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Overcoming Anxiety

overcoming low self esteem

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety affects us all. It's not physically or mentally damaging. In most cases it's a normal response to a threatening situation; it can even be vital to survival. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress or danger. It only becomes a problem when it is exaggerated or when you experience it in a situation that should not be threatening or alarming.

In the face of stressors, a number of reactions can occur. These might include:

  • Butterflies and a racing heart
  • Panic attacks
  • Avoidance strategies
  • Coping strategies

These are normal responses to stress, but in some people they become exaggerated, starting vicious cycles of reaction that maintain the stress and worsen the anxiety.

The first step in breaking the cycles is to identify those that are at work in your particular case. The Overcoming Anxiety self-help guide will teach you how to do this.

Overcoming Anxiety is a classic self-help guide recommended as part of the NHS Books On Prescription scheme.

About the Author

Helen Kennerley is a clinical psychologist and cognitive therapist. As a consultant, she leads a specialist clinic in cognitive therapy, part of the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, and has presented workshops in her specialism nationally and internationally. Helen is the author of the Overcoming Anxiety self-help guide.

As an alternative, those suffering from anxiety might find it useful to begin by reading An Introduction to Coping With Anxiety, written by Lee Brosan and Brenda Hogan; and those whose anxiety is about their health, An Introduction to Coping With Health Anxiety, by Charles Young and Brenda Hogan. Two in a small series of CBT booklets presented in an easy-to-read A4 format, these are often used by mental health therapists as part of a course of guided self-help treatment, and can make a very good first step to recovery.