What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Master Anxiety: All You Need to Know to Overcome Stress
Based on the human givens approach to psychotherapy, this book contains science-based insights into human behavior, our needs and the way in which we get those needs met that will help you overcome a wide range of anxiety-led behaviors and take back control of your life.
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
29 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 19, 2019
I have been reading a lot on the topic the last couple of years. In the beginning I was thinking this book can't offer more than I already knew on the topic. And I am happy I was wrong.
The book is very well written and it really helped me to reevaluate and see anxiety in another way.
And it is not just something you have to learn to live with.
I recommend the book to everyone who wants to understand oneself better and is ready to work on his/her issues.
The book is very well written and it really helped me to reevaluate and see anxiety in another way.
And it is not just something you have to learn to live with.
I recommend the book to everyone who wants to understand oneself better and is ready to work on his/her issues.
June 10, 2014
En praktisk handbok i tre delar där den första förklarar vad oro, ångest är, vad som händer i kroppen och varför; del 2 ger praktiska råd och anvisningar och del 3 handlar om att söka professionell hjälp. Tonen i boken är hela tiden positivt optimistisk och ger flera exempel på personer som kommit över svårt handikappande tillstånd som t ex OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, sociala fobier, panikattacker, psykoser m m
Upplägget är likt det i How to Lift Depression..fast, mycket med andnings- och avslappningsövningar, att använda fantasin på rätt sätt och att checka av att Human Givens-behoven är uppfyllda. Boken har hjälpt mig mycket i ansträngda lägen.
Upplägget är likt det i How to Lift Depression..fast, mycket med andnings- och avslappningsövningar, att använda fantasin på rätt sätt och att checka av att Human Givens-behoven är uppfyllda. Boken har hjälpt mig mycket i ansträngda lägen.
October 11, 2009
Good relaxation techniques are described that anyone can use at anytime needed. Clear description of the causes of each anxiety disorder. I really like these 'Human Givens' books because they are not holding anything back as in many books I've read on psychology. They also give examples of their own cases. There is always a detailed explanation of treatments which are very practical and disorder specific.
September 26, 2016
3.5 Rating
Not a great reader of self-help type books, I picked this up idly as I was going through a few days of stress and anxiety, but actually found myself reading on - and purchasing my own copy - because I found it easy to read, enlightening and helpful.
I have, fortunately, never suffered from panic attacks, severe OCD or some of the more severe, life-affecting forms of anxiety described in this book; I would describe myself more as fretful, someone prone to worry and overthinking, and occasional bouts of panicky anxiety. Usually when reading a book or article about illness/mental health, this state of mind usually leads to me worrying even more about the given subject rather than less - the familiar thought of 'oh dear, that sounds so much like me/there must be something seriously wrong with me'. With this book however, I didn't have that feeling. Instead I felt that, firstly, although not severe my anxiety is something worth thinking about and perhaps acting on, and secondly that it isn't any worse than I had previously imagined. This in itself was helpful, as it also overcomes the part of me that says 'oh it's nothing, don't be so ridiculous and just get on with it', allowing me to acknowledge that a few helpful suggestions might just make my day-to-day a little easier.
The first two sections cover how to identify signs of anxiety and stress, from the mild to the severe, and what (if anything) could be the cause of them, and also how to make some steps of your own in combating those feelings and symptoms. These range from ideas you may need outside help with to simple breathing exercises you can implement to help calm yourself, and allow yourself to think rationally in the face of panic. I found the descriptions of why something seemingly innocuous might lead to anxiety or compulsive behaviour particularly helpful, as for me knowing how something works and being able to understand it is very helpful to enabling me to think rationally about doing something about it.
The only part of the book I had a problem with was the third section, about how to find professional help for anxiety, I just didn't like the tone of it. Some parts were useful, such as the list of things to consider when deciding whether a particular therapist is right for you, making sure that you would get the most out of any professional help by finding the right match for you, which is obviously important. However, the attitude to any therapy that doesn't follow the 'human givens' approach I found very limiting and preachy. Obviously, this is a human givens book so it would advocate that approach, but it did so by dismissing any other form of therapy; the attitude being that any therapy that looks at one approach rather than using the human givens approach as a whole would basically be worthless as it wouldn't cover all the issues necessary to solve a given problem. I just didn't like the casual dismissal of any other type of help you might look for, and the idea that a human givens approach would work for anyone and any symptom; some of the descriptions of the approach made it sound too 'easy', I don't personally believe every problem can be fixed with the same solution, which was how this made it sound to me. I think a suggestion of the human givens being their recommended approach but an acknowledgement that finding the approach that works best for you would have been more helpful.
