5 comments about Overcoming Shyness and Social Phobia: A Step-by-Step Guide (Clinical Application of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy).

1. Well known for his research in the area of social anxiety, Dr. Rapee has written a small but powerful book on how to reduce the agony of living with social fears. Very useful.



2. I am undergoing therapy for social anxiety. My doctor assigned this book.

   While it does contain several useful insights and practical techniques, I found its writing style patronizing. Not that the author writes in a condescending way; rather, the vocabulary and examples appear to be aimed at someone with a junior high school education.

   The fictional case studies are populated with simplistic patients, whose problems are resolved using very straightforward approaches. Too straightforward for my taste.

   In discussing a traumatic social event, a fictional patient tells his doctor that he is afraid to go to bars with his coworkers because his hands will shake when he attempts to drink from his glass. The doctor asks him to recall previous similar situations, and whether his hands shook on those occasions. The patient concedes that sometimes they shook, sometimes they didn't.

   Then the doctor points out that his fear of drinking in public places is based on a faulty premise (that his hands always shake in those situations). When the patient suddenly realizes that his hands don't ALWAYS shake, he's suddenly halfway cured.

   So the examples were oversimplified. I can understand that. More bothersome was the occasional illogical leap employed to bolster fairly obvious observations.

   At one point, the author tells us that if someone inexplicably breaks into laughter in our presence, we should not assume that they are laughing at us. Which is fine and good.

   But he goes on to reassure us using statistics: Assume that there are a thousand of possible reasons that someone could start laughing. Therefore, the odds that we're the source of amusement is only one in a thousand.

   Um, no. Just because there are n possible explanations, that doesn't mean that the odds of any particular one being true is 1/n. Sloppy explanations like this just erode the credibility.

   Add to this the author's complete avoidance of clinical terminology (he spent a page talking about desensitization without ever once using the term), and what you have is a book intended to be read by troubled pre-teens.

   Now having declared this book unfit for human consumption, it does deserve some praise. It contains some practical techniques to help you sort out your specific anxiety triggers and ameliorate them. And there are some genuine insights as well.

   I simply could not abide the writing style and the occasional deficiency of logic. If there were a Psychology/Self-Help shelf in the Juveniles section of your library, that's where this book would belong.




3. My therapist assigned this book when I sought treatment for SA/SP. It was exactly what I needed to get me off the couch and back out into society. Rapee's book offers a plan that's simple and easy to follow, regardless of your educational background. Other reviewers chide the writing as 'low brow' and 'junior high grade level', but they have to remember that SA/SP isn't limited to College Graduates. This book is MUST whether your in therapy or simply looking for a self-help option for SA/SP.



4. I've never left a review for a book, but after reading this really helpful book I am in debt with Mr. Rapee. This is an easy to read book, short (116 p), that goes straight to the point. I've read 5 books on social anxiety and I can say that this is the most practical one, with tips that you can start applying immediately. There are cognitive suggestions to overcome your fears, issues about exposure (what he calls reality testing), and tips about improving your social skills. But remember that this book alone won't cure you: In my case, medication, group therapy, and aerobic exercise (yoga too) are other weapons I'm using to fight sad and anxiety. Good luck.



5. If you want basic cognitive techniques, this is a good little book. But these ways of thinking are difficult to have a big effect unless you complement it with cognitive group therapy for this disorder. My major problem with the book is it's total lack of information conserning the subconscious, since the automatic fear responses arise from that part of us. In my view, results will be better when the person combines cognitive self-help/group therapy with fitting visualization techniques. Willpower is always important, but mental imagery training helps the irrational aspects to be more easily tackled by the rational mind. A lot of intelligent people having this disorder is proof that it can be difficult to just "think it away". The negative programming behind sosial anxiety lies deep in the psyche. But it's not what's going on outside the person that's a problem, it's the filter called perception, the way the person thinks about what's going on outside him, that's causing the fear. Reality and real life is mostly what happens inside of all of us. Social anxiety is a type of filter giving the person overlearned/irrational responses, like it's a push of a button. The person is not the disorder. The person is not this filter. It needs to be reprogrammed. This can be done. Rapee's book gives you part of the recipe. Personally I would recommend "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz, "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind: One of the Most Powerful Self-Help Guides Ever Written" by Joseph Murphy, and "Change Your Life in Seven Days" by Paul McKenna (currently available at Amazon.co.uk). These books give a broader understanding of how the mind works and how it can be changed.

5 comments about Soft Bipolar: Vivid Thoughts, Mood Shifts and Swings, Depression, and Anxiety of the Mild Mood Disorders Affecting Millions of Americans.

