depression and anxiety

9 Best Selling Books on Anxiety

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Best Selling Books on Anxiety

What are some anxiety books best sellers? What books can I read to overcome anxiety and live a more content life? These could be some of the questions you may be asking yourself. Know that you are not alone as there are several individuals trying to cope with anxiety disorders everyday. It is a common mental illness in U.S. impacting 40 million adults each year.

Undoubtedly, having anxiety can be a demanding, painful, and an isolating experience, but if there’s any positive take from years of rise in reported anxiety and depression, it is that there is an increasing number of great writing on the subject. Certainly, self-help books are not an instant cure or replacement for treatment but these books can offer invaluable insight and recommend effective techniques for improving your mind-set. Below you will find 9 anxiety books best sellers that you or an anxious person you know might find informative and even life changing.

1. The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne PhD

The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne PhD

The revised and seventh edition by Edmund J. Bourne PhD is an evidence based workbook containing a broad array of coping skills to deal with different anxiety disorders and panic attacks. It is one of those books recommended by therapists worldwide for individuals battling anxiety and phobias. The workbook consists of the utmost effective skills for evaluating and treating anxiety, you will find a great deal of tools for calming anxiety, ways of putting a stop to negative-self talk and learning to take command of your anxious thoughts. It also includes:

  • Techniques for relaxation and breathing
  • Fresh research on exposure therapy to manage phobias
  • Useful tips on mindfulness, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes which will impact anxiety

The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook has been written by an expert in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) field with the latest clinical research which intend demonstrates the books credibility. In a phased manner, the workbook outlines treatment approaches for agoraphobia, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), worry, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and fear. In addition, this revised version also has new information on avoiding relapse after effective treatment and recent updates on medication and more.

The workbook can be used on its own or in conjunction with therapy. What is most appreciated is the how comprehensive the workbook is and assists a great deal in getting you back in control of your life. The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook is a great resource for the spouses, family or friends of people who experience anxiety as they too can gain an understanding of the disorder and learn how they can be supportive during periods of heightened anxiety or panic attacks.

2. Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks Fast by Barry McDonagh  

Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks Fast by Barry McDonagh

This is a comprehensive guide for individuals who think that life without anxiety and panic attacks is impossible. The author bases the book on science and his personal experience in assisting anxiety sufferers, revealing his utmost effective technique called DARE. The tools, factual information, exemplary scenarios and thorough explanations in this book are simple and indeed motivational as it inspires you to take the step and change your life.

In this comprehensive anxiety guide you will learn:

  • Tools to help put a stop to panic attacks and feelings of general anxiety
  • To face any anxious situations which you could be avoiding
  • To cease anxious or intrusive thoughts
  • To use the appropriate supplements for anxiety relieve
  • Enhance your confidence and boost self esteem
  • Tips to be free of anxiety to get a good night’s sleep

The book also comes with additional resources, like access details to App for your smartphone together with four audios for anxiety relief.

3. Hardcore Self Help: F**k Anxiety by Robert Duff Ph.D

Hardcore Self Help: F**k Anxiety by Robert Duff Ph.D

This is certainly not the traditional self-help book and is likely not for everyone. However if you like honest hard truth, straightforward advise and don’t mind some strong language then this anxiety book will be great for you. The author talks more like a friend or a fellow mate who also suffers from anxiety. Not only does this book provide coping mechanisms but makes you feel like you have someone to talk to.

The material is not exactly brand new as there are other anxiety books with same coverage, but what makes this anxiety book stand out is the distinctive delivery of the details in an easy going manner. The absence of scientific jargon makes this book highly legible and able to reach everybody.

4. The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron 

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron

This is a ground-breaking book by Dr. Elaine Aron. Being a highly sensitive person herself and a clinical psychologist, she provides detailed understanding on how to recognise this trait in yourself and use it to your advantage.

