My Anxiety Resources

Books on Anxiety

These books have been a major part in my anxiety-controlling education, but they aren't just for those who are struggling with a mental disorder.  These are inspiring books that can help anyone sort out problems and enlighten the mind.  They are divided into three categories:

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 Philosophical
These books focus on the big picture: you are not an illness, but a whole person with great potential.  The purpose of philosophical books is to gradually help the anxious person overcome their fears with Truth.

"Shift Happens"
Robert Holden, Ph.D.

This book has been the most influential in overcoming my anxiety.  Robert Holden uses positive, enlightening truths that helped me shift the way I was viewing anxiety and myself.  There are no goals or get-better-fast schemes; just truth that heals and uplifts. 

"Love is Letting Go of Fear"
Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D.

This book teaches that love is the answer to all of life's problems.  Are you unhappy?  Love is the answer.  Are you afraid?  Love is the answer.  Are you angry?  You guessed it!  Love is the answer.  The illustrations are cute and the principles are simple and inspiring.  

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Cognitive
These books focus on using logic-based techniques to control the emotion-based thoughts and fears of anxiety.  These are not as life-changing as philosophical concepts, but are much more effective in dealing with day-to-day anxieties.

"The Feeling Good Handbook"
David D. Burns, M.D.

Anxious thoughts may seem random and uncontrollable, but they often fall under a predictable category with a consistent antidote.  This book helps take the mystery out of emotion-driven thoughts by helping you understand and combat them with easy techniques and eye-opening explanations.

"Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life"
Scott E. Spradlin

Emotions are a part of anyone's life, but sometimes, these emotions start to run out of control.  This book is a wonderful guide to understand, and therefore, help you control your emotions.

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Physical
Every emotion has a physical side to it, whether it's a trigger or a consequence.  These books focus on controlling anxious feelings by calming the body.  These are not long-term solutions because they do not address the underlying reasons for anxiety, but they are good for a temporary solution, and are fast and easy to do.

 
"The Big Book of Stress Relief Games"
Robert Epstein, Ph.D.

This collection of quick and easy stress-relief "games" are a great way to start controlling your anxiety.  These "games" were originally designed to teach in the workplace, but they are great to do anywhere, anytime.

"The Best Guide to Meditation"
Victor N. Davich

Meditation is the practice of quieting anxious thoughts, allowing your body and mind to relax.  This guide is simple and easy to understand, and helps even the newest of newbies to begin meditating with confidence.

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My Thoughts on Medicine

I resisted taking prescription pills for the longest time.  In my perfectionist state, I saw taking pills as a sign of weakness.  After all, I was strong enough to stay all-natural.  Ha!  I was so prideful.  Until I experienced anxiety myself, I did not understand how much it took over my life, and over my mind.  I tried to rise above my anxiety through cognitive therapy and natural remedies, but it just wasn't enough to keep my head above the water of my anxiety.  In my darkest days, I felt all was lost, and I would never feel the warmth of happiness again.  I felt like I was drowning in my anxiety.

Finally, after reaching a state of pure desperation, I tried taking Prozac (generic name Fluoxetine).  It took several weeks, but I began to feel...normal again.  Trust me, I was thrilled to just not feel sad all of the time!  And then I felt (le gasp) happy!  I don't know what it was, but Prozac was able to give me just the right amount of lift to get my head above the water.  In doing so, I was able to continue my cognitive therapy and natural remedies.  Because medicine is not the answer to all my problems.  I strongly believe that there is no magic pill to cure a mental illness completely.  Anxiety became a part of my life, and to be honest, I don't believe it will ever be cured.  But taking medicine has been one part of treating my anxiety, and thanks to it, I am a happy person once again.  I do, however, have some personal rules regarding my medicine:

1.  I don't decrease or stop my medicine when things go well.

I strut exactly like this when I'm feeling good.  ;)

Even in my stable state, my anxiety has natural ups and downs.  It's natural to want to decrease or quit a medicine when you have had weeks and weeks of good days.  Subconsciously, quitting medicine makes us feel like we've accomplished something great.  "I've gotten so good at controlling my anxiety, I don't need this medicine anymore.  I win!"  But do you stop putting gas in a car when it runs well?  Heck no!  Cause eventually, the car will run out of gas, and it won't be able to go anywhere.  Same with people with mental disorders.  I have stopped taking Prozac several times throughout my anxiety journey, so I know firsthand the devastating effects.  For the first few weeks, nothing changes, and I feel like such a success.  But after the medicine runs out of my system, I have a complete meltdown!  The darkness of past days returns to haunt me, and there's nothing I can do to drive it away.  So, back on my medicine I'd go!  Today, I am okay with taking medicine for the rest of my life.  It's not a handicap; it's a tool to help me be happy and productive.  There is, however, an extreme of the opposite kind, which I'll describe next. 


2. I don't increase, change, or add to my medicine when things go bad.

As I said before, my anxiety has natural ups and downs.  After becoming stable on my medicine, I developed a fear of feeling anxious, due to the fact that I had felt so crummy for months and months without reprieve.  When I would hit my natural downward slump, I would panic and think, "I'm not supposed to feel anxious!  I must increase my medicine and/or add a new medicine!  Then I will never feel anxious again!"  It's natural to feel sad sometimes, and for people with mental disorders, it's also natural to feel anxious.  I believe medicine is a good tool for stabilizing mental disorders, but I don't believe in heavy dosages and/or brands.  I take 20mg of Prozac, which helps control my anxiety without making me feel sedated or loopy.  I have learned to ride through my bad days, because without fail, I will have happy days once more. 


3. I continue to pursue natural remedies.

You cannot live on medicine alone!  To avoid the need to increase my medicine, I continue to learn and apply the natural remedies included on this resource page.  Medicine helped get my head above the water, but it's the cognitive therapy and other techniques that helped me become productive, feel alive, and find myself again.  I believe education is not just about learning history or math facts.  I might not be in college anymore, but everyday is an extensive study of the human mind and its weaknesses.  I have probably done enough research and practice equal to several psychology classes, if not more.  That's part of why I want to share my knowledge with others.  Once you learn something, it's natural to want to teach it to the next person.  Hopefully you have found this research page useful.  Please contact me if you have any questions or comments!  :)