Overall however this book was level-headed, easy to understand and personally I found it helpful at a time when I needed some outside reassurance. I will feel happy referring back to it and putting some of the ideas into practice when facing anxious situations, and if I ever need further help in the future.
Not a great reader of self-help type books, I picked this up idly as I was going through a few days of stress and anxiety, but actually found myself reading on - and purchasing my own copy - because I found it easy to read, enlightening and helpful.
I have, fortunately, never suffered from panic attacks, severe OCD or some of the more severe, life-affecting forms of anxiety described in this book; I would describe myself more as fretful, someone prone to worry and overthinking, and occasional bouts of panicky anxiety. Usually when reading a book or article about illness/mental health, this state of mind usually leads to me worrying even more about the given subject rather than less - the familiar thought of 'oh dear, that sounds so much like me/there must be something seriously wrong with me'. With this book however, I didn't have that feeling. Instead I felt that, firstly, although not severe my anxiety is something worth thinking about and perhaps acting on, and secondly that it isn't any worse than I had previously imagined. This in itself was helpful, as it also overcomes the part of me that says 'oh it's nothing, don't be so ridiculous and just get on with it', allowing me to acknowledge that a few helpful suggestions might just make my day-to-day a little easier.
The first two sections cover how to identify signs of anxiety and stress, from the mild to the severe, and what (if anything) could be the cause of them, and also how to make some steps of your own in combating those feelings and symptoms. These range from ideas you may need outside help with to simple breathing exercises you can implement to help calm yourself, and allow yourself to think rationally in the face of panic. I found the descriptions of why something seemingly innocuous might lead to anxiety or compulsive behaviour particularly helpful, as for me knowing how something works and being able to understand it is very helpful to enabling me to think rationally about doing something about it.
The only part of the book I had a problem with was the third section, about how to find professional help for anxiety, I just didn't like the tone of it. Some parts were useful, such as the list of things to consider when deciding whether a particular therapist is right for you, making sure that you would get the most out of any professional help by finding the right match for you, which is obviously important. However, the attitude to any therapy that doesn't follow the 'human givens' approach I found very limiting and preachy. Obviously, this is a human givens book so it would advocate that approach, but it did so by dismissing any other form of therapy; the attitude being that any therapy that looks at one approach rather than using the human givens approach as a whole would basically be worthless as it wouldn't cover all the issues necessary to solve a given problem. I just didn't like the casual dismissal of any other type of help you might look for, and the idea that a human givens approach would work for anyone and any symptom; some of the descriptions of the approach made it sound too 'easy', I don't personally believe every problem can be fixed with the same solution, which was how this made it sound to me. I think a suggestion of the human givens being their recommended approach but an acknowledgement that finding the approach that works best for you would have been more helpful.
Overall however this book was level-headed, easy to understand and personally I found it helpful at a time when I needed some outside reassurance. I will feel happy referring back to it and putting some of the ideas into practice when facing anxious situations, and if I ever need further help in the future.
January 27, 2019
I thought this book was going to be a case of 'easier said than done', but it was really helpful. It starts by explaining what happens to us physiologically and biologically when we encounter stress. It follows that by giving some practical exercises that can be used immediately, and finishes with encouraging, detailed success stories of people who have overcome their anxiety, panic attacks and trauma. The first and second parts were especially helpful for me.
March 29, 2019
Brilliant practical strategies for dealing with anxiety and a different way to view anxiety. The case studies putting theory into practice were very helpful.
February 17, 2020
Useful information for someone suffering with anxiety and wanting to understand the science behind it and some coping strategies. Helps with rationalising your anxiety.
January 26, 2023
3.5, helpful practical advice 👌
February 21, 2016
Sexist
It's difficult to trust such awfully sexist men despite the power of their scientific insights. Just one example out of very many: in the OCD section the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is characterised as "the boss", male even when the mind is a woman's. The boss has a secretary, the anterior cingulate. Now, guess what sex?
It's difficult to trust such awfully sexist men despite the power of their scientific insights. Just one example out of very many: in the OCD section the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is characterised as "the boss", male even when the mind is a woman's. The boss has a secretary, the anterior cingulate. Now, guess what sex?
September 18, 2019
Have nothing but but great things to say about his series of books. Human Givens has nailed the inner workings of the human condition to a t, and this book is no exception. Highly recommended if you or somebody you know suffers from anxiety.
Want to read
March 28, 2013Brilliant book, very insightful and helpful, would definitely recommend this book.
Read
October 31, 2014This book is set out very clearly, it'a very informative, and it has a lot of stories that people can relate to if they are suffering from any of the disorders within the book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews