Review of Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders:
Success Stories, Strategies, and Other Good News

Edited by Jenna Glatzer with commentary by Dr Paul Foxman

Published by Hunter House Available in paperback (or hardcover directly from the publisher's website) ISBN: 0897933818 More information at: www.absolutewrite.com/anxiety.htm Available in U.S. bookstores, or on Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com.

   This book is a must for everyone who has suffered from undue anxiety, or from a long list of physical symptoms that has had the doctors baffled-for not all doctors recognize the symptoms of anxiety. It is also a wonderful resource for psychologists. I have been a psychologist for a long time, and have worked with many an anxiety sufferer, but I learned lots from Dr. Foxman's comments at the end of each chapter. For example, 'In order for PTSD victims to improve, they must give themselves permission to recover.' Many of the contributors taught me new insights too.

   The book contains thirty-one personal stories. They are indexed by the problem affecting the sufferer, and by the helpful techniques described within the stories.

   From the Foreword by Professor David Barlow, who is a leader in the field of research on the treatment of anxiety disorders: 'Not everyone benefits from the same treatment. Among those who do benefit from one or another treatment, not everyone is "cured." That is why the book you are about to read is so important. It is increasingly easy to find descriptions of one treatment or another in a magazine or on a website. But seldom do we find how individuals-real people-incorporate these treatments into their lives along with many other techniques, remedies, and suggestions that have enabled each of the thirty-two individuals portrayed in this book to fight the good fight and overcome, for the most part, their anxiety disorders.'

   Jenna Glatzer's Prologue: 'While editing this book, I also got a few notes from people who wrote to tell me that this was a futile effort, because no one really "recovers" from an anxiety disorder; they just learn to deal with it better. I didn't come this far in my life to learn how to "deal." I came here to conquer. I told these naysayers, with all due respect, that the entire purpose of my book was to prove them wrong.'

   Dr Foxman reports in his Introduction that anxiety disorders are the most common sources of distress, outranking even depression. He states that 25% of Americans will suffer from severe anxiety at some point in their lifetime. A recovered sufferer himself, he writes: 'My treatment philosophy is based on the belief that anxiety is largely a learned reaction to stress, and that with practice it can be replaced by more productive responses.'

   The first chapter is Jenna's own story, and it had me in tears: wonderful evocative writing worthy of a great novelist--and every word ringing true. I have worked with agoraphobics, and this was it.

   I was rather saddened that many of the contributors could only climb out of their terrible situation through the extended use of drugs. Dr. Foxman's comments on this issue are valid and wise.

   Renee Decter's story shows that even the worst cases of anxiety disorder can be beaten through therapy alone, without drugs.

   In my experience, drugs may be necessary in the initial stages of fighting back, so that the sufferer can mask the symptoms enough to have the energy to fight back. Beyond that, it is actually helpful to be able to feel the anxiety, so that it can be weakened with cognitive-behavioural tools. You can only work on the problem when you feel it.

   I could lift many wonderful quotes from the many contributors, but a few will do: in Chapter 6, Kim Phelan wrote: 'Anxiety is a gift in that it forces us to change if we can face the challenge of dealing with it.' Gene Gillam in Chapter 13 made me want to hug him as he wrote: 'So what if you fall down? That's why they invented getting up.' Jacqueline Hampton in Chapter 22: 'Sometimes the best way to conquer fear is to give yourself permission to be afraid of something and then to do it anyway.'

   Jenna writes at the end: 'I want you to close this book with three thoughts in mind: You are not crazy, you are not alone, and there is hope.' This is spot on.

   The Resources section at the end of the book is a valuable list of tools for fighting anxiety.

   As an editor, I often get annoyed with published books that are poorly written, full of typos and poor in grammar. This book was wonderfully produced. I found only one minor typo, and it is clear that Jenna is as meticulous in the writing part of her work as in the healing.