1. Dr. Bunch defended the hard copy of his book by saying that his e-book does not have typos and grammatical errors. WRONG! You'd think he would get it right at some point. I didn't think the errors would be a big deal, but it makes the reader think that perhaps the doctor doesn't really know what he's talking about.
   
   I'm not sure what to make of Dr. Bunch. I'm certain he has helped many people as a therapist, and I think he genuinely cares about the topic of cyclothymia. But, I'm skeptical because as far as I can tell from his credentials, he did not attend medical school. There's nothing wrong with receiving a Ph.D. online, but a physician should be clear about his ability or potential inability to give medical advice, expecially when dealing with mental health. The field of psychiatry and psychology has many professionals who have the experience and the medical education to correctly identify and treat mood disorders.
   
   I'm going to continue muddling my way through the book with some skepticism.



2. I find this book very hard to read due to all of the typos, left out words, misspellings, and poor grammar. Additionally, much of the book is a series of lists of symptoms or signs without much explanation. The author does provide many web site listings where you can get more (and much better) information though. I would not recommend this book at all as it would be a waste of money.
   
   A really good book on the same topic is "Why am I Still Depressed?" by Jim Phelps, M.D. Dr. Phelps provides much more explanation when he discusses topics. There are no "laundry lists" of symptoms. Additionally, Dr. Phelps provides a very good set of additional references at the end of his book.
   
   So, if you like checklists of symptoms, this book is for you.
   If you prefer real information, clear explanations, and good writing, "Why am I still Depressed?" by Jim Phelps is your better choice.



3. This book made it easy to understand the so called soft, or lesser forms of bipolar, and how important it is to get treatment. I found it informative.



4. For those of us just diagnosed and searching for detailed information about "softer" forms of bipolar, this book is discouraging. If you can get past the typographical errors (I couldn't--geez, mister, at least get a proofreader if not an editor!), there's still not much "hard" information. There are some "case histories," but there are no studies to back up this guy's conclusions (he refers to "my experience" a lot). It's just not good enough.
   
   There are a lot of references to "helpful" web sites, but did we really need to spend extra money to figure out we can use the web?
   
   I found the information that IS there disorganized and unenlightening. I should have known that an author who begins, "I love working with bipolars..." might be a bit of a goof.
   
   Save your money and buy "Why Am I Still Depressed?" It's much better.



5. This book is one of the best i have read on the subject, i have even shared it with friends. It is very helpful and knowledgable. It is in easy to understand terms and suggestions.

1 comments about Mommy, Don't Go (Crary, Elizabeth, Children's Problem Solving Book.) (Crary, Elizabeth, Children's Problem Solving Book.).

1. This book seems to have really helped my daughter! Now, when I'm getting ready to go somewhere and she starts clinging to me I remind her about Matthew (the boy in the book) and she accepts the separation better.

2 comments about Annie Stories: A Special Kind of Storytelling.

1. Lots of concrete examples. Helping children deal with difficult situations in a non-threatening, creative way.



2. "Annie Stories" (and its sequel, "More Annie Stories") give parents a useful tool to help children cope with any situation that is difficult or painful, like divorce, bedwetting, teasing, jealousy, or moving to a new home or school. It offers a simple, healing technique anyone can use. I found it a joy to read, and have recommended it many times. Enjoy!

5 comments about The Ideal Classroom Setting for the Selectively Mute Child.

1. This particular booklet has some good tips and was the most useful of the 4 I purchased by this author. Still, for the price I would recommend investing in Maggie Johnson's The Selective Mutism Resource Manual instead. It is also pricey, but worth every penny.
   
   I also highly recommend Helping Your Child With Selective Mutism: Steps to Overcome a Fear of Speaking which is very useful and reasonably priced.



2. excellent and specific ideas for reducing classroom anxiety...short enough to share with your child's classroom teacher...



3. This book was very helpful to not only myself and my SM daughter, but also to her teachers and guidance counselers. Really helps others understand SM and how to deal with it in a classroom setting.



4. I found the book to be very helpful in understanding selective mutism and it offered good suggestions for the teacher. It was a little pricey for such a small book and at times it was repetitive. It did however, offer enough practical insight and suggestions that made it a good purchase.



5. If you are choosing a book on Selective Mutism for the first time, you probably don't know very many people who are familiar with this anxiety disorder. As a parent of an S.M. child I can relate to that. I am recommending a book (this book) for the first time because these books are costly and it's important to choose wisely. Upon receiving this book, I sat done and read it in one sitting. I then donated this book to our school teacher. She read it before the school year began. This book has been a wonderful asset to both of us. It explains everything you need to know about your child at school, it is easy to read and understand, and it gives provides detailed information on what to do. It also has a FAQ area in the back of the book. I highly recommend it!

3 comments about Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.

