Coping with Social Anxiety

March 15, 2005
These two titles address social anxiety disorder, a mental illness experienced by 5.3 million Americans. Hollander (psychiatry, Mount Sinai Medical Ctr.; coeditor, "The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Anxiety Disorders") and Bakalar (coauthor, "Understanding Teenage Depression") explain the nature of the disorder and how it differs from simple shyness and phobia, as well as the range of current treatment options. Drawing on scientific journals, they also nicely summarize in lay terms the latest research on the origins of social anxiety, its common co-morbidity with other disorders, self-tests for overcoming shyness, and how readers can enroll in clinical trials for new medications designed to alleviate symptoms of the disorder.

Geriatric psychiatrist Rabins follows up his best-selling guide to Alzheimer's ("The 36-Hour Day") with this highly specialized analysis of how anxiety disorders impact at least ten percent of the U.S. elderly population. Based on his 25 years of experience in the field, the book shows adult children how to assist elderly parents who suffer from various forms of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobia disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. Rabins's nontechnical approach will help readers understand the special manifestations of anxiety in the elderly and how to choose the best treatment options and make lifestyle enhancements and is highly recommended for larger public libraries. Hollander and Bakalar's book is similar to competing consumer mental health titles (e.g., Murray B. Stein and John R. Walker's "Triumph over Shyness: Conquering Shyness and Social Anxiety"), but it has the benefit of the most current information; larger public libraries should definitely purchase. -Dale Farris, Groves, TX

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