Anxiety Books

Do They Help With Anxiety?

If you suffer from anxiety or know a person who is and are struggling to cope books on the subject of anxiety may help. Over 4.4% of the global population, 6.6% in the UK, 7.1% in the United States suffer from this disorder and some manage their symptoms better than others. Some fear they are about to die and start to panic as they feel scared and helpless. Some feel they have no escape from their anxiety which can quickly turn into depression and have suicidal thoughts. Some have lots of people around them, some have nobody and may feel totally alone in the world. Many people do not talk about their states of anxiousness and lock themselves away in a room and deal with it alone fearing people will not understand. Family members may have previously told them to snap out of it, or call them out for being daft, or telling them to just stop worrying. These are the last things people who suffer from anxiety want to hear as it makes them feel worse.

One of the best things that you can do is to give them a book that may help them, a book written by people who have suffered similar panic attack, anxious moments and depressive states. People who understand and want to pass on their coping mechanisms to others or from doctors and psychologists who have a greater knowledge of why people get anxiety that can cause panic attacks and depression. There are many books on anxiety and people suffering from anxiety may want to know if and how they work before they go ahead and purchase a book. We look at the reasons books on anxiety could help you or someone that you care about.

You Have A Friend In The Book

Many people who suffer from anxiety may often feel that they are suffering alone as they do not want to talk about their anxious moments as they feel that nobody will understand or, they do not want to worry anyone or they may feel that they just can’t talk about it to anyone. Many of these books are written by people who have overcome their anxiety and they know what you are going through. The words help you understand that you are not alone. The book can become like listening to a friend.

Discovering tips on how to get through those anxious feelings may help you overcome yours. You will learn various things that can trigger those feelings of anxiousness and try to be prepared for them and to do and not do tips that may help. In Matt Haig’s book Reasons to Stay Alive the author talks in language as if he is your friend as he discusses coping with anxiety and depression. His writing does not dictate what you should and shouldn’t do rather he says it’s okay to take time out when you feel anxious, for example. One of his quotes in the book states “It is okay to do nothing. It is okay to lie in bed and let the world go on without you for a bit.” Anxiety and panic responses are non-dangerous and fixable, often perpetuated by stress loops and poor mental habits. Joshua Fletcher who wrote in Anxiety: Panicking about Panic: A powerful, self-help guide for those suffering from an Anxiety or Panic Disorder has himself suffered from panic disorders so can fully understand what the reader may be going through and his book shows that the effects of anxiety and panic are not dangerous and can be fixed. These attacks continue by stress loops and poor mental habits. 

You Get Advice From Medics

Some books about anxiety are written by medical professionals who have dealt with many patients who have anxiety attacks whether they be minor or massive. They understand what you are going through and you can learn much about how you can control them and lessen the severity of an attack. Any time you feel like you need professional advice you can read up on all the various pointers that help you to get through them. The advice is always there in the book so you can pick it up and reread it as many times as you want until you feel confident that you can begin to help yourself especially if you are alone when you have an anxiety attack that causes you to panic which makes it seem much worse. In Hope and Help for Your Nerves written by Dr. Claire Weekes about overcoming chronic anxiety and panic she stated “Face, accept, float, let time pass.” She is reassuring that it will pass and you can face your anxiety head on and soon it will pass.

Anxiety Books Educate You

Many sufferers of anxiety do not know why they are anxious and books can help educate you. By learning what causes them you can slowly begin to understand why you feel that way. The books teach not preach how best to adapt to make your anxiety less problematic for you. By explaining the science behind an attack, they help teach you about your fears and offer practical guidance based on evidence, to help you cope better. They often explain how your brain and nervous reacts when you are having an episode so you can understand why your body reacts and how you can alleviate symptoms like uncontrollable shaking. In the book Rewire Your Anxious Brain by Catherine M. Pitman & Elizabeth M. Karle help the reader by revealing how to tap into the brain that is causing the anxiety and learn to think to challenge and change unhelpful thoughts.

They Will Motivate You

The feelings you get with being anxious is that you can’t cope. Anxiety books will help pick you up and motivate you and give you the confidence that you can get through these dreadful episodes thus teaching you to help yourself. This makes you feel so much stronger and determined to deal with your anxiety by yourself. If you are alone when you have your attacks then you will feel better at being able to manage it without anyone having to calm you down. Books about anxiety will give you the hope that you need which will make you feel like you have somebody egging you on, someone who cares and wants you to get through them the best that you can. In The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne the author tries to get the reader to accept their anxious moments when he says to the reader “This feeling isn’t comfortable or pleasant, but I can accept it.” 

Summary

Anxiety books can help a person as the book is always there for you at any time of day or night and reading will help with anxiety. Use these books as additional support along with any professional support that you may be receiving and if you are in need of face-to-face professional help then do seek it.

Here are five books that may help you to gain control over your anxiety. 

  • Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haigh
  • Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes
  • Rewire Your Anxious Brain by Catherine M. Pitman & Elizabeth M. Karle
  • The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne
  • Anxiety: Panicking about Panic: A powerful, self-help guide for those suffering from an Anxiety or Panic Disordeby Joshua Fletcher

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