When Panic Attacks

February 15, 2006
While everyone has the occasional attack of nerves, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 19 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders, i.e., anxiety or panic that is so severe or unrelenting that it interferes with normal life. While psychiatrists often prescribe antidepressants, some of which seem to have antianxiety effects, Burns (psychiatry & behavioral sciences, Stanford Univ. Sch. of Medicine; "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy") recommends cognitive-behavioral therapy, a type of talk therapy in which patients are taught to recognize and deliberately change their negative patterns of thought and action. Although there are many other acceptable titles that can help people do this on their own -including Edmund J. Bourne -s "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook" and Judith Bemis and Amr Barrada -s "Embracing the Fear: Learning To Manage Anxiety and Panic Attacks" -Burns -s book has several features to recommend it. Besides being well written and accessible, with lots of patient narratives to spark interest, it lays out exactly what readers need to do to feel better. In addition, Burns -s earlier title on depression, "Feeling Good", is much beloved by the self-help crowd, so there will be some demand for this new one. For most public libraries." -Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA"

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