In this book you will discover:

  • Self-assessment tests to identify your specific sensitivities
  • Ways you can re-evaluate your past experiences in a positive light
  • Understanding and awareness on how high sensitivity affects relationships both personal and at work place
  • Guidelines on how you can deal with over-arousal
  • Information on medications available and when is the right time to seek help

Suffering from anxiety does not necessarily mean you are a Highly Sensitive Person, as well as people who are Highly Sensitive are not always anxiety sufferers. However, there is a lot of overlap. There is a high chance that a Highly Sensitive Person will be overwhelmed and feel anxious in social situations. Therefore it is vital to understand oneself and identify if there is a need to treat common anxiety or to effectively balance your life to avoid getting too overwhelmed.

5. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns 

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns

Just as the title states, the book is all about “feeling good”. Dr Burns has written a great anxiety book by providing tools for controlling anxiety. He explains exactly how to use cognitive therapy techniques to be free from negative thoughts and reduce depression. One can say with confidence that Dr. Burns has done a great job writing the best substitute to a real therapist. Feeling good is a comprehensive book and is filled with exercises for the reader to engage in, you can probably compare this book to 3 months with a CBT therapist.

In the present time it is extremely easy to let feelings like low self-esteem, anxiety, pessimist thinking and guilt keep us down and make us feel sad and lonely. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, one of the anxiety books best sellers outlines several ways to handle these negative emotions.

The book communicates to its readers on:

  • How to constantly feel good every day
  • Ways on how you can deal with guilt
  • The reasons for mood swings and how one can address them
  • Learning to tackle negative emotions
  • Approaches to take to build self-esteem
  • Effective ways you can manage criticism and unfriendliness of others

6. The Anxiety Toolkit: Strategies for Fine-Tuning Your Mind and Moving Past Your Stuck Points by Alice Boyes PhD 

The Anxiety Toolkit: Strategies for Fine-Tuning Your Mind and Moving Past Your Stuck Points by Alice Boyes PHD

Do you frequently end up over analysing situations? Constantly worrying and only picture the worst imaginable outcome? Are highly self-critical and consider yourself a failure for anything you do that’s a little less than perfect? If any of the above situations resonate with you, you are most likely suffering from certain level of anxiety. Though decreasing your anxiety level to zero is not possible, what The Anxiety Toolkit can teach you is how to effectively manage these symptoms.

Dr. Alice Boyes has successfully interpreted evidence based tools from therapy clinic into techniques and tips you can apply in your daily lives. She has written an interactive book which provides an in depth detail on the causes of anxiety and clear steps to take to decrease this significantly. What makes this book stand out is that it inspires you to follow-through and action whatever you have learned.

7. Getting Over OCD, Second Edition: A 10-Step Workbook for Taking Back Your Life (The Guilford Self-Help Workbook Series)  by Jonathan S. Abramowitz 

Getting Over OCD, Second Edition: A 10-Step Workbook for Taking Back Your Life (The Guilford Self-Help Workbook Series) by Jonathan S. Abramowitz

According to ADAA, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) impacts 2.2 million adults, or 1.0% of the U.S. population. If you are one of them then this book can be an effective tool for you. Getting Over OCD comes highly recommended as the author, a leading OCD specialist, Jonathan S. Abramowitz has innovatively presented powerful approaches and techniques that you won’t get from other OCD books. He has made the process simpler by spending an appropriate amount of time in assisting the readers to improve their thought process first before leaping into changing habits.

The workbook is comprehensively updated and based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which is an effective treatment of this anxiety disorder. The workbook Getting Over OCD will assist you in:

  • Understanding just how OCD affects your body and mind
  • Overcoming obsessional thoughts and compulsive behaviours
  • Finding relief from your intrusive thoughts
  • Getting rid of compulsive rituals
  • Mitigating anxiety and enhancing your relationships
  • Developing a tailored plan for change

8. Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hanh

Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hanh

Based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s well-known mindfulness-based stress reduction program, this book has breakthrough work on mindfulness, meditation, and healing. Full catastrophe living demonstrations ways you can use medically proven mind-body techniques from meditation and yoga to alleviate stress and form better balance of body and mind. By incorporating these mindfulness practices in your life, you can learn to manage lasting pain from illness and stress-related disorders, significantly decrease anxiety and feelings of panic, and advance the overall quality of your life and relationships.

Stress is all around us and more often than not it gets inside us, drains our energy, deteriorates our health, and makes us susceptible to anxiety and depression. This book is suitable for both young and the mature or any person wanting to live a better and stable life in the present time.

9. Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry by Catherine M. Pittman & Elizabeth M. Karle

Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry by Catherine M. Pittman & Elizabeth M. Karle

Psychologist Catherine Pittman and author Elizabeth Karle have provided a remarkable, evidence-based solution to overcoming anxiety. This book takes a close look at the brain, exploring the two sections of the brain called amygdala and cortex. The purpose of explaining how these areas in the brain work is to provide the readers with power to be able to change the way they respond when they encounter anxiety, worry, panic or fear.

Anxiety begins in the brain, not the situation

Some of the learnings from Rewire Your Anxious Brain include:

  • Reasons why you sometimes cannot think when anxiety, panic or fear take over
  • How to get past a panic attack quicker
  • Ways in which your past affects your anxiety in the present
  • How any object can end up producing fear in someone
  • Triggers and how they impact your anxiety, worry, fear or panic

This book will provide a greater understanding of how anxiety is created in the brain, therefore as a result, you will feel motivated to overcome it.

Final Thoughts

While the above listed anxiety books best sellers will assist you in understanding anxiety disorders and its coping mechanisms, you may still be wondering if these will actually help you with your anxiety? The answer to this really depends on the fact if you are reading a book with expectation of being “fixed” by merely reading it or you intend to action the learnings. Therefore yes, these books are beneficial as a starting point as it will give you perspective on what your anxiety is and where it comes from. These books will make the work a little easier, but you still have to do the work.

Book Summary: A Guide to Rational Living

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A Guide to Rational Living - Dealing with Anxiety!

A Guide to Rational Living, by Albert Ellis & Robert A. Harper, is a praiseworthy self-development guide with practical and proven techniques to change your self-destructive emotions and behaviors. The book vividly demonstrates what you do to unnecessarily distress yourself and how you can overcome this to become an emotionally stronger person. 

With the on-going global coronavirus pandemic, this book proves to be particularly valuable as most individuals face unprecedented challenges in their lives; having to deal with emotional disturbance, extreme feelings of uncertainty, anxiousness, and recurring depressive thoughts.

The author, Albert Ellis (1913 – 2007) was one of the most prominent psychotherapists as he pioneered Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) which gained an extensive standing in the 1960s and is the basis of this book.

REBT is based on the concept that our thoughts generate our emotions and influence our behaviors. The author, Albert Ellis was certain that people can change their emotions together with their behaviors by debating their irrational thoughts with facts and reasoning. In this book, he highlights the top 10 irrational ideas that cause the greatest number of people to experience unpleasant emotions.

The author clarifies that the objective of implementing rationality is not to be more happy, but rather to make straight one’s thinking so that one is constantly less unhappy.

How to deal with anxiety

Observing your Internal Dialogue

Ellis explains that we humans as language-creating animals tend to articulate our emotions and ideas in words and sentences which effectually become our thoughts and emotions. So fundamentally, we are what we tell ourselves, and for any personal change, it requires us to initially look at our internal conversations. Do our internal dialogues SERVE US or UNDERMINE US?

On the topic of anxiety, Ellis emphasizes being able to challenge our irrational philosophies:

“…track your worries and anxieties back to the specific sentences of which they consist. Invariably, you will find that you are telling yourself:

“Isn’t it terrible that…” “Wouldn’t it be awful if…”

Ellis guides his patients to oppose these irrational philosophies with questions like:

“Why would it be so terrible that…?”

“Would it really be so awful if…?”

He goes on: “Certainly if this or that happened it might well be inconvenient, annoying, or unfortunate. But would it really be catastrophic?”

Consequently, in order to address any form of anxiety, Ellis marks:

“…verbal and active de-propagandization are usually essential. You must first realize that you created the anxiety by your internalized sentences, and you must vigorously and persistently ferret out these sentences and challenge and contradict them. Then you must also push yourself to do the thing you are senselessly afraid of and act against your fear.”

Never being ‘desperately unhappy’ again

Ellis goes on to highlight the fact that the greatest challenge for individuals today is having control over their emotional lives.

A Guide to Rational Living contains various records of therapy sessions between Ellis and his patients. Following is a considerable example of his advice to one of his clients suffering from depression.  

