Edmund J. BourneBesprekingen

this little gem is invaluable in understanding the types of anxiety and how to practice anxiety reducing tools to alleviate this common malady. I enjoyed the author's organization style and ease of conversation in the book , am so glad I read this , I wish I had had this during my medical practice to share with others I was treating for anxiety -it is a great guide.

Review by Family Resource Centre Volunteer, Jeannie:

Tell us what you thought about the book / title. How did the book make you feel? What did you learn?
This book is the best one I have read to date on the subject of anxiety. It is well written, easy to understand and very practical. It would be a good book to go back and refer to once you have read it, especially the exercises within it, for example The Realistic Thoughts Worksheet and the Affirmations sections.
It is very comprehensive in that in the introduction it states that anxiety affects
the whole being and the reaction to it impacts a person physiologically, psychologically and emotionally. The book then addresses the 10 simple ways within the 10 chapters that anxiety can be relieved within these three components. The methods include those dealing with the body such as progressive muscle relaxation, exercise and nutrition; others dealing with the mind including meditation, exposure therapy for fears and phobias and restful sleeping and those that deal with behavior including thought patterns, attitude and positive affirmations. All of the three are addressed in varying degrees to overcome anxiety, fear and worry.
This book also discusses different types of anxiety and how modern life has an impact on almost everyone’s mental state to some degree so it would be helpful to the majority of people.


What were some of your favourite parts in the book/title? What did you find the most useful? Why?
The authors do not address medication directly as an intervention and believe that it should rely on the expertise of a doctor. It is impartial and I agree with this way of thinking and the focus is on overcoming anxiety through self-help and care which may or may not include medication depending on the individual needs of the person.
This book focuses on confronting the situations that cause anxiety rather than avoiding them through the physical and mental exercises and coping strategies described. With practicing these exercises and activities on an ongoing basis a person is better equipped to deal with anxiety in general and it can be
minimized greatly.
For me it highlighted that it is much more difficult to confront anxiety and fear however in the long run it results in a much better quality of life and not being limited to what I am able to do.
Many of the exercises and ways to cope are quite simple and can be practiced anywhere.


What was your least favourite aspect of the book/title? What do you think could have been better?
In Chapter 10 in the Negative Thoughts and Positive Affirmations to Combat Them I agree with the positive affirmations but it would take a lot of practice to use and believe them. I believe the regular affirmations would be more helpful.


What inspired you to choose this title?
The fact that this book was written by an expert in the field of anxiety who is specialized in the treatment of anxiety, phobias and other stress-related disorder for over 20 years. Also the fact that I have struggled with varying degrees of anxiety during periods of my own life so I can relate very well to it. With being a volunteer in the FRC I like to have read the books I am recommending to visitors.


How has your life (or the life of your loved one) been affected by reading this title?
I realized that I have actually used some of the coping strategies described to an extent and it has made me more confident in my ability to manage anxiety. Also that it is much harder to confront fear and worry and it takes perseverance and courage to do so.
These can be expanded upon as well as used together with new coping strategies learned as a result of reading this book.


What are some of your favourite quotes from the book / title?

• "“Anxiety is based on the projection of frightening outcomes in the face of something no fully known.”


• “Exposure always defeats fear, if you’re willing to persevere with facing what you fear again and again.”


• “Exercise and deep relaxation are the two methods most effective for altering a hereditary biochemical predisposition to anxiety-that part of your anxiety that you came equipped with, rather than learned.”


• “Realize that working with the problem is part of your path to healing and recovery.”


• “I begin to become master rather than victim of my mind. I learn that I have more choice about fear. I can step into it or out of it.”

Do you recommend any similar titles to this one?
Yes I would recommend another book on Anxiety which I have read. It is Anxiety Happens - 52 Ways to Find Peace of Mind by John Forsyth, PhD. & Georg Eifer, PhD.

I remember reading this book in 1994 or so, when I was having severe flashbacks and panic attacks. Working through this book (and taking Kung Fu and Tai Chi classes while starting Wicca, among other things) did reduce the symptoms to manageable levels, most of the time.

I remember reading this book in 1994 or so, when I was having severe flashbacks and panic attacks. Working through this book (and taking Kung Fu and Tai Chi classes while starting Wicca, among other things) did reduce the symptoms to manageable levels, most of the time.

