Overcoming Anxiety Book Review

Title: Overcoming Anxiety

Author: David Berndt, Ph.D.

Publisher: David Berndt, Ph.D.

Genre: Nonfiction/Self-Help

Format: Kindle

Pages: 110

The good news is that anxiety can be overcome without relying on medication. Psychologist David Berndt, Ph.D., in Overcoming Anxiety outlines several self-help methods for management of anxiety and worry. In clear simple language and a conversational style, Dr. Berndt shares with the reader powerful step by step proven techniques for anxiety management.

You will learn:

 A Self-hypnosis grounding technique in the Ericksonian tradition.

 Box Breathing, Seven Eleven and similar breathing techniques for anxiety relief.

 How to stop or interrupt toxic thoughts that keep you locked in anxiety.

 How to harness and utilize your worries, so they work for you.

 Relief from anxiety through desensitization and exposure therapy. 

The book was designed to be used alone as self-help or in conjunction with professional 

treatment Dr. Berndt draws upon his experience as a clinician and academic researcher to 

give accessible help to the reader who wants to understand and manage their anxiety.

Written in language that is easy for the lay person to follow and understand,  this book is a valuable addition to any home library. The techniques described are best practived for personal use but are also great for the parental toolbox.  I look forward to reading other titles in this series.

Dr. Berndt not only describes the basic techniques but gives background on their development

and suggestions on how they can be personalized.  Meant for anxiety, as a means of handling and reigning in,  not making anxiety disappear, the author explains how to first work with present moment attention but with practice, even memories can be used. These techniques are useful for many types of stress, from PTSD, panic attacks, to insomnia and lighter fears.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Book Excerpt:

In its simplest form this 54321 skill can be quite helpful, but by changing the technique
and making it yours, you will more confidently rely on it for managing severe anxiety
and for relief during other peak moments of stress.
Combined with other tools in the later chapters, you will get more apt at developing an emotionally intelligent skillset, from which you can pick and choose your best option for handling an emotional problem.

How and When the 54321 Technique Works

Before we start, I want to explain a bit about how the method works.
This technique is a good way to learn to harness most emotions, like anxiety, anger, panic or fear, when they become unmanageable.  Once mastered, the skill has the potential to work well and
simply when these emotions are creating havoc in your life.

This method will not completely rid you of your anxiety or fear, and it does not – and should not- entirely stop all worrying and fretting. It cannot solve all of your emotional problems.
What it can do is shrink your troubling and often overwhelming feelings, so they can become smaller, more manageable, and less compelling.

For More Information

 Visit David Berndt’s website.

 Connect with David on Facebook and Twitter.

 Visit David’s blog.

 Contact David.

David J. Berndt, Ph.D. was an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago where he published or presented over 80 papers and articles before establishing a private practice. Dr. Berndt currently lives in Charleston, S.C. where he
also teaches in an adjunct capacity at the College of Charleston.
He is best known for his psychological tests The Multiscore Depression Inventory, and the Multiscore Depression
Inventory for Children, both from Western Psychological Services.
His latest book is the nonfiction self-help,
Overcoming Anxiety.

For More Information

 Visit David Berndt’s website.

 Connect with David on Facebook and Twitter.

 Visit David’s blog.


 Contact David.