(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best stress management books

Yeah I was lucky. I went to FDU's program. I imagine there's other colleges around the country who do this?

http://view2.fdu.edu/metropolitan-campus/center-for-psychological-services/adult-adhd-learning-disabilities-program/

after I did this I used the medicine.. but that wasn't enough.

so being an Atheist and hatting most therapists whole woo factor..

So I found a ADHD life coach through http://www.chadd.org/ and made sure she had a real PHD and was licensed by a reputable institution.

Finally after all that my Anger was coming out more and more likely due to stress. I sought out again a non woo guy. He is fantastic! He's around my age which is 35. He has kids, he likes to game and he believes in science and science based results. This part was luck more so than anything else. Thankfully my wife has a therapist and she recommended this guy because she knew he'd mesh well with me.

The meditation book is - The Mindful Geek - http://www.amazon.com/The-Mindful-Geek-Mindfulness-Meditation-ebook/dp/B0155FWYBW

I don't make money on any of this stuff but it's all benefited me greatly and if it can help even 1 more person than it's 100% worth my time writing all of this out.

Good luck and sometimes the best thing to do is ask him to call to get tested in the moment that you can do it. Waiting until night time or early morning means you don't have time or their not open. Do it at 11am. Then no excuses or forgetfulness.

)

The Heart of Happiness: 13 Techniques Using Mindfulness and Humor to Manage Stress and Find Happiness

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RT8KZ9L

FREE until May 30th

> What if I told you that you could start living a happier, more fulfilling life today?
Do you want to sleep better and have more energy?
Imagine living life with purpose and meaning.

>In this book, you will learn:

>•What your stressors are and what happiness means to you

>•Stress management techniques and why they work

>•To develop a plan of action to reach your goals

>This book will help you reduce your stress while seeing your life in a new light.

---

I Have To Grow (Transformational Super Kids Book 2)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S8FKL9X

FREE on May 26th

> Sing Your Song! Heed the Call for Courage

>Feeling discouraged, bullied, sabotaged or held back?

>Part moral allegory and part spiritual biography, I Have to Grow is a timeless charm which tells the story of a young girl who leaves the security of playing small, to follow her heart and heal the world.

>There are so many reasons why you should follow your dreams. If you need some inspiration, look no further than this book.

Check out the book “The Emotionally Sensitive Person” by Karyn D. Hall. It’s not about BPD, but it’s the most helpful (and compassionate) resource I’ve found for managing emotions and coping with life as someone with BPD. It’s got a lot of useful exercises too, like recording emotions for a week to learn how to better identify them (I found that one particularly useful, but there are many more). Take care and good luck on your journey.

Happend to me, I'll copy-paste the convo I had with someone I was helping with social anxiety.

"Im just going to give you heads up
The solution is simple, yet simple, does not mean easy.
You are going to have to fight your way to freedom
Basically, our brain is very primitive in a way, the same way as animals have "Fight or flight" instincts, so do us, humans.
When you encounter a social thing, your brain senses it as a danger, causin adrenaline to be released, which causes you to have Fight or Flight symptoms, the same as we would react to a tiger or any other wild animal many years ago
You throw up, in order to reduce weight if you need to run
You need to go to the bathroom, also in order for easier escape
You shiver, in order to prepare and warm up your muscles for battle
you breathe faster, in order to provide the brain with more oxygen
What im trying to say, is each symptom has its background reason
What you need to do in this case, in order to "Heal", might sound simple, but it can be hard.
You need to Pretend, pretend you're confidence, stay in social activities as long as you can.
By doing that your brain slowly learns that social events posess no danger, thus not releasing adrenaline anymore, causing you to be symptoms free
Easier said than done though, but I promise you this, just keep always in mind that you're going to be anxious free, and what you are going through is may be now hard, but it is for the greater cause.
Lastly, I want you to read this text by me, explaining how applied it: https://www.reddit.com/r/socialanxiety/comments/6bw852/how_i_resolved_most_of_my_specific_sa/
reddit
How I resolved most of my specific SA. • r/socialanxiety
Hey guys, thought i'd share some of the methods I came up with dealing specific social anxiety. When I was younger I had this terrible feeling...

And if you can afford this book that really helped me recently, i'd recommend it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009PFN4IQ?ref=dbs_P_W_faw_dp
Wish you best of luck, and if you need anything im here"

No, no, no, I don't think you're just being a hormonal teenager. It is not uncommon for anxiety to first show up in your late teens and early twenties. Mine appeared when I was 19. I overcame debilitating panic. I went from being unable to leave my room for weeks (19), to a firefighter and paramedic (20), graduating undergrad (24), to a fancy gig at Apple (25), and to now law school (26). It can be done!