1. If you are a nursing student, you know what I mean when I say we have to read a lot of dry material. This book is the exception. The information is presented in a way that makes the reading just flow. Some of my fellow students agree that it is the kind of thing they would read even if it were not assigned. It contains examples from art and literature and that illustrate mental health disorders.



2. The Frisch and Frisch Psychiatric Nursing text is easy reading and well-oraganized, complete information for a level 1 psych nursing course.



3. This product arrived as presented, brand new, never used. It arrived in an extremely timely manner!!

5 comments about The Bipolar Advantage.

1. Tom Wootton's personal experience of bipolar and his career path have led him on an interesting road to discovery, recovery and wellness. Quite a good read with lots of food for thought. Along with the right medications and treatments there's something in his theories to really think about. Enjoy the read on your road to recovery!



2. This book gave me one man's positive insight into living with a mental illess, which usually is a sentence to a life of pain and confusion. Tom Wootton realizes that there is a reason for everything and everyone in this universe, it's up to us to find how to cope and enjoy ourselves and others in our lives.



3. I cannot tell you how excited I was to happen upon the book THE BIPOLAR ADVANTAGE. The idea that someone had written a book with that title seemed enough, but I figured since Tom Wootton had gone to the trouble to write and publish more than just that phrase, I should give a read to something as dear to my heart as what was implied by his title.
   
   I am a 56-year-old, 6' 11" (sic), bipolar, gay male. I was first diagnosed in 1978 at the age of 28 (and committed), and later (1990) jailed for 14 weeks until my parents hired a lawyer who filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus to force the judge to deal with my case. That was it. I resolved to take care of myself, and I have not lapsed once since then.
   
   The two bipolar support groups I joined in 1990 were composed almost exclusively of people who jumped on each other to hear the latest rumors of new medications that might "cure" all their ills. They gave nary a thought to how changing their habits of thought might help in the meantime, regardless the degree of effectiveness of their current medication. While my heart went out to them, it was too depressing for me to continue with them. (I'm very glad to read that Tom's experience/work with support groups has been so much better than this.) I also found the published literature to dwell on the down side almost exclusively. This was not good enough for me.
   
   I had already studied New Thought: thoughts become things--a new one can change your life--and later the Abraham-Hicks spiritual material, and have based my pragmatic beliefs/approach on their ideas that resonated with me. I have begun work on a memoir about my own experience. Like Tom's, my mind-work rests on a foundation of proper medical care and medication--something I learned the hard way by trying it first without proper care and having my life blow up completely. My adventures include delusions and adventures/misadventures proportional to my height--but reading about Tom's adventures, you might think he is taller than I am.
   
   However, have you ever seen a sex-crazed, 7-foot giant in high mania?
   
   Four years ago, after 14 years of feeling trapped by my illness, I decided that despite everything, I would have to learn to trust myself and follow my dream--to write. So through a lot of mental work in line with Tom's exercises (which I had not yet come across), eight drafts, and 3.5 years, I taught myself to write and completed a manuscript on a different subject. I now have an agent trying to sell that book to a publisher.
   
   I have been so encouraged by discovering THE BIPOLAR ADVANTAGE and the positive, practical emphasis of the book--as well as what I have read on Tom's website about his workshops and lectures. I have begun some of Tom's exercises--they fit perfectly with what I've already proven to myself, and are the perfect step for me to take now. There really is an advantage to bipolar illness, and Tom's book is both a chronicle of his groundbreaking personal turn-around and a practical guide to the beginning of the adventure of a fulfilling life that awaits those who learn to love themselves--and their illness.



4. Iam 60 years old and just learned I am Bipolar because one of my sons is.I raised 3 teenage sons as a single parent. I was the Black Sheep of my original family. Sure, this fellar is out there sometimes but we are supposed to be. God wants us to be what he meant us to be... that is different. WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE SAME. AND HE WANTS US TO ENJOY WHAT HE GAVE US!!! I DO ALLOW MYSELF TO ENJOY AND I ALLOW OTHERS TO ENJOY BEING DIFFERENT. I do not feel the badness in me now. I used to tell my mom at 3 years old, I'm just NO GOOD! I never knew why I felt so BAD. Also the author would be voted into office if everyone knew the SECRET HE TELLS ON HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT!!! Tricking your body DOES WORK! I lost 53 pounds and being BiPolar I like the tricking part and that is OK. You be you and I'll be me. It is just a different POINT OF VIEW.
   
   
   Trish McKown



5. The title of the book initially put me off. It was recommended by a friend. As I read it, and recognized the bare-all honesty, down-to-earth reality that is bipolar, I found hope in the pages. I learned practical ways to use aspects of bipolar disorder to help my life. Solid suggestions to make my life better. It's not a dry textbook like a lot of books about bipolar are. It's a real life testimony of how one man makes it work. I am grateful for it.

