Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic

Having read every other book on anxiety and book on the market, I was reluctant to pick up yet another. Much to my surprise, the MAP book was totally different and -- best of all -- by working through it with a therapist I was able to rid myself of panic attacks and reduce my anxiety level substantially. We didn't delve into my past; the focus was entirely on handling the physical and cognitive manifestations of panic. The premise of the MAP treatment is three-pronged: to desensitize yourself to the physical symptoms commonly attached to panic attacks by deliberately bringing them on (one at a time!) in a controlled manner, to make relaxation techniques immediately accessible during an 'attack', and to work with the thoughts that often accompany panic disorder, whether or not you are aware of them. For example, if dizziness is one of your key symptoms, then one MAP exercise is to spin around in a chair in a safe place and manner that you control to induce dizziness, then practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing right there and then. I thought I knew all about relaxation techniques, but I was wrong. What I have learned about doing progressive relaxation, abdominal breathing, and visualizations made an immense difference. I can say the same about the cognitive training. The trick of asking myself "what are the odds?" of a catastrophic event happening has stopped many a panic attack before it began. In short, if you are looking for a different way to handle panic disorder and anxiety, give MAP a try.

The recommendations for anxiety attacks given in this book works. If you follow what they suggest, you will re-program your mind to relax and take control of those things, thoughts or events that trigger anxiety attacks. I used this book several months ago, and I feel that at last I have a process that works for me.

A counselor recommended this book to me and it's been very helpful. I had heard about the panic cycle before: physical sensations, fearful thoughts about the sensations, which leads to anxiety and more physical sensations. This book discusses ending that cycle at both the physical level and the thought level. To simplify the book to its barebones, the two ways we can help ourselves physically is through breathing exercises and through relaxation exercises. To change our thoughts, we have to recognize two ways we distort our thinking - blowing things out of proportion and jumping to wrong conclusions. With these tools, I did learn to take control of my fears and realized that much of my symptoms is tied in with incorrect breathing habits. The chapter about distorted thinking applies not only to anxiety but to many other aspects of life for anxiety-sufferers, as we tend to blow things out of proportion (especially negative things) and jump to wrong (and usually negative conclusions). This book is somewhat clinical but also very practical and very easy for a layperson to use. There are many anxiety/panic workbooks out there but I believe this is one of the most highly regarded (hence, the high price tag!) Expensive but well worth it!

MAP works and it is more reputable than the so many popular books on panic and anxiety. BUT then you must get the correct MAP books and it seems that ISBN numbers is your only help: for the therapist isbn 0195187008; for anxiety and panic client isbn 0-19-518697-4; for agoraphobia client isbn 0-19-518696-6. All books are from Oxford. Hope this helps the detectives amongst readers to find an extremely good resource for those suffering from panic and anxiety.

Don't make the same mistake I did, I thought I was ordering the book but instead it was only the worksheets to keep track of your axiety, type, symtoms etc. They are good for keeeping track of your anxiety.