The following were key to managing my anxiety:

• Mindfulness - even if not straight sitting meditation, cooking, gardening, art can all be mindful.
  
  
• Yoga or any other exercise but I have to say a good cardio-yoga is good
  
  
• Diet - I strongly recommend going vegan!-it's been [shown] (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/vegetarians-happier-than-meat-eaters.html) to curb anxiety.
  
  
• Sometimes medication. I still take medication, no shame there!
  
  You will want to seriously consider working with a mental health professional you like. You can find therapists here at Psychology Today or here at AADA. Even though I have successfully managed my anxiety, I still 'check in' from time to time with a therapist, it's good.
  
  I also cannot recommend 'Don't Panic' by Reid Wilson more. You will learn all about panic, where it comes from, and how to overcome it. It's the latest, most effective, scientific-based treatment for panic. Make sure you get the new third edition.
  
  If you want a good laugh about your anxiety, which I recommend, check out the comedy of Sara Benincasa, my college RA is now a semi-famous comedian and has a one-woman show about her agoraphobia and a book coming out early next year!
  
  The good news is there is no so much overlap between modern Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Buddhist meditation, they integrate very well. Many Western Buddhist teachers are also mental health professionals that blend the two disciplines, e.g. Jon Kabat-Zinn.

you might find value in Rosemary Gladstar's books on medicinal herbs. There are a few that might be of interest to you. medicinal herbs for beginners, 175 herbal recipes for vibrant health, herbs for stress and anxiety, and family herbal are a few good ones to look into.

In the related listings I found several other great titles with good reviews on them. Among them, there was the herbal apothecary, the complete medicinal herbal, and the herbal medicine maker's handbook

I would also suggest James Wong, an ethnobotanist. He has a series that was on the bbc about using plants to make medicinal items. It was on youtube for a bit but is no longer there in its entirety. He does have a book on the series, though-
grow your own drugs. A sequel with more recipes can be found here- a year with james wong.

I also find that many sustainable living, foraging, and related sites tend to have good recipes you can sort through. here are a few of the ones i have saved.

mother earth news- make your own herbal teas

wolf college resources

https://arcadianabe.blogspot.ca/

http://www.eattheweeds.com/archive/


lastly, a basic google search for "herbal remedies" brought me a few websites that look promising.

mother earth news- herbs for ailments and wounds

botanical.com has a few resources for recipe and information about plants, but it is more limited than i would like.

the family herbalist looks very promising.

there are probably a ton more out there, but i hope that some of these or the terms they use can help you find what you are looking for.

In 10yrs of working w my population (severe persistent mental illness) I've yet to have a patient w out a disaster of a childhood. Genes play a role but environmental causes flip the switches. NAMI has done so much to direct the research and conversation away from family systems role, but here are three great books that can explain causality much better than me. Just not my forte.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1138831204/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494631613&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=chronic+shame&dpPl=1&dpID=41%2BliwdSveL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FW4ELM2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494631830&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=internal+family+systems+schwartz

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00P434AWM/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494631898&sr=8-2-fkmr1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=cooccuring+disorders+ACEs

Certainly I will grant you that people exist w warm supportive families that can have SMI, but I've never met them. Mind you, I'm in public health treating that pop, but most privates are referred to us bc their insurance does not contract for moderate to severe care. So yeah, I still haven't met that person.
Nor have I looked for a PI to help get this studied. IDK anyone w time outside of what we're already doing.

Sorry to hear about your difficulties mate, this is something I can certainly relate to. I came back from travelling a few years ago, and since then I've felt really lost in life, and unfortunately I also developed a moderate depression, while all my friends seem to be settled and happy.

This is a book that I've found really useful to help me get by. Although the main focus of the book is about how to lift depression, it can also be used as a prevention rather than a cure. I'm pointing this book out, because telling yourself things will get better isn't a very proactive approach, and I've found that to be one of the biggest factors in how I feel. If you don't change anything in your life, it's unlikely things will just change of their own accord and get better for you in general. I really hope I'm not coming across as patronising here, I have no idea of your personal circumstances - I'm just going by my own personal experiences.

And when you say you have nobody to guide you out of it, I would seriously recommend some kind of talk therapy with a professional if that's the case. Having some kind of support is so important at times like this. Even having someone you can offload to is a big help.

