Table Of Content

Making Everything Easier!™ 2nd Edition O v e r c o ming A n x i e t y Learn to: (cid:129) Get fear, worry, and panic under control (cid:129) Identify your anxiety triggers (cid:129) Cope with situations that cause anxiety (cid:129) Take advantage of the latest treatments and medications Charles H. Elliott, PhD Laura L. Smith, PhD Authors of Depression For Dummies and Anxiety & Depression Workbook For Dummies Get More and Do More at Dummies.com ® Start with FREE Cheat Sheets Cheat Sheets include (cid:129) Checklists (cid:129) Charts (cid:129) Common Instructions (cid:129) And Other Good Stuff! To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/overcominganxiety Get Smart at Dummies.com Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s of answers on everything from removing wallpaper to using the latest version of Windows. Check out our (cid:129) Videos (cid:129) Illustrated Articles (cid:129) Step-by-Step Instructions Plus, each month you can win valuable prizes by entering our Dummies.com sweepstakes. * Want a weekly dose of Dummies? Sign up for Newsletters on (cid:129) Digital Photography (cid:129) Microsoft Windows & Office (cid:129) Personal Finance & Investing (cid:129) Health & Wellness (cid:129) Computing, iPods & Cell Phones (cid:129) eBay (cid:129) Internet (cid:129) Food, Home & Garden Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com *Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules. Overcoming Anxiety FOR DUMmIES ‰ 2 ND EDITION by Charles H. Elliott, PhD, and Laura L. Smith, PhD Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies®, 2nd Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit- ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http:// www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/ or its affi liates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK ARE INTENDED TO FUR- THER GENERAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, UNDERSTANDING, AND DISCUSSION ONLY AND ARE NOT INTENDED AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS RECOMMENDING OR PROMOTING A SPECIFIC METHOD, DIAGNO- SIS, OR TREATMENT BY PHYSICIANS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PATIENT. THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN VIEW OF ONGOING RESEARCH, EQUIPMENT MODIFICATIONS, CHANGES IN GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS, AND THE CON- STANT FLOW OF INFORMATION RELATING TO THE USE OF MEDICINES, EQUIPMENT, AND DEVICES, THE READER IS URGED TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE PACKAGE INSERT OR INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH MEDICINE, EQUIPMENT, OR DEVICE FOR, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ANY CHANGES IN THE INSTRUCTIONS OR INDICATION OF USAGE AND FOR ADDED WARNINGS AND PRECAU- TIONS. READERS SHOULD CONSULT WITH A SPECIALIST WHERE APPROPRIATE. THE FACT THAT AN ORGA- NIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. NO WAR- RANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY ANY PROMOTIONAL STATEMENTS FOR THIS WORK. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2010924567 ISBN: 978-0-470-57441-6 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 About the Authors Charles H. Elliott, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and a Founding Fellow in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He is also a member of the faculty at Fielding Graduate University. He specializes in the treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, anger, depression, and personality disorders. Dr. Elliott has authored many professional articles and book chapters in the area of cognitive behavior therapies. He presents nationally and internationally on new developments in the assessment and therapy of emotional disorders. Laura L. Smith, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and adjunct faculty member at Fielding Graduate University. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of adults and children with obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as personality disorders, depression, anxiety, attention-defi cit hyperactivity disorder, and learning disorders. She often provides consultations to attorneys, school dis- tricts, and governmental agencies. She presents workshops on cognitive therapy and mental-health issues to national and international audiences. Dr. Smith is a widely published author of popular and professional articles and books. Together, Drs. Elliott and Smith have written Borderline Personality Disorder For Dummies, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder For Dummies, Seasonal Affective Disorder For Dummies, Anxiety and Depression Workbook For Dummies, Depression For Dummies, Hollow Kids: Recapturing the Soul of a Generation Lost to the Self-Esteem Myth, and Why Can’t I Be the Parent I Want to Be? They are members of the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Psychological Association and affi liated training faculty at the Cognitive Behavioral Institute of Albuquerque. Their work has been featured in various periodicals, including Family Circle, Parents, Child, and Better Homes and Gardens, as well as popular publications like the New York Post, The Washington Times, the Daily Telegraph (London), and The Christian Science Monitor. They have been speakers at numerous conferences, including those of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy, and the National Association of School Psychologists. They have appeared on TV networks such as CNN and Canada AM, and, in radio, they’re often featured as experts on various NPR programs, as well as You: The Owner’s Manual Radio Show, Doctor Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio, the Frankie Boyer Radio Show, and The Four Seasons Radio Show. They’ve com- mitted their professional lives to making the science of psychology relevant and accessible to the public. Drs. Smith and Elliott are available for speaking engagements, expert