Anxiety For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Detecting and Exposing Anxiety
	Chapter 1 Analyzing and Attacking Anxiety
		Anxiety: Everybody’s Doing It
		Tabulating the Costs of Anxiety
			What does anxiety cost you?
			The cost to society
		Recognizing the Symptoms of Anxiety
			Thinking anxiously
			Behaving anxiously
			Finding anxiety in your body
		Seeking Help for Your Anxiety
			Matching symptoms and therapies
			Finding the right help
	Chapter 2 Examining What Anxiety Is All About
		Anxiety: Help or Hindrance?
		What Anxiety Looks Like
			Worrywarts
			Avoiding people
			Beyond everyday anxiety
			Panic’s companion
			Phobias: Spiders, snakes, airplanes, and other scary things
			Rare symptoms of anxiety in adults
		How Anxiety Differs from Other Emotional Disorders
	Chapter 3 Investigating the Brain and Biology
		Examining the Anxious Brain
			How the brain’s circuits connect
			Neurotransmitters
		Preparing to Fight or Flee
		Mimicking Anxiety: Drugs, Diet, and Diseases
			Exploring anxiety-mimicking drugs
			Ingesting calmness into your diet
			Investigating medical anxiety imposters
	Chapter 4 Clearing the Roadblocks to Change
		Digging Out the Roots of Anxiety
			It’s in my genes!
			It’s how I was raised!
			It’s the world’s fault!
		Finding Self-Acceptance
		Having Second Thoughts about Change
		Deciding to Get the Show on the Road
			Arguing with your arguments
			Taking baby steps
		Watching Worries Come and Go
			Following your fears
			Writing about your worries
		Getting Help from Others
			Seeking the right therapies
			Seeking the right therapist
Part 2 Battling Anxiety
	Chapter 5 Understanding Feelings
		What Do You Feel and Why?
			Feelings are sensational!
			Feelings tell you what to do
			Feelings often arise from your thoughts
		Distinguishing Thoughts from Feelings
			Blocking the blues
			Getting in touch with your feelings
			Getting in touch with your thoughts
		Looking at the Feeling Cycle in Action
	Chapter 6 Rethinking Your Thoughts
		Tackling Your Thoughts
			Weighing the evidence
			Rethinking risk
			Deconstructing worrisome scenarios
		Cultivating Calm Thinking
			Considering a “friend’s” perspective
			Creating calm
		Watching Out for Worry Words
			Stacking sticks into bonfires of anxiety
			Encountering extremist words
			Misrepresenting with all-or-none, black-or-white words
			Running into judging words
			Turning to victim words
		Refuting and Replacing Your Worry Words
			Exorcising your extremist words
			Disputing all-or-none
			Judging the judge
			Vanquishing victim words
	Chapter 7 Busting Up Your Anxious Assumptions
		Understanding Anxious Assumptions
		Sizing Up Anxious Assumptions
			Recognizing anxious assumptions
			Assessing your anxious assumptions
		Coming Down with a Case of Anxious Assumptions
			Acquiring assumptions in childhood
			Shattering your reasonable assumptions
		Challenging Those Nasty Assumptions: Running a Cost/Benefit Analysis
			Analyzing perfection
			Tabulating approval
			Reviewing vulnerability
			Counting up control
			Debating dependency
			Challenging your anxious assumptions
		Designing Calm, Balanced Assumptions
			Tempering perfectionist tendencies
			Balancing an approval addict
			Balancing vulnerability
			Relaxing control
			Diminishing dependency
		Above All: Be Kind to Yourself!
	Chapter 8 Mindful Acceptance
		Accepting Anxiety? Hey, That’s a Switch!
			Taking a calm, dispassionate view
			Tolerating uncertainty
			Being patient with yourself
			Appreciating your imperfections
		Connecting with the Here and Now
			Making contact with the present
			Putting worries about the future to rest
			Being tolerant and flexible
		Accepting Mindfulness into Your Life
		Savoring Spirituality
	Chapter 9 Facing Fear
		All About Avoidance
			Avoiding emotions
			Breaking the avoidance cycle
			Accepting discomfort and distress
		Exposure: Coming to Grips with Your Fears
			Understanding your fears
			Constructing an exposure list
			Facing your fears (gulp)
		Conquering Different Types of Fears
			Waging war on worry
			Fighting phobias
			Pushing through panic
		Expecting the Impossible
	Chapter 10 Medications and Other Biological Options
		Making Up Your Mind About Medications
			The downside of medications
			The upside of medications
		Understanding Medication Options
			Antidepressants
			Benzodiazepines
			Miscellaneous tranquilizers
			Beta blockers
			Mood stabilizers
			Medical marijuana
		Searching for Vitamins and Supplements
			Viva vitamins!