Anyway, I hope I haven't offended, and apologies if I have. I hope that 2015 does prove to be a better year for you!

Take care :)

No "good" book on Transcendental Meditation will ever attempt to teach it to you as the tradition it comes from says it can only be taught by an enlightened teacher:

.


Taught by an inferior man this Self cannot be easily known,

even though reflected upon. Unless taught by one

who knows him as none other than his own Self,

there is no way to him, for he is subtler than subtle,

beyond the range of reasoning.

Not by logic can this realization be won. Only when taught

by another, [an enlightened teacher], is it easily known,

dearest friend.

-Katha Upanishad, I.2.8-9

.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi started a research program based on the belief that enlightenment is a physiological state of consciousness the same way that waking, dreaming and sleeping are, and so the same tools that study them can be used to study enlightenment.

This paper Transcendental experiences during meditation practice summarizes the research found in this list as well as summarizes Maharishi's transitional theory between advaita vedanta and modern theories on how TM works.



If you want a more layman's approach, Transcendence and SuperMind were written by Norman Rosenthal who is a former NIH researcher who discovered Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and pioneered Bright Light Therapy to treat it.

.

More recently, Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, published Strength in Stillness which is a collection of stories and quotes by people he has taught TM, both at-risk children and celebrities.

.

Roth has taught a remarkable number of A-listers over the years, and they all got together to promote his book as all proceeds go to the David Lynch Foundation, which most of them do fund-raising for anyway.

.

Few, if any, TM teachers are enlightened, but they believe that they can still claim to be teaching from the Vedic tradition because Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created an interactive teaching play that TM teachers rehearse for 5 months, in-residence, learning the words, gestures, body-language and tone-of-voice that Maharishi used when teaching, as well as how to modify the same to account for the experience-level of their students.

He spent 45 years of his life revising that play based on feedback from thousands of TM teachers who trained millions of people to meditate. He called it "duplicating myself" and so the TM teacher literally attempts to "play the part" of Maharishi when teaching. In a very real sense, there is only one TM teacher — Maharishi Mahesh Yogi — and thousands of his clones.

.

It is possible to get accredited degrees in TM-related topics through Maharishi University of Management including a pre-med BS, and a PhD in Physiology. A PhD in Vedic Science is offered as well.

I've dealt with the same things in my relationship. I'm also in my first (and hopefully lifelong) relationship and I feel the same sort of separation anxiety sometimes. Even when we are just going to be apart for a day I get all depressed and anxious. We've been together four months now (almost five) and he's become such an important part of my life, and being with him has become part of my daily routine. When we don't get to see each other, I feel like my day is thrown off.

I went to Disney World with my family about 2 months into our relationship and we were apart about 10 days. I dreaded the lead up to it (even though I was also excited about going to Disney World) and I had that ache in my chest the first day. I just knew he'd realize he wasn't really in love with me and that he'd dump me through text or something (which never happened of course...) Luckily it got better (though I did have a sort of depression episode on one of the days, which was caused by a couple of other issues...) We Facetimed together, texted, and talked on the phone for a little bit each day, and that made it easier while being apart.

I had the same questions about over-dependency also, but I've come to the conclusion that those feelings are because you're still building trust with one another, and for anxious people like us, it's a lot more difficult to learn to trust someone else, so to compensate we get a little clingy. I still get anxious when I know we're not going to see each other, but it's not NEARLY as bad as when we first entered into a serious relationship with each other.

A few things that have helped me get through those times are... Being honest with one another. We agreed, right from the start, that we would always be honest about how we're feeling with one another. My BF also deals with some depression / anxiety so he knows what it's like. I've been open with him about my hyper-anxiety issues and about how my mind takes small things and blows them out of proportion. He can usually tell when I'm having a "flare-up" (as I like to call them) and if he asks what's wrong, I usually tell him "I'm dealing with some anxiety right now, my thoughts probably aren't rational, so let's talk about it later when I'm thinking rationally again, ok?" In those few times, he's just backed off with the questions, held me if we were together, assured me it's going to be ok, and then we talked about it later when I felt better.

I also started looking into cognitive therapy techniques. These specific ideas in particular have helped me quite a bit.

1. You can't predict the future: While this seems obvious, for me, it's one of the main things that my mind tries to do when I'm anxious. I automatically start imagining all of these ridiculous scenarios that aren't based on anything logical and usually end up with him leaving me. It helps to remind myself that I can't predict the future (no one can) and that worrying about what might happen later, takes you away from what is happening now and is a sure way to ruin things.
   
