The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens

September 7, 2015
This straightforward self-help book uses cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help readers grapple with different forms of anxiety. Rather than reduce anxiety to a list of symptoms or disorders, Shannon spends the first few chapters discussing its biological origins; describing the instinct to worry as "the monkey mind," governed by a fight-or-flight response, she covers the thought processes that can perpetuate anxious rumination. Practical activities for acknowledging and reducing such thoughts appear throughout, along with links to online materials, as Shannon explores various types of anxiety in greater detail, including social anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Supportive, specific, and well-articulated advice may ease the minds of readers who seek to better understand their own habits and behavior: "When you respond to monkey chatter by worrying, you are saying, You are right, monkey. This is something I need to worry about. You are giving your monkey a bananaâtraining it to view the imagined threat as a real one." This resource has the potential to both enlighten and empower. Ages 13âup.

December 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-This installment of this series of health self-help guides for teens focuses on using cognitive-behavioral therapy to overcome anxiety. Everyone feels nervous or upset on occasion, says Shannon, but when anxiety negatively affects self-esteem and independence, additional support is needed. This easy-to-read volume helps readers recognize when the "monkey mind," or the primitive, instinctual part of the brain, is doing the thinking and offers advice in overcoming those thoughts. The author's strategies are practical and designed to help teens facing all kinds of anxiety-inducing scenarios. VERDICT While this book isn't necessarily one that teens would self-select from the library shelves, it's a good option as a desk copy for middle and high school counselors.-Elaine Baran Black, Georgia Public Library Service, Atlanta

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