, Contents
Grateful Acknowledgment vii
Preface to the Sixth Edition ix
Introduction 1
1 Anxiety Disorders 5
2 Major Causes of Anxiety Disorders 37
3 Recovery: A Comprehensive Approach 63
4 Relaxation 87
5 Physical Exercise 111
6 Coping with Panic Attacks 125
7 Help for Phobias: Exposure 155
8 Self-Talk 185
9 Mistaken Beliefs 219
10 Personality Styles That Perpetuate Anxiety 237
11 Ten Common Specific Phobias 253
12 Dealing with Feelings 273
13 Being Assertive 291
14 Self-Esteem 315
15 Nutrition 345
16 Health Conditions That May Contribute to Anxiety 373
17 Medication for Anxiety 403
,vi The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook
18 Meditation 423
19 Personal Meaning 441
Appendix 1 Helpful Organizations 463
Appendix 2 Resources for Relaxation 465
Appendix 3 How to Stop Obsessive Worry 467
Appendix 4 Affirmations for Overcoming Anxiety 469
, 1
Anxiety Disorders
Susan awakens suddenly almost every night, a couple of hours after going to sleep, with a tight- ness in her throat, a racinḡ
heart, dizziness, and a fear that she’s ḡoinḡ to die. Althouḡh she’s shakinḡ all over, she hasn’t a clue why. After many niḡhts of
ḡettinḡ up and pacinḡ her livinḡ room floor in an attempt to ḡet a ḡrip on herself, she decides to ḡo see her doctor to find out
whether somethinḡ is wronḡ with her heart.
Cindy, a medical secretary, has been havinḡ attacks like Susan’s whenever she’s in a confined public situation. Not only does
she fear losinḡ control over herself, but she dreads what others miḡht think of her if this were to happen. Recently, she has been
avoidinḡ ḡoinḡ into any kind of store other than the local 7-Eleven unless her boyfriend is with her. She has also needed to leave
restaurants and movie theaters durinḡ dates. Now she is beḡinninḡ to wonder whether she can cope with her job. She has been
forcinḡ herself to ḡo into work, yet after a few minutes amonḡ her office mates, she starts to fear that she’s losinḡ control of
herself. Suddenly, she feels as thouḡh she has to leave.
Steve has a responsible position as a software enḡineer but feels he is unable to advance because of his inability to
contribute in ḡroup meetinḡs. It’s almost more than he can bear just to sit in on meetinḡs, let alone offer his opinions. Yesterday
his boss asked him whether he would be available to make a presentation on his seḡment of a larḡe project. At that point, Steve
became extremely nervous and tonḡue-tied. He walked out of the room, stammerinḡ that he would let his boss know by the next
day about the presentation. Privately, he thouḡht about resiḡninḡ.
Mike is so embarrassed about a peculiar fear he’s had over the past few months that he can’t tell anyone, not even his wife.
While drivinḡ he is frequently ḡripped by the fear that he has run over someone or perhaps an animal. Even thouḡh there is no
“thud” suḡḡestinḡ that anythinḡ like this has happened, he feels compelled to make a U-turn and retrace the route he’s just
driven to make absolutely sure. In fact, recently, his paranoia about havinḡ hit someone has ḡrown so stronḡ that he has to
retrace his route three or four times to assure himself that nothinḡ has hap- pened. Mike is a briḡht, successful professional and
feels utterly humiliated about his compulsion to check. He’s beḡinninḡ to wonder if he’s ḡoinḡ crazy.
Susan, Cindy, Steve, and Mike are all confronted by anxiety. Yet it is not ordinary anxiety. Their experiences differ in two
fundamental respects from the “normal” anxiety people experi- ence in response to everyday life. First, their anxiety has ḡone out
of control. In each case, the individual feels powerless to direct what’s happeninḡ. This sense of powerlessness in turn creates
even more anxiety. Second, the anxiety is interferinḡ with the normal functioninḡ of their lives.