2. Don't reason from your emotions: This is biggest thing that I do. I think, as others have said, that missing your SO is normal when you're apart. But one of the things my mind does is create thoughts based on how I'm feeling, then I convince myself I'm feeling that way because of those thoughts (if that makes sense...) For instance, let's say I feel that slight sadness when we're apart (which is completely normal). Well, then my mind starts making up all of these scenarios about how he's going to leave me, etc... and then in my anxiety, I start thinking that I'm feeling that sadness because of those thoughts, rather than the other way around. It makes the thoughts seem valid in the moment, even though they're completely illogical and not based off of any evidence. For me, it helps to remind myself when I'm feeling that way, that "emotions are normal. Sometimes we just feel sad or worried for no real reason, so don't over-think or over-analyse your feelings." When I start trying to reason out my emotions, it only leads to a snowball effect of anxiety and depression for me, so I've been practicing not thinking about why I'm feeling that way. Yes, I still feel that way, but it usually doesn't get any worse and generally goes away a lot faster. I think it's okay to feel anxious or sad at times, and it's dwelling on the "why" that leads those feelings to get stronger; at least for me. Sometimes there just isn't a reason (other than body chemistry), especially for those of us that are naturally inclined to anxiety.
   
   
3. The last thing that has helped me quite a bit is that I started keeping an anxiety journal. Basically, I write down my "automatic thoughts" right as they come, look through the list of "Cognitive Distortions" (thought distortions), Then I respond to them logically. Dissecting them and really reasoning through why they are illogical helps me to get past them. I don't know about you, but when I'm feeling particularly anxious, I'm not the most reasonable person. So it definitely helps to step out of the anxiety and think rationally if even for a moment. Journaling helps me to force myself to step out of the fog, so to speak.
   
   Anyway... I've gone on way longer than I intended and probably moved into things that aren't even part of your issue, but there it is anyway... If you're interested, here's a link to the book that helped me a bit:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/When-Panic-Attacks-Drug-Free-Anxiety-ebook/dp/B000GCFVV0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1482052893&sr=8-1
   
   Also, here's a link to the anxiety journal I made for myself based off of stuff from the book (I spreadsheet pretty much every part of my life lol!) Disclaimer: I'm not a professional. This is just something I've made for myself based on information given in the book above, which I've found helpful for me. (Also, don't judge me too harshly on my thoughts written in it... I'm leaving them in it just so you can see what I do. I know they're pretty melodramatic...)
   
   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i6XTy5OkRNjfaoGnwHqSZjtWZUuJkbqaBvhP-RwKPI8/edit?usp=sharing
   
   

Thanks everyone appreciate it. So I just finished and released my first book. It's called "Overcoming Your Anxiety for People on the Go". It's my journey and what I've learned over the years from self reflection, meditation, reading, speaking to Psychologists and spiritual teachers. There aren't any tricks or gimmicks in the book. It's about changing your perspective and seeing your sensations and thoughts in a new light. This was about the long haul for me not the immediate.

​

It's up for free right now on amazon with the link below. My hope is some people find it helpful on their journey. Thanks for your support.

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H7TQ3YM?pf_rd_p=d1f45e03-8b73-4c9a-9beb-4819111bef9a&pf_rd_r=YAQYK021RXWJWB7EB33E

Don't Panic Third Edition: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks, by Reid Wilson, PhD.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061582441/

Wilson is Director of The Anxiety Disorders Treatment Center, Chapel Hill and Durham, North Carolina.

The book has helped me a lot. Besides the exercises, or self-interventions, it was also quite heartening to read some of the case studies, as they read just like my life. If you'd changed the names, some of the cases described me perfectly. That made me feel better because I knew I wasn't alone. Others were feeling exactly what I was.

If you're concerned about giving the author money, buy it used. There are some for less than three dollars.

Reading novels is also good. One thing a therapist told me is that it's very helpful to distract yourself from your problems sometimes. It's wearying to just be with them all day long.

Good luck and good health.

REBT (and its cousin CBT) are certainly easy enough to learn and practice on your own. I would advise going to a therapist for a bit though, as they can really help you learn the foundational principles of the technique better.

I saw an REBT therapist, and they really helped drive home how my thoughts weren't necessarily always true (much better than I could have done solo). The whole idea around REBT is that most people stop seeing their therapist once they feel comfortable with the technique, so you likely won't see your therapist forever (I saw my therapist like 8 weeks total).

I really liked Dr. Ellis' How to Control your Anxiety Before It Controls You (https://www.amazon.com/Control-Your-Anxiety-Before-Controls/dp/0806538031) and Dr. Edelson's (studied under Ellis) Three Minute Therapy: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Minute-Therapy-Change-Thinking/dp/0944435424 (although I never finished the latter).

Perfect, so do you see how the anxiety from your first night caused insomnia in the ensuing ones?

​

The Trazedone should work, but if it doesn't you need to get a script for something stronger. Your Dr should agree to it, as long as you promise non-drug behavioral modification.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Restful-Insomnia-Benefits-Sleep-Even/dp/1573244678

​

Get this book and read the first few chapters, she explains it better than I ever could.

​

I have anxiety pretty bad also, here are my tips for dealing with it as they really helped me.

First get this book or another book by Albert Ellis, he's the ultimate godfather of anxiety and knows probably more than anyone else easily.

Take Magnesium + Ashwaganda + L-Theanine amazing stack for me and my anxiety, it's just calms you don't like crazy.

Meditate when you can, it will help you get your thoughts together easier and you can control them better when they're out of control.

Exercise, helps get some of that negative energy out.

Like someone else said figure out what's giving you anxiety, if it's something that needs to be done, do it and get it out of the way.

Remember "What you resists persists" so if you're fighting the anxiety it will get stronger cuz your loop of thoughts is centered on anxiety. Just try and realize it's there but it will pass and it's no big deal, accept your dealing with it but don't dwell on it.

The more of those things you can do it will really turn your anxiety around, good luck!

I would highly suggest QBQ. It's not specifically for IT guys but I love it. Quick read / listen as well. Good points.

http://www.amazon.com/QBQ-Question-Behind-Practicing-Accountability/dp/014305709X

Is it this book?: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075FZYVB6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
I'll check it out.
I feel like some amount of effort, the right effort, the right concentration, is necessary to stay focused. So I'm curious about your practice. Have you reached higher states of concentration through just relaxing? What is the difference between relaxing the mind and letting the mind wander and get lost in thought?

I suffered with panic attacks and thought I was going crazy and/or had a terrible cancer. The book "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" gave me my life back. I got over crippling panic disorder without drugs and without a psychiatrist... well, actually, I briefly tried prozac and klonipn, but the prozac made me more nervous and I worried about getting addicted to the klonipin. (Intense worries like that are part of the illness)

"Hope and Help for Your Nerves" by Claire Weekes is an amazing book. It was written in 1962 by a female family practice doctor in Australia and is the greatest resource someone with panic disorder could hope for. Her terminology is delightfully archaic but she understands every symptom, thought and nuance of panic disorder. You feel like she knows you and is speaking directly to you.

I was up a lot of nights with my heart pounding with chest pain and having difficulty breathing and hot flashes and reading her book (well, chapters 1-7 anyway) over and over again got me through it and got me back to normal.

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Help-Nerves-Signet-ebook/dp/B009PFN4IQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379892156&sr=1-1&keywords=claire+weekes

Please read the Amazon reviews. The is a young doctor that wrote a particularly touching one about the book saving him as a medical student. A recurring theme in the reviews is how much they wish Dr Weekes was still alive so they could thank her.

It's $6.

No problem. It's not a cure all. But I find it takes the edge off. And like I said it could very well be placebo, there's a lot of power in rituals. If you can, sometimes seeing a therapist is the best course of action too. Honestly that's what was the big turn around point in my life - ie not being able to cope with going to the grocery store because anxiety vs just having to take a sick day now and then. That was actually liberating to me. To treat an anxiety and depressive episodes with the same respect and patience as a migraine. No one tells you to just "suck it up" when you get a migraine. Anyway, I hope it helps. You may want to check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/Herbs-Stress-Anxiety-Remedies-Strengthen/dp/1612124291/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Good luck. Just keep trying. Don't give up.

In 2017 a new book - has Relief Without Drugs inside - it is a distilled version with all the duplication and repetition removed which makes it better than the original but the important point is that you can get hold of a copy. That same book also has a biography of Ainslie Meares, 30+ of Ainslie Meares' poems and summarises his refined method developed after Relief Without Drugs.
-https://www.amazon.com/Ainslie-Meares-Meditation-Dissolve-tension-ebook/dp/B075FZYVB6

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

I have (and always have had) terrible sleep patterns. I find it hard to get to sleep at night, and even harder to drag myself out of bed in the morning. The best method that I ever found for getting a good night's sleep was to do work that I thoroughly enjoyed. Then, I could wake up feeling utterly refreshed and raring to go, 5 minutes before my alarm clock was due to go off. I had no problems getting to sleep either, since I was looking forward to spending another enjoyable day at work. When that job came to an end, I went back to my old habits, and when I became severely depressed, I would dread waking up in the morning and thinking to myself "Oh, no! Not again."

It is not an easy matter to find work that you thoroughly enjoy doing. The next best thing is to find someone who you enjoy sharing your life with, and the next best thing after that is probably to sort out your sleep hygiene. This may mean switching off your computer and TV a couple of hours before you need to go to sleep, and to use your bedroom only for sleep (and sex), if that is possible.

There are plenty of books (and Internet sites) that discuss sleep hygiene. One that I have found helpful is How to lift depression ... fast (The Human Givens Approach), by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrell.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a therapist or medical professional.

I can't see how it can hurt. Indeed, TM has been shown to be an enormous help:

"Writers’ Voices welcomes world-renowned psychiatrist and author, Dr. Norman Rosenthal, to discuss his most recent book, “Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation”. This wide-ranging book uses stories, research, and his own clinical experience to show the benefits and value of TM. Interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Martin Scorsese, Russell Brand, and Laura Dern are also featured."

"Dr. Rosenthal is the author of a number of books and has been a leader in describing “Seasonal Affective Disorder” and pioneering the use of light therapy to treat it. He has maintained a private practice in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area for over thirty years."

http://writersvoices.com/podcasts/spirituality/dr-norman-rosenthal-transcendence/

https://www.amazon.com/Transcendence-Healing-Transformation-Transcendental-Meditation/dp/1585429929/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542741545&sr=1-1&keywords=transcendence

I know this feeling all to well this book helped me a great deal.

The Emotionally Sensitive Person: Finding Peace When Your Emotions Overwhelm You https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608829936/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8MXkDb4SKS2C5

Definitely do it! I suggest you look into mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT), it certainly helps ground me when when things are out of control and I'm feeling frazzled. I've just started reading A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled by Ruby Wax. It's a 6 week therapy course in MBCT that you can walk yourself through, apparently using mindfulness can help prevent depressive relapses in 60% of people.

I used the one by Mary Beth Williams (older version of this one). I can certainly relate with your brain scaring you. Would exposure therapy help at all? I also found EMDR helpful at breaking up the memory chains and, as my counselor said it "sucked the venom out of the memories". Feel free to PM me anytime, and take care.

Hi! Just to say, apparently ACEs are pretty new, so some people recommend taking this book called Childhood Disrupted to your doctor, which explains it. That book also has a bunch of suggestions for way to deal with the effects of trauma.

I notice that in the table of contents it suggests mindfulness meditation, which can help relieve stress and could be a thing you do like... right now, today. There are some free guided meditations on the UCLA website.

It sounds like you're going through a hell of a lot. I wish you all good things.

If I can make a recommendation it would be to read this Hope and Help For your Nerves by Dr Claire Weeks I've read it last week in the midst of my taper and it put a lot of perspective on what's anxiety and what it can do and convince you of. It also has helpful methods of coping as well.

I recommend Shinzen Young's method of structuring Vipassana in his 'Basic Mindfulness' system. Michael Taft, who is one of his senior facilitators, just published "The Mindful Geek," which is a good introduction as well.

Try this!

Cheaper than a therapist AND better than nothing. Has worked wonders for many of my friends.

Not a replacement for an actual therapist, though.

Edit: disclaimer

It sounds to me like you've developed an anxiety disorder. You can talk to a doctor if you'd like to try anti-anxiety medication. They can help in the short-term. For a more long-term treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the answer. You can talk to a professional therapist about it, or you can try it on your own from a book. (I recommend this one. It can be found on Demonoid, among other places.)

Even if your problems don't stem from anxiety, seeing a doctor or therapist is a good idea, so they can figure out what's going on and give you the proper treatment.

Feeling Good and Don't Panic are both well regarded books that focus on cognitive behavioral therapy.

The author of Feeling Good also made a workbook to help people process their reactions and feelings.

My husband has chronic depression, and highly recommends both.

Here's some info on CBT and other treatment. I also found this book to be helpful, along with this workbook. :)

I can empathize with having a severe and debilitating fear, because I have been there. Also like you, I am badly psychosomatic and this is something I still struggle with daily. I have had various health issues/focuses since I was young but the past few years have by far been the worst. I won't go into detail on what my problem is, but know that I also fear an undiagnosed or missed medical condition that may kill me suddenly. I too have been to the doctor, ER, and urgent care multiple times. And I too have been told there is nothing wrong with me.