 “The best you can do, at first, is to observe your depressed state after they have already arisen. And then to see, by theoretical analysis and inference, that you must have brought them on by telling yourself some nonsense.”

“…this will often be difficult. For once your depression sets in, as you noted a while ago, you don’t feel like un-depressing yourself again; you almost want to stay depressed. And unless you combat this feeling, and actively go after your underlying sentences with which you created your depression, you will, of course, stay quite miserable.”

Now, the individual will face a dilemma: remain depressed for the foreseeable future or make an effort to fight the negative feeling by noticing what they did to initiate it.

 “A tough choice,” Ellis states “But if you keep taking the lesser of these two evils. That is –combating your negative feelings, then eventually the time comes when your basic philosophy of life matures. As a result, you will depress yourself much more rarely, to begin with, and have an easier time getting yourself out of your vile mood when you do unconsciously put yourself in one.”

The Ultimate Point

Are human beings RATIONAL or IRRATIONAL beings?

According to the book, we are both. We are intelligent but we still pursue immature, nonsensical, bigoted behavior anyway. The basic to a good life is applying rationality to the utmost irrational aspect of life, the emotions.

There is a mirror of Buddhism in the rational-emotive approach as it recognizes that no matter what happened in your past, it is the present that matters and what you can do NOW to improve it. The author, Ellis learned this himself as a child: that you don’t have to become upset by circumstances unless you allow yourself to be, it is always possible to control your reactions. Even though this form of therapy is tough-minded, it in fact signifies an optimistic view of people.

Why you should read this book

It is an excellent self-help book on psychotherapy without the use of psychology jargon making it fit for laypeople. It essentially delivers emotionally troubled individuals with all the answers they seek especially those suffering from depression.

A Guide to Rational Living can benefit anyone to understand how their emotions are initiated, and most importantly how reasonably happy and fruitful life can be yours just through discipline and more caution in your thinking.

You may be doubtful of the fact that reasoning is the way out of your emotional clutter, but Ellis’s revolutionary ideas that are supported by his forty years of cognitive psychology is the rationale that it works. 

How to Deal With Anxiousness During a Pandemic?

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how-to-deal-with-anxiety

Fear is a reaction to a definite and very real threat, whereas, anxiety is a reaction to ambiguous or bizarre threats and it is absolutely essential to gain insight on how to deal with anxiousness. Anxiety is conspicuous when we believe that an unsafe or disastrous event may take place and we are automatically anticipating it. Every person at some point in time in their life experiences anxiety at their own different degree and intensity.

A pandemic is a specific and rare state of affairs. The outbreak of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) which was  “characterized as a pandemic” by the director of World Health, (Ghebreyesus, 2020).

“It has deeply disturbed how we live and work, and many of us are feeling comprehensibly stressed, confused, and frightened. This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will touch every sector, So every sector and every individual must be involved in the fights.” 

(Ghebreyesus, 2020)

Hence, it is normal to feel anxious during a pandemic. Fear and anxiety related to a disease can be overwhelming, which could result in strong emotions in adults and children. However, for some people it is hard to control their fears which is more perpetual and happens to affect their daily lives. 

Anxiety in the course of an infectious disease outbreak includes:

  • Stress and concern regarding their own health and the health of the family
  • Change in sleep pattern and the eating style
  • Struggling to concentrate on important matters
  • Deterioration of prolonged health problems
  • Deterioration of mental health problems
  • Increased consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, or any other type of drug

The heightened anxiety during the hectic, unprecedented time is inevitable but there are ways to improve your attitude in dealing with it that can greatly reduce your overall sense of helplessness.  Instead of feeling the waves of lockdown anxiety, we could learn how to overcome anxiousness during a pandemic.

Ways to Deal With Anxiety During Pandemics

Stay informed about the news and advises from relevant authorities

It is important to know what’s happening in your area and to take the necessary precautions when required. Stay away from the fabricated information going around that makes you more anxious. Use reliable sources such as the World Health Organization, health authorities, reliable local newspaper. Avoid constant monitoring of news and social media feeds which can aggravate your anxious feeling rather than easing it. If you are feeling overwhelmed with news feeds, try cutting down your media consumption to a specific timeframe. Verify your information before passing it to others and spreading unnecessary fright.

