Laura L. Smith - Anxiety For Dummies

Anxiety For Dummies®

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Copyright © 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020949876

ISBN 978-1-119-76850-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-76856-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-76853-1 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5 Part 1: Detecting and Exposing Anxiety Chapter 1: Analyzing and Attacking Anxiety Anxiety: Everybody’s Doing It Tabulating the Costs of Anxiety Recognizing the Symptoms of Anxiety Seeking Help for Your Anxiety Chapter 2: Examining What Anxiety Is All About Anxiety: Help or Hindrance? What Anxiety Looks Like How Anxiety Differs from Other Emotional Disorders Chapter 3: Investigating the Brain and Biology Examining the Anxious Brain Preparing to Fight or Flee Mimicking Anxiety: Drugs, Diet, and Diseases Chapter 4: Clearing the Roadblocks to Change Digging Out the Roots of Anxiety Finding Self-Acceptance Having Second Thoughts about Change Deciding to Get the Show on the Road Watching Worries Come and Go Getting Help from Others

6 Part 2: Battling Anxiety Chapter 5: Understanding Feelings What Do You Feel and Why? Distinguishing Thoughts from Feelings Looking at the Feeling Cycle in Action Chapter 6: Rethinking Your Thoughts Tackling Your Thoughts Cultivating Calm Thinking Watching Out for Worry Words Refuting and Replacing Your Worry Words Chapter 7: Busting Up Your Anxious Assumptions Understanding Anxious Assumptions Sizing Up Anxious Assumptions Coming Down with a Case of Anxious Assumptions Challenging Those Nasty Assumptions: Running a Cost/Benefit Analysis Designing Calm, Balanced Assumptions Above All: Be Kind to Yourself! Chapter 8: Mindful Acceptance Accepting Anxiety? Hey, That’s a Switch! Connecting with the Here and Now Accepting Mindfulness into Your Life Savoring Spirituality Chapter 9: Facing Fear All About Avoidance Exposure: Coming to Grips with Your Fears Conquering Different Types of Fears Expecting the Impossible Chapter 10: Medications and Other Biological Options Making Up Your Mind About Medications Understanding Medication Options Searching for Vitamins and Supplements Stimulating the Brain

7 Part 3: Letting Go of the Battle Chapter 11: Looking at Lifestyle Friends and Family — Can’t Live with ’em, Can’t Live without ’em Ready … Exorcise! The ABCs of Getting Your Zs Designing Calm Diets Chapter 12: Meditating as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle Meditation Basics What’s So Good About Meditating? Meditation Methods Discovering Other Meditation Resources Buyer Beware: Meditation Myths

8 Part 4: Zeroing in on Specific Worries Chapter 13: Emotional Preparedness During a Pandemic Pushing Through Pandemic-Related Anxiety and Stress Figuring out Fact versus Fiction Chapter 14: Facing a Career Crisis and Financial Woes Meeting Job Worries Head-On Taking Stock of Your Resources Committing to a New Game Plan Chapter 15: Keeping Steady When the World Is Shaking Assessing Your Risks Preparing a Plan for Realistic Worries Imagining and Dealing with the Worst Doing Your Part to Improve the World Chapter 16: Racism and Anxiety Racism: The Elephant in the Room and the Snake in the Grass How Racism Leads to Anxiety Coping with Racism Fighting Racism Chapter 17: Keeping Out of Danger Evaluating Your Actual, Personal Risks Avoiding Unnecessary Risks Dealing with Trauma-Related Anxiety Accepting a Certain Degree of Uncertainty

9 Part 5: Helping Others with Anxiety Chapter 18: When a Family Member or Friend Suffers from Anxiety When Your Loved One Suffers from Anxiety Talking Together about Anxiety Guiding the Way Teaming Up against Anxiety Accepting Anxiety with Love Chapter 19: Recognizing Anxiety in Kids Separating Normal from Abnormal Reviewing the Most Common Anxieties in Children Chapter 20: Helping Kids Conquer Anxiety Nipping Anxiety in the Bud Helping Already Anxious Children Getting Help from Others

10 Part 6: The Part of Tens Chapter 21: Ten Approaches That Just Don’t Work Avoiding What Makes You Anxious Whining and Complaining Seeking Comfort Looking for a Quick Fix Sipping Herbal Tea Drowning Your Sorrows Trying Too Hard Hoping for Miracles Taking Medication as a Solution Getting Help on the Couch Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Deal with Relapse Expecting Anxiety Counting the Swallows Checking Out Why Anxiety Returned Seeing a Doctor Revisiting What Worked Before Doing Something Different Getting Support Considering Booster Sessions Doubling Down on Exposure Accepting Anxiety Chapter 23: Ten Signs That You Need Professional Help Having Suicidal Thoughts or Plans Feeling Hopeless Handling Anxiety and Depression Trying to No Avail Struggling at Home Dealing with Major Problems at Work Suffering from Severe Obsessions or Compulsions Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Going through Sleepless Nights Getting High Finding Help