These are the things I have done to try and help myself.

• Exercising. I began running about a year ago. I was out of shape and it was horrible but I am now able to run 3 miles 4 to 5 times per week. This has greatly helped me with my anxiety.
  
  
• Therapy. After years of knowing that I had a mental health issue, I finally said enough and found myself a therapist. He also referred me to a psychiatrist. Both of these individuals have had a positive impact on my life and have helped me cope with this disease.
  
  
• Books. The two that I recommend most for people like us are It's Not All in Your Head and Hope and Help for Your Nerves
  
  
• Meditation. The books I mentioned above discuss meditation. It's a simple thing to do and it takes a minimal amount of time each day. At first I felt it was silly, but it has truly helped me.
  
  You may have already tried all of these things without success, but I would give them another shot if you have. I felt hopeless, like you. There were days I feared even leaving my bed. I'm in graduate school, as I believe you are as well, and I know that we are both under a lot of stress and the expectations are high.
  
  We have over-analytical minds, which help and hurt us. I hope that this is helpful for you and please reach out to me if you ever need advice, need to vent, or just want to talk.
  
  Best wishes my friend.

Maybe check out some of these books which could help her work through the process that is provided in therapy in a self-guided way. What I would recommend is that she set aside an hour or two a week to devote to this to keep herself consistent, but not overwhelmed by over-reading:

the sexual healing journey

overcome trauma and ptsd

the PTSD workbook

the PTSD sourcebook

Then these are not workbooks - but might help provide her insight and healing:

quest for respect

resurrection after rape

Well, the bottom of the poster links to QBQ.com (https://www.amazon.com/QBQ-Question-Behind-Practicing-Accountability/dp/014305709X) which is apparently a book about personal accountability in business. A lot of thought for something fake.

Anyway I think the link to QBQ is funny because my gut feeling is that bosses that post signs like these are trying to cover for their inept management skills.

So it trended a_lot in 'murica this summer, but your better off talkin' to PietaHouse and gettin' the Ruby Wax book for four quid.

There are specialist vidz aswell - ,just try not to get triggered.

>I failed a college course because I was too afraid to do public speaking.


I did too. Shit sucks, I've gotta work on it.

/u/TomasTTEngin is right though, behavioral therapy can fix this if you go through it.

A strategy I've been considering is going to toastmasters in conjunction with using the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques from this book.

Supposedly CBT really does work surprisingly well. There was a recent study about people with social anxiety who did a self taught online CBT course and in only 9 weeks they showed it caused actual structural changes in their amygdalas (fear-processing center of their brain). I'll see if I can find that one, but yeah, there is hope to change!

Edit: Here's that study

> while self-esteem says "I can do it".

No, self-esteem says no matter what happens, even if you fail, you are still a valuable human-being.

Self-confidence, or self-efficacy, says "I can do it"

Think about it this way-- do you feel like less of a person just because you can't run a marathon in 2 hours, like someone else can?

Not my idea-- may I suggest: (it's free, even.)

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VT1AO8C/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p2_i0

[Dr. Reid Wilson] (http://www.anxieties.com). He's in Chapel Hill. One of the most respected specialists in the US. He's written several books including [Don't Panic] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061582441/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_lf1qtb0MFAGQR).

Type 1 diabetes sounds pretty scary, so I can understand why you would worry so much about your future. But if you take good care of your body (eat healthy foods, exercise, take your medication, etc.), then that much worrying is probably going to be counterproductive.

Have you considered going to a therapist to get help with your anxiety?

By the way, I found When Panic Attacks helpful for my own anxiety.

Do you mind self-help books? Because this one has been on my shelf for a while and it's quite helpful.

If you have not already seen this, maybe this would be helpful https://www.amazon.com/PTSD-Workbook-Effective-Techniques-Overcoming/dp/1608827038

You might also want to check out:

"restful insomnia"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1573244678/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_iCJyCb8WN1A3

"Why we sleep"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501144324/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_FEJyCbZ0BT482

"Head trip"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1851686517/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_-EJyCbVMFBKGQ

Do you have a kindle account? If not get one and read these books:

When Panic Attacks

Constructive Living

The Confidence Gap

The Dare Response

Just download the samples and see which one resonates with you most that you might like to read. Seriously potently life changing stuff. These have been invaluable techniques for me personally.

It sounds like your body is having a fight or flight response. A few suggestions.