I tried to read this, but I wasn't all that interested. I am interested in psychology and do struggle with anxiety, but I like my books to be more books and less work.

Panic attacks, phobias, and other problems with anxiety have been effectively treated with cognitive behavioral therapy and medication for many years. The author offers a full spectrum of complimentary approaches that get to the heart of anxiety and phobia and go beyond standard treatments and medication. Dr. Bourne has helped many of his clients achieve a more complete and lasting recovery in overcoming difficulties with anxiety by combining his methods with conventional treatment.

This book is an excellent resource for all types of anxiety and phobias. I used it for a gal suffering from sever panic attacks. It contains worksheets and excises that your client can use. Also contains relaxation techniques.
(mlschrader)

Very helpful book and will be kept as a reference for me. My therapist recommended and it helped me through some tough days.

Titles are important. This book was an excellent survey of emerging philosophies and practices, but it did not convince me that a "global shift" is really taking place, or that, as the subtitle promises, a "new worldview is transforming humanity". I still enjoyed reading the book, and found some very interesting ideas in it. I just found that the title, while attention-grabbing, oversold the contents and set up unrealistic expectations.

The book claims that a shift is taking place in various disciplines towards this kind of intuitive consciousness and a new approach to life. Some of the key points in this shift are:

* Development of a respectful and cooperative relationship with nature
* Increased sense of connection and communion for all peoples
* Greater compassion for all beings
* Decline of consumerism
* Valuing of intuitive knowledge
* A natural ethics based in compassion
* Emergence of a global consciousness

The book then describes some conceptual shifts that are necessary to support these changing attitudes, the value shifts that follow from these conceptual shifts, and the resulting actions.

At the end of the book, there's some advice on how to take these actions on a practical level. For example, you could simplify your life by downsizing your living space, letting go of clutter, doing what you want for a living, reducing your commute, reducing exposure to TV and computer screens, living closer to nature, not always answering the phone, delegating chores and learning to say no. Improve your diet by shifting to organic, whole foods and more vegetables. Have protein as 25-30% of the total calories, fat as 25-30% and carbohydrate as 40-50%. Chew each bite 10 to 20 times before swallowing, to get maximum nutrition. Relax by spending an hour a day doing nothing, not even reading or watching TV - just experiencing silence.

I think that if the shift really were occurring globally, it would be a fantastic thing. I agreed with a lot of what I read in the book, and the changes it describes are very positive. But when I read the news, I just don't see these values becoming dominant. I see the reverse - consumerism becoming more rampant, nature being ravaged, compassion being stamped out by ignorant tabloid headlines, people living disconnected from each other, from nature and from their own selves.

Am I cynical? Or unaware of this great shift taking place? All I know is that the book described a lot of things I agreed with and I wish they were more widely practised. The only real evidence presented for a real global shift is a few survey results and statistics on things like people practising yoga or meditation. But these numbers are surely dwarved by the millions of people hurtling headlong into consumerism and material accumulation. I thought the motivations given for making the shift were very telling:

* Life crisis
* Burnout with material values
* Peak experiences (heightened awareness at important times, e.g. the birth of a child)
* Peer influence
* Education (books, magazines, internet)

The only people suffering burnout with material values are those in privileged positions in rich countries, i.e. a very small minority of the world's population. These are the same people who have the most access to books, magazines and the internet, and for whom peer influence encourages them to do things like eating organic food. The majority of the world's population is desperate for more wealth. For every rich Westerner quitting his corporate job and doing yoga and meditation, there must be a thousand people in developing countries leaving their traditional way of life behind, moving to cities and trying to make enough money to be able to afford a bit of consumerism. The shift described in the book seems to result from a sickness with material excess, something that I, as a privileged person in a rich country, can fully identify with. But this is not the reality for most people in the world. They are not at the far end of capitalism, wondering what next after all this accumulation of wealth. They are at the beginning, having been shut out for centuries by the inequities of imperialism and its descendants. Try telling someone living on a dollar a day to give greater priority to personal and spiritual growth than to acquisition and consumption.

All of these criticisms could have been avoided if the title hadn't made such a broad claim. The book is describing real changes that are taking place among certain groups of people in certain countries. There are some great local environmental initiatives, transition towns, local currencies, cooperatives, etc etc etc. But to call it a global shift is taking it too far, and invites criticisms that detract from the important ideas the book presents.