Table of Contents
Foreword xv
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
A Note to Our Depressed and Anxious Readers 2
How to Use This Book 2
What Not to Read 2
What We Assume About You 2
How This Book is Organized 3
Part I: Analyzing Angst and Preparing a Plan 3
Part II: Thinking About Thinking: Thought Therapy 3
Part III: Actions Against Angst: Behavior Therapy 3
Part IV: Phocus on Physical Pheelings 3
Part V: Relationship Therapy 4
Part VI: Looking Beyond Anxiety and Depression 4
Part VII: The Part of Tens 4
Characters in This Book 4
Icons Used in This Book 4
Where to Go from Here 5
Part I: Analyzing Angst and Preparing a Plan 7
Chapter 1: Sorting Out Signs of Anxiety and Depression 9
Dwelling on Dismal and Worried Thoughts 9
Walking in Quicksand: Apprehensive and Blue Behavior 11
Feeling Funky 11
Reflecting upon Relationships 12
Plotting Your Personal Problems Profile 13
Choosing Your Challenge 15
Knowing When to Get More Help 17
Chapter 2: Discovering the Beginnings 19
Building the Body Connection 19
Laying Out a Lifeline 20
Surveying Stress 28
Drawing Conclusions 30
Chapter 3: Overcoming Obstacles to Change 31
Discovering and Challenging Change-Blocking Beliefs 31
Detecting beliefs standing in your way 31
Blasting through beliefs blocking your path 34
Looking Out for Self-Sabotage 38
Stopping self-sabotage 39
Rewriting your self-sabotaging scripts 41
Chapter 4: Minding Your Moods 43
Deciphering Body Signals 43
Connecting the Mind and Body 46
Putting Events, Feelings, and Sensations Together 47
Becoming a Thought Detective 50
Part II: Thinking About Thinking: Thought Therapy 55
Chapter 5: Untangling Twisted Thinking 57
The Information Reality Scramblers 57
Recording Information Reality Scramblers on Thought Trackers 60
The Self-Judging Reality Scramblers 64
Shoulding on yourself 64
Making critical comparisons 66
Tagging yourself with loathsome labels 68
The Self-Blame Reality Scrambler 72
Doing What You Can to Solve the Problem 74
Chapter 6: Indicting and Rehabilitating Thoughts 77
From Arraignment to Conviction: Thought Court 77
Examining a sample case in Thought Court 78
Putting your thoughts on trial 81
Reviewing more Thought Court cases 84
After the Verdict: Replacing and Rehabilitating Your Thoughts 87
Getting a little help from a friend 88
Traveling to the future 89
Recalculating risks 92
Imagining the worst 94
Reflections on Chapter 6 97
Chapter 7: Correcting Your Life-Lenses: A New Vision 99
Examining Life-Lenses 99
How life-lenses work 102
The origins of life-lenses 105
Changing the Prescription of Your Life-Lenses 107
Distinguishing the past from the present 107
Tallying up costs and benefits of current life-lenses 110
Taking direct action against problematic life-lenses 113
Chapter 8: Managing Mindfulness and Achieving Acceptance 117
Start by Losing Your Mind! 117
Distinguishing between observing and evaluating 117
Tuning in and tuning out mind chatter 120
Playing with your mind chatter 121
Arriving at Acceptance 123
Connecting with Now 126
Part III: Actions Against Angst: Behavior Therapy 129
Chapter 9: Facing Feelings: Avoiding Avoidance 131
What, Me Worry? 131
Building a Staircase of Fear 134
Identifying your fears 134
Surveying sample staircases of fear 138
Creating your own Staircase of Fear 141
Climbing Your Staircase 142
Exposing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 145
Beating obsessions 146
Treating compulsions 147
Chapter 10: Lifting Mood Through Exercise 149
How Much is Enough? 149
The Case for Health Improvement 150
Fitting Exercise into Your Life 152
What to Do When Willpower Wilts 154
Fighting de-motivating thoughts 154
Keeping track of your prgress 157
Chapter 11: Entertaining Enjoyment 159
What’s Your Pleasure? 159
Poisonous Pleasures 162
Pleasure Busters 163
Deciding to deserve fun 163
Finding fun frivolous? 165
Pleasure-pooping predictions 166
Chapter 12: Getting Moving and Tackling Life’s Problems 169
The Motivation Myth 169
Scoring Goals with S.O.C.C.E.R 172
Sizing things up (S) 172
Collecting options (O) 173
Considering consequences (C) 175
Making a choice (C) 178
Working up the courage (E) 178
Letting it rip (R) 179
Part IV: Phocus on Physical Pheelings 181
Chapter 13: Relaxing the Heart and Soul 183
Relaxation: What’s in It for Me? 183
Breathing Tension Away 185
Abdominal breathing 185
Anti-panic breathing 185
Gentle breathing 186
Mellowing Your Muscles 187
Getting Your Zzzzzzz’s 189
Sleep situation #1: Watching what you eat and drink 191
Sleep situation #2: Watching what you do 191
Sleep situation #3: The sleep setting 191
Sleep situation #4: How long is too long? 192
Sleep situation #5: Waking up too much? 192
Sleep situation #6: When worries keep you awake 193
Sleep situation #7: Dream demons 194
Your sleep action plan 195
Chapter 14: Making the Medication Decision 197
To Take or Not to Take 197
Preparing Your Prescriber 200
Sizing Up Side Effects 202
Part V: Relationship Therapy 205
Chapter 15: Restoring Relationships 207
Revealing the Emotion-Relationship Connection 207
Enhancing Your Relationship 209
Talking together 209
Delightful doings 212
Dealing with Relationship Loss 214
Moving on 215
Becoming active 217
Chapter 16: Smoothing Out Conflict 219
Overriding Defensiveness 219
Shining the light on your defensive behavior 220
Check, please 222
Don’t refuse to defuse 223
Discovering the Problem Isn’t All About You 224
Talking About the Tough Stuff 228
Shifting the focus with I Messages 228
Softening the blow through buffering 229
Part VI: Looking Beyond Anxiety and Depression 231
Chapter 17: Reining In Relapse 233
Sizing Up Your Risk of Relapse 233
Not Letting Relapse Sneak Up on You 234
Having a Fire Extinguisher Ready 237
Keeping the Ball Rolling 240
Doing the right things 241
Disrupting satisfaction interrupters 242
Chapter 18: Promoting Positives 247
Focusing on Gratitude 247
Keeping track of the things that make you grateful 248
Writing testimonials 250
Making the World a Bit Nicer 252
Letting Go 253
Exercising Self-Control 255
Discovering What’s Really Important 256
Finding Meaning at Your Funeral 258
Part VII: The Part of Tens 261
Chapter 19: Ten Resources for Help 263
Spending Time with Self-Help Books 263
Browsing Helpful Web Sites 264
Participating in Support Groups 265
Checking In with Primary Care Doctors 265
Sharing with Psychiatrists 265
Getting a Hand from Psychologists 265
Talking Things Through with Counselors 265
Getting Extra Help from Social Workers 266
Taking Advantage of Community Centers 266
Leaning on Family and Friends 266
Considering the Best Options for You 266
Chapter 20: Ten Quick Ways Out of Upset 267
Just Breathe 267
Talk It Out 267
Get Soaked 267
Feel the Big Chill 268
Take a Quick Thought Challenge 268
Exorcise with Exercise 269
Mellow with Music 269
Pacify with Pets 269
Distract Your Distress 269
Stay in the Present 269
Figure Out What Works for You 270
Index 271