• You might want to check out the book Don't Panic: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks or something like it
  
  
• Maybe try mindfulness meditation
  
  
• High intensity interval training. In between sets, try to calm your breath using the techniques I mentioned in the first post. That will get your body used to stress and recovery and will train you to use breathing to calm the nerves
  
  
• Also, you might want to try some pranayama breathing exercises
  
  
• Lastly, you may want to join a social anxiety group therapy program. I'm joining one next month, Ill let you know how it goes

Outside of seeing a therapist I've found that meditation and exercise are the best ways to deal with lowering my overall anxiety level. Several years ago I had a significant bout of anxiety and panic attacks that were pretty debilitating. I ended up seeing a therapist who specialized in anxiety disorders (I've dealt with panic attacks nearly my entire adult life). He introduced me to simple meditation and breathing exercises that really worked in reducing my overall baseline anxiety levels.

The meditation exercises allowed me to better cope with periods of new stress simply because my overall anxiety level was now starting at a lower position whenever new stress/worry showed up. If my overall anxiety level was hovering around a 7 out of 10 and some new stress showed up it was easy for it to go right to a 10 out or 10. With the meditation exercises it brought my overall level down to around a 4 out of 10. When new stress showed up I would still experience worry and anxiety but it wouldn't send me over the edge into panic attacks and the cycle of worry that would keep me amped up for weeks on end.

There are a couple of good books dealing with this. The Relaxation Response and Don't Panic that were really helpful.

If you choose to see a therapist (something I've found very helpful multiple times throughout my life) look for one specializing in anxiety disorders and cognitive behavioral therapy. They can help you reframe the way you think about anxiety and stress and help provide new coping mechanisms.

The meditation routine is like a discipline. You have to keep it up in order for it to work. I've gotten out of the habit of doing it (like right now) several times only to pick it back up again when I realized I was getting myself into a bad place.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck!

Spend time working on your issues with anxiety and panic attacks.

This is a good book that was helpful to me - It's in plain words, and easy to comprehend and especially pertinent and useful to anyone with issues with their nerves.

Who knows if you're an 8 or a 5 really. When under extreme stress and anxiety your true type is incredibly hard to discern.

https://www.amazon.com/When-Panic-Attacks-Drug-Free-Anxiety-ebook/dp/B000GCFVV0

Give them this book

https://www.amazon.com/QBQ-Question-Behind-Practicing-Accountability/dp/014305709X

A lot of the need for validation, as I've experienced it, was actually just a manifestation of anxiety. Of self-doubt about not being good enough.

To that effect I would strongly, strongly encourage you either purchase, read and do everything recommended in When Panic Attacks by David Burns or go to see a mental health professional who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

This book was written by an anxiety expert: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Panic-Third-Control-Anxiety/dp/0061582441

Copy-paste form my previous thread so it doesn’t go missing:

Here are some resources that I think are essential reads for anyone suffering from ROCD and/or depression

ROCD: Relationship OCD and the Myth of "The One" - Great writeup written by therapists who are specialized in treating ROCD

Love You, Love You Not - Excellent ROCD 101 short book targeted towards people who have ROCD. It's very insightful as it is written by someone who has dealt with it and learned to successfully manage it. I just re-read it recently while going through a relapse, and it punched me with even more power than the first time

Imp of the Mind - Although it does not talk about ROCD specifically, it is all about Pure O. It helped me to look at ROCD and other intrusive thoughts in my head from another perspective. Some of the cases in the book are bizarre and funny, which made me feel like i don't have it so bad

Brain Lock - This should be part of anyone's OCD treatment swiss-army knife!

The Noonday Demon - If you struggle with major depression, as I do, this is dense but an incredible read. The author has a TED talk that is really good: Depression: The Secret We Share

Don't Panic - This one borders more on self-help books, which I kinda don't like, but a must-read if you struggle with panic disorder

Diligently work through Reid Wilson's short book Don't Panic Third Edition: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks. You will likely learn to minimize the severity of panic attacks. Having a tranquillizer available to put under your tongue will minimize worries that feed anxiety.

https://www.amazon.ca/Dont-Panic-Third-Control-Anxiety/dp/0061582441

This is a really good book that helped me.
One of the best strategies I learned to cope with panic attacks was, essentially, “bring it on!” Fear begets fear, and panic attacks will happen when you’re in a state of fear - it’s what our brains have been trained to do. By challenging the panic attack to do it’s worst, your brain will decrease the adrenaline, and instead of amplifying the panic, you’ll start to relax instead.