by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.
Recommended and Reviewed by John T. Koss, Esq.
As one who has suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and depression
for more than a few years, it will come as no surprise to those of you who have
similar difficulties that I have built up a vast collection of books that discuss
emotional, spiritual and psychological healing. These books come close to encompassing
a substantial part of the universe of self help and informational books on anxiety:
developing self esteem, understanding self, achieving optimism, practicing meditation,
to name just a few. Most are helpful within the narrow confines of their specialty
and thus have taken their place amongst the others in my bookcase as trophy-symbols
of my quest for relieving anxiety and depression. One book however, The Anxiety
& Phobia Workbook, is tattered, torn and filled with bookmarks, and remains
off the shelf and near my reading nook.
Written by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D. in 1990, this book has been
revised several times (the third edition was published in late 2000) in response
to the dramatic increase in drug treatment options for anxiety and the growing
awareness of the holistic and spiritual dimensions of healing. Dr. Bourne received
his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Chicago and did postdoctoral research
at Michael Reese Medical Center in Chicago. He specializes in the treatment of
anxiety, phobias and stress-related disorders and is the former director of the
Anxiety Treatment Center in San Jose and Santa Rosa, California and is a highly
respected practitioner in his field.
In my view, this book is a classic in the making. I discovered
Bourne's book a few years ago, shortly after suffering a series of debilitating
panic attacks and subsequent episodes of depression. I found that within its 19
chapters and 7 appendices, The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook offered me a strongly
holistic, practical, and hands-on approach in overcoming my anxiety and related
disorders, the ultimate in "wise old owl" guidance. The book begins with a discussion
of anxiety disorders and phobias, noting symptoms and causes. Bourne comments
on the high incidence of stress disorders in the United States, reassuring the
reader that "you are not alone", and that healing and recovery (in some cases,
"rebirth") are indeed possible.
Following this introduction, the balance of the book (approximately
360 pages) offers a program of solutions. Bourne rejects the magic bullet cure
and instead emphasizes a comprehensive approach, urging intervention at many different
levels: physical, emotional, behavioral, mental, interpersonal, whole-self and
spiritual. Although seemingly a daunting task, Bourne nonetheless manages to succeed
in presenting a pragmatic, eclectic approach in beginning a recovery program.
I found that his deliberative, nonjudgmental tone to be reassuring and felt oddly
buoyed by his economic use of contemporary jargon; perhaps this added to his credibility.
Bourne describes in detail specific skills that one needs in order to overcome
anxiety and offers step-by-step procedures and exercises designed to develop these
skills and incorporate into one's recovery program.
I was pleased to see that in his discussion of healing options,
Bourne brought together and cited many of the remedies and skills with which I
had at least some familiarity. Relaxation response, visualization, negative/positive
self-talk, mistaken beliefs, and fears from the past are all there and fully discussed.
Others not as familiar to me include the role of physical exercise, nutrition,
medication, and spirituality. All these were discussed with the same degree of
respect and detail, resulting in a very rich, well-organized workbook. While there
is a substantial amount of descriptive material found in this book, the emphasis
is on the individual taking responsibility for changing his or her condition,
in a context of support. Accordingly, be forewarned that this is indeed a workbook
and I strongly urge readers to take time to complete the recommended activities.
As for results, my experience has been very positive. Since embarking
on my recovery program, which includes many of Dr. Bourne's recommendations, my
panic attacks have ceased and anxiety level substantially reduced. The familiar
body barometers, blood pressure and cholesterol are normal. Contentment level?
Better and increasing.
For many of us who are intent on healing ourselves and removing
barriers, Dr. Bourne's book is a superb place to start.
In addition to The
Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Dr. Bourne has written many other workbooks,
including the recently released book:
Beyond Anxiety and Phobia: A Step-By-Step Guide to Lifetime Recovery.
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