The Complete Idiot's Guide to Controlling Anxiety

About a year ago I was teaching an English class to adult non-speakers. I love teaching and was not prepared for what happened next. I began to feel dizzy, light-headed, and feeling strang in the chest area. I was afraid I'd pass out -- in fact, I wondered if I were dying. Trying to keep a stiff upper lip for my students, I asked someone for a glass of water. One of the students brought me a bottle from her vehicle, and I continued to talk to them, albeit more quietly. I gave them a written assignment to do and rested, wondering what this was all about. Two trips to the doctor and one to the emergency ward showed me that I was having recurring panic attacks. Panic attacks often feel more dangerous than they really are. But doctors always say to get help with them. I read a lot about panic attacks after that, and one of the best books I read was this one. This book deals with many aspects of anxiety, all of which were extremely helpful. But the most valuable chapter for me dealt with panic attacks -- in fact, the author herself called them emotional "tsunamis." She gives excellent advice on how to prepare yourself each day and get through them. Admitedly, this review is one-sided, as I mostly zeroed in on the panic attack section. But I read the rest of book, too and there is much good advice on the whole problem of anxiety in general. Some of her advice on handling post-partum depression did not apply to me, although if her advice on that and other sections work for others the way the panic attack chapter worked for me, I can truthfully say that this book is very much worth reading.