dummies series germinated in the summer of 2001. At the time, we wondered how the audience would react to a book with a title like Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies. Would potential readers feel turned off or insulted by the title? Would they think such a book would be condescending and "dummied down?"

  A few people did respond negatively, and a couple of e-mails made us a tad anxious. Like most folks, we find that criticism stings. But we were surprised and gratified at the overwhelmingly positive responses we got from the majority of readers who contacted us.

  People all over the world e-mailed us to say that they had found this book to be one of the most comprehensive and accessible books on anxiety they had ever read. Some told us that for the first time in their lives, anxiety no longer dominated their lives. We were also thrilled to discover that many counselors, therapists, and psychologists reported using the book as a supplement to psychotherapy sessions for their anxious patients.

 
When our editors approached us about updating Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies, we took some time to think about what had happened in the world since we wrote the first edition. As we reflected on this issue, we realized that the world has changed a lot in the nine years since the first edition appeared on bookshelves. We have more to worry about than ever. Because of these growing, emerging sources of worry, we felt a need to include information in this book that addresses them.

  For example, some airport security areas now have equipment that takes a virtual naked picture of you as you enter. We've suffered through what's currently called the Great Recession, and at the time of this writing, it's unclear where the world economy is headed. People worry about getting jobs, keeping jobs, and fragile dreams of retirement. The globalization of economies and travel have made the spread of pandemics faster and potentially more deadly than ever. Environmental worries have escalated; the viciousness of Mother Nature has frequently flashed across our computer and TV screens. The spread of nuclear weapons continues, and worries abound about war, crime, and terror. Children are frightened by stories about abuse and violence on the Internet and TV, while their worried parents increasingly restrict their lives.

  So today's world gives us plenty to worry about, as it always has. But just as we don't want to become victims of terror, we can't let ourselves become victims of anxiety. Anxiety clouds our thinking and weakens our resolve to live life to the fullest. We realize that some anxiety is realistic and inescapable; yet, we can keep it from dominating our lives. Even under duress, we can preserve a degree of serenity; we can hold onto our humanity, vigor, and zest for life. We can love and laugh.

  Because we 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 don'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 the different forms it can take. 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 the latest techniques for overcoming your anxiety and helping someone else who has anxiety.

  Unlike most books, you don't have to start on page 1 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 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.

  An Important Message to Our Readers

  Since the first edition of Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies, we've made a point of commenting on our use of humor in these books. Although topics like anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and borderline personality disorder are serious, painful subjects, we believe that laughter, like a little sugar, helps the medicine go down and the message come through. We hope you agree.

  This book is meant to be a guide to overcoming a mental state or disorder called anxiety. It should be used to give support and information to our readers. Everyone alive suffers from anxiety from time to time. However, if your anxiety greatly interferes with your day-to-day life, restricts your activities, and robs you of pleasure, we urge you to seek professional mental healthcare.

  Conventions Used in This Book

  We use a lot of case examples to illustrate our points throughout this book. Please realize that these examples represent composites of people with various types of anxiety disorders. None of the examples is about real people we've seen or known. Any resemblance to a particular person is entirely coincidental. We bold the names of people in our examples to indicate that a case example is starting.

  Psychologists use lots of jargon and acronyms. We try our best to keep these to a minimum, but sometimes we can't avoid them. When we do use a new term, we italicize and define it.

  We also use boldface text to indicate keywords in a bulleted list or to highlight action parts of numbered steps. Finally, when we direct you to a Web site for additional information, it's printed in monofont.

  What You're Not to Read

  Not only do you not have to read each and every chapter in order (or at all, for that matter), you don't have to read each and every icon or sidebar (the text in the gray boxes). 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 might pick up this book? We assume, probably foolishly, that you or someone you love suffers from some type of problem with anxiety or worry. But it's also possible that you simply find the topic of anxiety interesting. We imagine that you may be curious about a variety of helpful strategies to choose from that can fit your lifestyle and personality. Finally, you may be a mental-health professional who's interested in finding a friendly resource for your clients who suffer from anxiety or worry.

  How This Book Is Organized

  Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies is organized into 6 parts and 23 chapters. Right now, we tell you a little about each part.

  Part I: Detecting and Exposing Anxiety

  In the first two chapters, you find out a great deal about anxiety — from who gets it to why people become anxious. We explain the different kinds of anxiety disorders — they're not all the same — and we tell you who is most susceptible and why.

  In Chapter 3, we review the biological aspects of anxiety disorders — from the toll they take on the body to the underlying biochemical processes involved.

  Chapter 4 helps you clear the roadblocks to change. You discover the most common reasons that people resist working on their anxiety and what to do if you find yourself stuck.

  Part II: Battling Anxiety

  In Part II, we give you an array of proven, specific strategies for battling and overcoming anxiety. We show you strategies for transforming 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.

  One of the best ways to tackle anxiety is by taking action. No wimps here. We show you how to stare your fears in the face and conquer them. In addition, we take a look at how medication can sometimes alleviate anxiety disorders. We also review the most recent biological alternatives for reducing anxiety.

  Part III: Letting Go of the Battle

  These chapters take a look at ways of dealing with anxiety indirectly. Changes in lifestyle such as staying connected with others, exercising, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a proper diet all help. Learning to relax through breathing exercises, muscle exercises, or conjuring up calm images can relieve anxiety passively.

  Chapter 13 takes a mindful approach to managing anxiety. Mindfulness has emerged as a highly popular as well as empirically supported approach to improving emotional well-being.

  Part IV: Zeroing in on Specific Worries

  Part IV is a brand new part in this edition of Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies. The chapters in this part focus on anxieties about finances, terrorism, natural disasters, and health. You can't live a meaningful life without having some concern about issues such as these. This part gives you ways of preparing for unexpected calamities and ideas about how to accept uncertainty in an uncertain world.

  Part V: Helping Others with Anxiety

  What do you do when someone you love worries too much? First, we look at how you can help a significant adult in your life with anxiety. As a coach or simply a cheerleader, you can help your friend or family member conquer anxiety. In this new, expanded portion of the book, we also give you the tools to understand the differen
ces between normal fear and anxiety in children. We also provide some simple guidelines to help out anxious kids. In addition, we talk about who to go to for help with your child and what to expect.

  Part VI: The Part of Tens

  If you're looking for a quick fix or a simple review, take a look at these helpful lists. You can read about ten ways to stop anxiety in its tracks, ten ways to handle relapse, and ten signs that professional help is in order.