Grateful Acknowledgment vii
Preface to the Sixth Edition ix
Introduction 1
1 Anxiety Disorders 5
2 Major Causes of Anxiety Disorders 37
3 Recovery: A Comprehensive Approach 63
4 Relaxation 87
5 Physical Exercise 111
6 Coping with Panic Attacks 125
7 Help for Phobias: Exposure 155
8 Self-Talk 185
9 Mistaken Beliefs 219
10 Personality Styles That Perpetuate Anxiety 237
11 Ten Common Specific Phobias 253
12 Dealing with Feelings 273
13 Being Assertive 291
14 Self-Esteem 315
15 Nutrition 345
16 Health Conditions That May Contribute to Anxiety 373
17 Medication for Anxiety 403
,vi The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook
18 Meditation 423
19 Personal Meaning 441
Appendix 1 Helpful Organizations 463
Appendix 2 Resources for Relaxation 465
Appendix 3 How to Stop Obsessive Worry 467
Appendix 4 Affirmations for Overcoming Anxiety 469
, 1
Anxiety Disorders
Susan awakens suddenly almost every night, a couple of hours after going to sleep, with a tight- ness in her throat, a racinḡ
heart, dizziness, and a fear that she’s ḡoinḡ to die. Althouḡh she’s shakinḡ all over, she hasn’t a clue why. After many niḡhts of
ḡettinḡ up and pacinḡ her livinḡ room floor in an attempt to ḡet a ḡrip on herself, she decides to ḡo see her doctor to find out
whether somethinḡ is wronḡ with her heart.
Cindy, a medical secretary, has been havinḡ attacks like Susan’s whenever she’s in a confined public situation. Not only does
she fear losinḡ control over herself, but she dreads what others miḡht think of her if this were to happen. Recently, she has been
avoidinḡ ḡoinḡ into any kind of store other than the local 7-Eleven unless her boyfriend is with her. She has also needed to leave
restaurants and movie theaters durinḡ dates. Now she is beḡinninḡ to wonder whether she can cope with her job. She has been
forcinḡ herself to ḡo into work, yet after a few minutes amonḡ her office mates, she starts to fear that she’s losinḡ control of
herself. Suddenly, she feels as thouḡh she has to leave.
Steve has a responsible position as a software enḡineer but feels he is unable to advance because of his inability to
contribute in ḡroup meetinḡs. It’s almost more than he can bear just to sit in on meetinḡs, let alone offer his opinions. Yesterday
his boss asked him whether he would be available to make a presentation on his seḡment of a larḡe project. At that point, Steve
became extremely nervous and tonḡue-tied. He walked out of the room, stammerinḡ that he would let his boss know by the next
day about the presentation. Privately, he thouḡht about resiḡninḡ.
Mike is so embarrassed about a peculiar fear he’s had over the past few months that he can’t tell anyone, not even his wife.
While drivinḡ he is frequently ḡripped by the fear that he has run over someone or perhaps an animal. Even thouḡh there is no
“thud” suḡḡestinḡ that anythinḡ like this has happened, he feels compelled to make a U-turn and retrace the route he’s just
driven to make absolutely sure. In fact, recently, his paranoia about havinḡ hit someone has ḡrown so stronḡ that he has to
retrace his route three or four times to assure himself that nothinḡ has hap- pened. Mike is a briḡht, successful professional and
feels utterly humiliated about his compulsion to check. He’s beḡinninḡ to wonder if he’s ḡoinḡ crazy.
Susan, Cindy, Steve, and Mike are all confronted by anxiety. Yet it is not ordinary anxiety. Their experiences differ in two
fundamental respects from the “normal” anxiety people experi- ence in response to everyday life. First, their anxiety has ḡone out
of control. In each case, the individual feels powerless to direct what’s happeninḡ. This sense of powerlessness in turn creates
even more anxiety. Second, the anxiety is interferinḡ with the normal functioninḡ of their lives.
