I got this book because my anxiety and panic attacks got so severe I was afraid to leave the house. I was afraid of the dark and of my boyfriend leaving me alone at the house. I couldn't go anywhere alone without freaking out.
I read and re-read this book before putting it's methods to use because I wanted to make sure the suggestions were things I could see myself trying out. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book covered all of my questions and fears and ways to overcome!
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook 4th Edition covers everything from the causes of anxiety disorders to creating your own recovery program. It's a no-nonsense kind of book that promises results as long as the reader takes the suggestions seriously. I'm living proof that techniques really work. I started walking to nearby stores by myself without freaking out, I learned to calm myself in public and private situations and I learned to change my ways of thinking.
I reccomend this book to anyone who's sick and tired of being anxious, panicky or jittery and anyone who's ready to begin healing!

When attending CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) my therapist asked me to buy this book for our weekly sessions. I wondered why she chose this book out of so many others she had piled on the shelf but didn't ask. So I came home and bought it from Amazon and waited for its arrival. First things first, as a personal preference, I don't like soft back books so that was a little "aww man it's not a hardback" but as the saying goes "DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!"
I was flipping through and noticed that it covers ALL types of anxieties, phobias, fears. That was overwhelming to me because naturally I just wanted to flip to the page that pertained to myself. But while reading it I learned A TON of new information on anxiety. So it wasn't too bad.
I brought the book to my therapy sessions and did some of the exercises with my therapist. For me they were hard to understand so we worked on them together.
But anyway, the one exercise I disliked the most is the one that asked me to rate my feelings weekly (I think it was) and I thought that was weird because as all anxiety sufferers know, symptoms can be bad one day, worse the next and then not so bad.
I also didn't like feeling like I had to memorize certain things so that I could go on to the next exercise.
For example, "Jane had to get on a plane and felt a sense of panic coming on, what would you categorize this as"? (And that's my own example)
So I felt like I was studying for a course more than anything.
Eventually I stopped brining the book to my sessions and we moved on.
But all in all, unless you're looking for information on a variety of things instead of just a few things, move on. If you're not into memorizing or looking back on chapters, move on.
If someone recommends it and wants to work on it with you then get it. I just found it more wasteful than helpful.

I bought this book thinking it would help me with my issues. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, if they didn't go over all the anxiety issues you have in the beginning of the book. I would start reading it and start thinking about their examples of the different kinds of anxiety. This would throw me into an anxiety attack. I am a worrier and i have anxiety and panic attacks. This gave me more things to worry about. I haven't tried any other anxiety books. If they just talked about ways to help I may have found it useful. I know they go over exposure therapy. The best thing I found for my anxiety was changing my thoughts. I had a lot of help from therapy. I see others who have said this book helped. But if your like me, it will send you into an anxiety attack every time you read it. I do not recommend this book for those reasons.

This is an EXCELLENT book for those suffering from stress, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, poor self-esteem, etc. In other words, almost everyone can benefit from this book.

Often recommended by psychologists, social workers, therapists and others in the mental health field, this self-help workbook is considered a classic. The author takes a multi-disciplinary approach to wellness, addressing physical, mental, behavioral, spiritual and other facets of the individual, rather than just the "instant fix" of medication, although he addresses medications as well. Combined in the book are readings, surveys, exercises (both written and physical) and a helpful list of resources.

If you are suffering from phobias and/or panic attacks of a severe nature, the author walks you through actual steps of progress, from understanding the conditions themselves, all the way to exercises of exposure to the actual stressors.

As a sufferer from stress and anxiety, I have used this workbook repeatedly through the years. If I find myself in need of motivation, I will leaf through the book to find tips that can help me find balance again. I particulary enjoy the sections on meditation and relaxation.

I highly recommend this workbook. Whether you have been "in therapy" for years, or are just beginning your quest for healing and self awareness, this book will be a reference you find helpful again and again.

A few years ago I suddenly found myself in the midst of a 24/7 panic attack that came out of nowhere, and left me helpless and feeling insane. I was scared of myself and I couldn't function. I started seeing a psychologist who recommended this book to me. At first I thought it sounded cheezy, but i was feeling so terrible I thought I had better try it. What did I have to lose? I was surprised how the book explains what goes on in your head during anxiety attacks and so forth. There are worksheets to help you sort out what may be causing your anxiety, as well as how you can effectively cope with it. It even goes so far as to explain how your physical health can be related to it. If you are hypoglycemic or have thyroid problems, I learned that this may be tied in as well. The book teaches you how to stop talking negatively to yourself in your head, and change your thoughts into positive ones that do not provoke anxiety. It teaches you how to relax, how to expose yourself to a fear to get over it, and a lot more. This book was a very effective tool for me when I was trying to get my head above water. I still use a lot of what I have learned from this book today, and I am now 100% functional and don't feel crazy anymore!

This workbook has been the most helpful book to me during my twenty year battle with anxiety issues. It explains panic attacks, what happens in your body during a panic attack, and helps to dispel some of the fears that commonly accompany panic attacks. Bourne also explains how thought processes contribute to anxiety, and offers great ideas and exercises for understanding and dealing with your negative thoughts. Working through the exercises in this book helped me make progress with my anxiety disorder, and provided valuable information for me to help me work through my phobia. Bourne’s suggestions about desensitization are great, and they work! Some of the tasks he suggests are not easy, but the road to mental health is not an easy one. In this book, Bourne recognizes that, and offers encouragement, but also seems to believe that each reader has the innate strength to make progress with their fears, even without seeing a therapists. Each of the exercises in this book have an obvious purpose, and are simple to understand. I highly recommend this book, it should be one of the key components of an anxiety sufferer’s library.