			Sifting through the slew of supplements
		Stimulating the Brain
			Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
			Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
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
			Staying connected to others
			Delegating for extra time
			Just saying “no”
		Ready . . . Exorcise!
			Don’t wait for willpower — Just do it!
			Working in your workout
		The ABCs of Getting Your Zs
			Creating a sleep haven
			Following a few relaxing routines
			Taking action when sleep just won’t come
		Designing Calm Diets
			Enjoying small, frequent portions
			Following nutritional common sense
	Chapter 12 Meditating as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle
		Meditation Basics
		What’s So Good About Meditating?
		Meditation Methods
			Breathing meditation
			Body scan meditation
			Tasting meditation
			Walking meditation
			More meditation methods
		Discovering Other Meditation Resources
		Buyer Beware: Meditation Myths
Part 4 Zeroing in on Specific Worries
	Chapter 13 Emotional Preparedness During a Pandemic
		Pushing Through Pandemic-Related Anxiety and Stress
			Accepting emotions
			Distinguishing between useful and useless pandemic-related anxiety
			Gathering emergency supplies
			Setting daily goals
			Staying connected
		Figuring out Fact versus Fiction
			Is this the end of the world?
			Is it safe to leave your house?
	Chapter 14 Facing a Career Crisis and Financial Woes
		Meeting Job Worries Head-On
			Shoring up your resume
			Finding flexibility in your career view
			Considering careers with stability
			Keeping the right focus
		Taking Stock of Your Resources
			Tallying up your financial balance sheet
			Knowing your personal assets and liabilities
		Committing to a New Game Plan
			Setting short-term goals
			Planning for the long haul
	Chapter 15 Keeping Steady When the World Is Shaking
		Assessing Your Risks
			Looking at the likelihood of dying from a natural disaster
			Tabulating your personal risks
			Assessing risks from climate change
		Preparing a Plan for Realistic Worries
		Imagining and Dealing with the Worst
			Rethinking uncertainty and anxiety
			Rethinking your ability to cope
			Going right at your worries
		Doing Your Part to Improve the World
			Helping the environment
			Volunteering in disasters
	Chapter 16 Racism and Anxiety
		Racism: The Elephant in the Room and the Snake in the Grass
			Structural racism
			Interpersonal racism
			Internalized racism
		How Racism Leads to Anxiety
		Coping with Racism
			Finding empowerment
			Staying connected
			Accepting emotion
			Taking care of yourself
		Fighting Racism
			Becoming an ally
			Educating yourself
			Speaking up
			Teaching your children well
			Exploring the unfamiliar
	Chapter 17 Keeping Out of Danger
		Evaluating Your Actual, Personal Risks
		Avoiding Unnecessary Risks
			Actions for keeping health risks low
			Actions for keeping daily life risks low
		Dealing with Trauma-Related Anxiety
			Thinking through what happened
			Exposing yourself to the incident
		Accepting a Certain Degree of Uncertainty
			Choosing to put yourself in high-risk situations
			Experiencing danger in everyday places
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
			Helping without owning the albatross
			Avoiding blame
			Giving reassurance: When help turns into harm
		Guiding the Way
			Coaching the right way
			Looking at a coach in action
		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
			Separation anxiety
			Constant worry
			Phobias
			Problems connecting with others
			Silent anxiety
	Chapter 20 Helping Kids Conquer Anxiety
		Nipping Anxiety in the Bud
			Early mastery experiences
			Fine-tuning emotions
			Inoculating against anxiety
			Resisting the desire to comfort and reassure
			Taking precautions via parenting style
		Helping Already Anxious Children
			Helping yourself first
			Modeling mellow
			Leading children through anxiety
			Exorcizing anxiety through exercise
		Getting Help from Others
			Who to get help from
			What to expect at the first session
			What happens in therapy?
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
Appendix Resources for You
Index
EULA