interviews, and workshops. You can visit their Web site at www.psychology4people.com or their blog, “Anxiety & OCD Exposed,” at http://blogs.psychcentral.com/anxiety. Dedication We dedicate this book to our growing, changing families — Brian, Alli, Sara, and Trevor. And of course to our grandchildren: Cade, Carter, Alaina, and Lauren. Thanks for the excitement — of course, enough is enough sometimes! Authors’ Acknowledgments We’d like to thank our excellent editors at Wiley: Project Editor extraordi- naire Vicki Adang, Acquisitions Editor Michael Lewis, and masterful Copy Editor Christy Pingleton, as well as our agents Elizabeth and Ed Knappman. We are also grateful to Dr. Scott Bea from the Cleveland Clinic for reviewing our work and making insightful suggestions. We also wish to thank our publicity and marketing team, which includes David Hobson and Adrienne Fontaine at Wiley. Thanks also to Alan Rubin, MD, and all the other Dummies authors for a great conference and inspiration. Thanks to Bob Elliott for all the savvy advice and Mathew Raikes at www. darn-computer.com for his expertise on computers and Web site support. Thanks to Trevor Wolfe and Kate Guerin for keeping us up on pop culture, social media, blogging, and tweeting on Twitter. We want to thank Deborah Wearn, Pamela Hargrove, Tracie Antonuk, and Geoff Smith for their continued interest. Thanks to Matt Lewis for keeping our view great. And a special thanks to Sadie and Murphy for taking us on much- needed walks. To Drs. Brad Richards and Jeanne Czajka from the Cognitive Behavioral Institute of Albuquerque, thanks for including us on your affi liated training faculty. To Dr. Brenda Wolfe and her husband, Ken, thanks for including us in your voyage. We’re still eager to see your next book. Finally, we are especially grateful to our many clients we’ve seen, both those with anxiety disorders and those without. They helped us understand psychological issues in general, as well as anxiety. They also taught us about courage and persistence. Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Composition Services Development Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond Project Editor: Victoria M. Adang Layout and Graphics: Ashley Chamberlain, (Previous Edition: Norm Crampton) Joyce Haughey, Christine Williams Acquisitions Editor: Michael Lewis Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Evelyn C. Gibson (Previous Edition: Natasha Graf) Indexer: Steve Rath Copy Editor: Christine Pingleton (Previous Edition: Esmerelda St. Clair) Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney Senior Editorial Assistant: David Lutton Technical Editor: Scott M. Bea, PsyD Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker Editorial Assistant: Jennette ElNaggar Cover Photos: iStock Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services Contents at a Glance Introduction ............................................................... 1 Part I: Detecting and Exposing Anxiety .......................... 7 Chapter 1: Analyzing and Attacking Anxiety ..................................................................9 Chapter 2: Examining Anxiety: What’s Normal, What’s Not .......................................21 Chapter 3: Sorting Through the Brain and Biology .....................................................37 Chapter 4: Clearing the Roadblocks to Change ...........................................................47 Part II: Battling Anxiety ............................................ 63 Chapter 5: Becoming a Thought Detective ...................................................................65 Chapter 6: Watching Out for Worry Words ..................................................................89 Chapter 7: Busting Up Your Agitating Assumptions .................................................101 Chapter 8: Facing Fear One Step at a Time .................................................................123 Chapter 9: Considering Medications and Other Physical Treatment Options ......145 Part III: Letting Go of the Battle .............................. 165 Chapter 10: Looking at Lifestyle ..................................................................................167 Chapter 11: Relaxation: The Five-Minute Solution ....................................................181 Chapter 12: Creating Calm in Your Imagination ........................................................193 Chapter 13: Mindful Acceptance ..................................................................................203 Part IV: Zeroing in on Specific Worries ...................... 219 Chapter 14: Facing a Career Crisis and Financial Woes ............................................221 Chapter 15: Keeping Steady When the World Is Shaking..........................................231 Chapter 16: Staying Healthy .........................................................................................243 Chapter 17: Keeping Out of Danger .............................................................................253 Part V: Helping Others with Anxiety .......................... 263 Chapter 18: When a Family Member or Friend Suffers from Anxiety .....................265 Chapter 19: Recognizing Anxiety in Kids ....................................................................279 Chapter 20: Helping Kids Conquer Anxiety ................................................................287 Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 303 Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Stop Anxiety Quickly .........................................................305 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Deal with Relapse ...............................................................309 Chapter 23: Ten Signs That You Need Professional Help .........................................313 Appendix: Resources for You ..................................... 319 Index ...................................................................... 323