2 comments about Just Enough Anxiety: The Hidden Driver of Business Success.

1. In Just Enough Anxiety, Dr. Robert Rosen gave just enough information to shift my perspective on anxiety. There are a glut of books on the market advising readers how to relieve their anxiety, or rid their lives of it. This book stands out because it acknowledges that, in today's world, anxiety is a constant and inescapable companion for all of us. The news isn't as bad as it sounds. Dr. Rosen outlines how each of us can monitor, control and harness the energy of anxiety to become more productive in our own lives and on the job. The book is filled with compelling examples of some of the most successful business leaders who have done this. The good news is that the principles in the book apply to anyone---those at the top of the career ladder or those on their the way up. I highly recommend it.



2. I think Bob Rosen's book JUST ENOUGH ANXIETY is important enough for
   Executives and those on the to way to that goal to read, and understand it will help you run your business and focus properly and successfully in your company.
   
   I wish I had had the luxury, during the years I ran a business, of reading this guide to identify the problems and motivating employees on a consistent basis. Learning to understand the differences in anxiety and learning to focus with more controlled anxiety would have helped me grow the company in more progressive manner.
   .
   I feel the book has enough skills to help non-executives, seniors, and retirees. Everyone has ideas from past experiences, most think we understand the present, and many have no concept how to embrace and focus on the significant changes the future will bring. If we choose the idea that anxiety, {JEA} will help us on this journey, the future will help us be more effective citizens.

5 comments about Anxiety & Panic Attacks: Their Cause and Cure.

1. This book does better than average at explaining the causes of panic attacks and gives very good tips on how to ease the pain and discomfort of panic attacks.



2. I got this book as a gift from my sister after trying therapy and medication. Forget that. I did exactly what this book recommended and have not had any problems in over ten years. I gave my copy away and have purchased many more over the years to pass on to folks I knew who were having issues with panic attacks. Excellent book by a regular person who can relate. I always have one on hand to give away.



3. This is a great book and if you really do the exercises, you can dramatically change your life. Just keep at it every day and don't give up! I first read this book over twenty years ago and I buy them occasionally now to give to someone who struggles with severe panic. I strongly recommend it.



4. I have used the book personally and I have given copies of this book to several friends who have panic and anxiety attacks and they have used the techniques successfully.
   
   Very easy to read and apply. Expect results within a week.



5. Robert Handly's book is easily one of the most helpful books I have experienced. The life lesson being taught is much greater than how to defeat fear and panic; it highlights the importance of self-image, self-confidence and positive attitude. This is no cliche'-Handly shares this life changing information in a way that only a person having first-hand experience with panic can. The author offers what seems to be an outrageous idea- panic disorder was the best thing to ever happen to him!
   Fifteen years ago, I suffered from panic, fear and depression. Just a weekend read of this book started me on a journey of self-discovery. I have enjoyed the full recovery that Handly said was possible; my outlook on life and my world view have transformed into a much more beautiful vista. I now agree...panic disorder was the pivotal event in my life that forced me to change the polarity of my negative outlook.
   Read this book and be confident that it may just change your life.

2 comments about Quieting a Noisy Soul Kit: Overcoming Guilt, Anxiety, Anger, and Despair.

1. There really is no other Christian program like this... it thoroughly and intensively works with people who have anxiety attacks, eating disorders, depression, or other disorders. It guides them through 24 sessions where they learn about God and who He is, letting that knowledge reshape their approach to their problems. But I went through it (didn't have any of the above problems) and it was such a blessing. The principles he talks about are principles that would help anyone reorient themselves to God's truth.
   
   Berg pounds in to the viewer over and over: "Track your thinking, not your feelings." This becomes one of the cornerstones for diagnosing your condition and the soul noise generating those problems. But his directions and principles are so clear and easy to understand that a child could grasp what he's teaching.
   
   There's also a website ( [...] ) that goes along with the set and it has videos and MP3s that deal with specific problems (panic attacks, anorexia, etc.).



2. If you are giving up on how life is working, or feel plagued with fears, then this is a program you should consider. This is not a program that you can pop in the DVD and walk away and 'poof' you're changed, it takes work (but it's worth the work!!) This kit may not be for you... maybe your issues aren't as complex as these, but you may know someone who does and you just don't know how to help them. God has used this program to help me delve into the root of my issues, AND given me hope by giving me tools that are at hand and for the first time I am seeing lasting changes. I believe this is written by a man who has a heart for God and for people who struggle. Being one of those very people, I can wholeheartedly recommend it, because in it, you can find True Hope.