Concentrate on things you can control

The uncertainty surrounding this pandemic includes; how everyone acts, what’s happening in the economy, when will the lockdown finish, how long we have to work from home an all the various scenarios that might occur. We start looking for incomprehensible answers for all the scenarios we might come up without actually facing them, hence, feeling flabbergasted, anxious, and drained out.

Try shifting your attention to things you can control when you feel being caught up in the distress of thinking about what might happen during this pandemic and ways to overcome anxiousness. One cannot control the harshness of the pandemic but can take steps to reduce the spread and fear of risk surrounding it. There are plenty of things people can do to control the spread, especially to the ones who are at high risk. Things that people can do to control the spread includes:

  • Keeping your hands clean at all times. Wash it with soap and water for 20 seconds or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer especially after visiting the washroom, before eating and touching your face, after coughing or sneezing.
  • Avoid touching your face, especially eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Limit your non-essential travel and shopping, except going out to buy medicine or food. Stay home when you are not even sick.
  • Practice social distancing – avoid close contact with other people and avoid crowds and gatherings.
  • Plan your self-isolation/self-quarantine – It’s okay to be concerned about what’s happening at the workplace, school, and with other relatives and friends. Plan for what you can and being proactive can relieve some level of fear and anxiety.
  • Follow your health authorities’ recommendations and advice.

Stay connected even during self-isolation or self-quarantine

While it is very important to maintain social distance yourself from other people to condense the spread of the virus, social distancing can be its own source of stress – the worries about families and friends, particularly those who are at higher risk with job security and the upcoming financial problems. Few or no social contacts incubates anxiety and over time it builds up making it hard to contain. Also, cutting down on social interactions causes loneliness which can lead to depression. Hence it’s important to stay connected and reach out to support when needed.

Try doing video chats with your loved ones. Face-to-face chats will uplift your mental health and help in reducing stress and fear of being alone.  

Stay engaged with social media in a meaningful way to feel connected in a greater way to our communities, friends, family, and acquaintances is the best means to beat social anxiety.            

While chatting, don’t let the conversation be only on the pandemic, move out of that discussion, and enjoy each other’s company with your laughs and stories, and talk on other things of life.

It’s the right time to explore the full potential of digital technologies that will assist us to stay connected.

Take care of yourself

Good self-care helps in keeping your immune system healthy. It is important to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, engaging in leisure activities that will help keep you physically and psychologically healthy, and stress-free. Here are ways in which you can practice good self-care during this pandemic:

  • Go easy on yourself if you facing more than the usual depression or anxiety. You are not alone.
  • If you are stuck at home for isolation, make a routine for yourself and habit to follow it such as mealtime, work schedules, sleep time, family time, and leisure time. This will help you feel a sense of normalcy.
  • Get yourself plenty of sunshine and fresh air – you will feel good.           
  • Stay active by engaging in regular exercise – cycling, walking or hiking, yoga, or practice online exercise videos. This will, in turn, help manage your mood to release and relieve your stress.
  • Avoid using alcohol or other addictive and harmful substances/drugs to help in dealing with anxiety and depression.

Help each other during a crisis

During this time of crisis, everyone is worried about their fears and concern. A lot of people have lost their jobs or are working on reduced hours during this pandemic and they are worried about their family, financial status and when will this pandemic end. It’s important to remind everyone that we are not alone in this. Helping others will make a greater difference not only to your communities but the world at large and this will also elevate your own mental health and well-being. Panic buying by people has also made others who are not able to afford in fear of price increase or shortage of food supplies – similar to the epic toilet paper fight.

  • Try reaching out to others in need. Especially the elders or less fortunate ones.
  • Donate food/cash to help older people, low-income earners, or those who lost their jobs.
  • Being a positive influence on someone’s life in this anxious time will make you feel better about your situation.
  • Barter for a better living – helping others with what they need in return for what they can do for you will make you feel content and less anxious.

Conclusion

All in all, this pandemic is worst the world has ever faced and everyone is going through their own set of fear and anxiety and each person’s mental health is deeply affected. It is important to follow certain measures on how to deal with anxiousness during a pandemic that will help throughout this time of uncertainty.