Recently I was told by someone on this forum who has a degree in psychiatry that there was no cure for anxiety only control by meds. I was admonished for giving false hopes by advocating the book "Self help for your nerves"/"Hope and help for your nerves" by Doctor Claire Weekes. Lets see what just some of the 360 reader reviews for this book on amazon.co.uk have to say (I'll look at the U.S. site amazon.com later).
Cazz (2017): "It has literally saved my life".
Amazon customer (2016): "I owe her a lot for bringing my life back to me."
Mumby (2016): "A life saver...it literally cured me, I haven't had an attack since I read the book 34 years ago."
hiljean (2008): "I am rapidly returning to the strong, confident, cheerful person I was before."
Cassie (2017): "Lifesaver - this book has helped me through anxiety more than pills or anti depressants."
GRENBEN (2015): "I have given it to several people..two have actually said reading it saved their lives."
chris.dawson (2001): "You can get better with this book."
Mr. DM Mckeown (2008): "It helped to change my life and I cried tears of relief when I first read it."
John G. Thomas (2017): "This book brought back my sanity, the woman's a genius."
Amazon Customer (2017): "It cured me when all else failed."
Mrs. R. I. Coleman (2003): "This marvellous book has helped millions."
M. (2015): "Instantly after reading this book I felt better...this book nodoubt gave me my life back."
A Customer (2001): "I can honestly say this book literally saved my life...took all the fear out of my illness."
Mr. C. E. Mcguinness (2015): "Quite literally this book is a life-saver, it certainly saved my sanity."
Coralles (1999): "Dr. Claire Weekes, sincerest thanks for giving me my life back."
Amazon Customer (2016): "Dr Claire Weekes' books changed my life and helped me recover from anxiety disorder."
Deb (2016): "Saved my sanity 18 years ago."
R. B. (2016): "Discovered this book 30 years ago, this book can cure anxiety for good."
Kim McCamley (2016): "Saved my sanity 38 years ago."
descrise (2001): "This book ensured my recovery from anxiety/breakdown."
B J Mears (2008): "Brilliant...thank God I found it."
F. C. Matthews (2015): "An excellent book that makes you feel better from page one."
Kerry Williams-Yeates (2015): "A life-line for anyone suffering from anxiety."
LindaB (2013): "Please don't suffer any more...it saved my life."
Written by
Jeff1943
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Alright everyone on here who is tired of crying your eyes out and wanting to die...all those of you who pour your hearts out on here about your problems everyday...just go run out and buy this book.
Don’t you feel silly for not knowing all it would take is this magical book to cure you. To think, you’ve been living the life you’ve been struggling through and all you needed to end the suffering was this book.
Those of you on meds..quit taking and read this book! It’s all you need.
Claire Weekes claimed that given time her method would allow anyone to recover from anxiety disorder. But it requires belief in her method and the will to practice and without these it can achieve nothing.
Lots of people in all fields of life like medicine, psychiatry, religion etc make a lot of claims that work for some and dont work for others no matter how much you believe. I know many people who really want to change but reading a book just won't cut it. It's amazing some people have found great comfort in this lady but some won't. Recovery is trial and error, find something that resonates with you, that you find you can throw yourself into and go for it, when you are ready and open to change. If it doesn't work then try a different method or a different persons theory. That was my point. Your posts are very positive but not everyone will find the book can help them but yes, it's great you are making people aware of it.
There are only two roads to recovery from anxiety disorder: talking therapy such as cbt and self help books. Meds are very important for giving relief but once you stop taking them the anxiety inevitably returns.
The idea that there are dozens of choices for a cure and you can go on trying one after another until you find one that suits you is false. Vitamins, magnesium, food supplements, recordings of waves breaking on the shore, Patagonian cactus juice etc have never cured anybody.
I have no idea how many tens of thousands of people have recovered using Doctor Weeke's books but the 1000 positive reader reviews on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk combined give some idea. It's an outstanding response, the ones I list above are only a very few.
Actually your posts and advice always give me real hope Jeff1943. Your advice and words of wisdom make me feel better and reinforce my belief that I do have the strength to overcome whatever I set my mind to. For that I thank you Jeff1943. Keep the posts and advice coming.
“This book is absolutely horrible. It is filled with old myths about the causes and treatment for anxiety. It reminds me of my grandmother who had "bad nerves" and was hooked on benzodiazepines. The author reiterates the whole "just relax" and "stay occupied" as treatment without going into the real causes of anxiety and panic attacks. I was offended in the chapter where she chooses a woman as a character instead of a man "because a woman's life at home is more conducive to depression than a man's life in the outside world". Furthermore, I don't care for the religious slant, especially, when she infers that people who are not religious and are reluctant to put their faith and trust in god would have a very difficult time recovering, and only if they did, would they recover. Besides hyperthyroidsim, she doesn't mention any physical ailments that can cause anxiety and panic attacks in a negligent manner. The author even goes so far as saying that if you've seen a doctor to rule out physiological illness and he/she does not find anything, do not see anymore doctors as though you would be a hypochondriac. I would seriously advise against wasting your time with this fossil of a book.”
Ahh, I see what you've done with this bad review, SpeaktheTruth, it comes from the American amazon.com reader reviews and is one of only 17 one star bad reviews out of 570 reviews. Once again 80% of U.S. reviewers have rated the book Very Good or Excellent and you choose one of the 17 bad ones out of 570 to quote. ONE OF 17 OUT OF 570 REVIEWS! Come on, SpeaktheTruth, fair's fair, you've got to read the fecking book before you can comment.
Jeff, it seems like you may need to go back and read the book yourself. You sure are getting worked up and offended by the fact I don’t agree with you and don’t subscribe to Clare Weeks method.
You don’t get it...it’s not this certain book. It is the claim that everyone can be cured by reading any book. Yes, these kind of books may help a few people, but it is a rarity for people who have actually been diagnosed by a professional to have some sort of anxiety disorder, be it GAD, social, health, etc. Most people who have been diagnosed will not be helped by a book.
I wish it could help everyone. I don’t want anyone to feel the way anxiety rules their lives. If it was as easy as reading a book, don’t you think the thousand of people on this forum would have tried that already?
I encourage everyone to get this book and read it. I hope it helps them. I’d love to see everyone getting one here saying how much better they feel after reading it and their anxiety is gone.
It’s not going to happen though.
Just in case you were wondering..I don’t see this book as a threat to psychiatry at all. I am no longer in the psychology industry and have no skin in the game. I just want people to do what works for them and get better, and for most of the people with bad anxiety such as the ones on here, meds are the fastest and most reliable way to help you get better. There’s no shame in using meds to get you to a better place and then you can work on yourself from there.
SpeaktheTruth, although meds were in their infancy when Doctor Weekes wrote this first book she acknowledged that meds have an important part to play for some and prescribed them herself for her patients.
As I always tell people, if one's anxiety becomes overwhelming ask to go on a course of meds for respite and many, many years ago used them to get through a tough patch when I had work and family responsibilities. But I used the respite to study and practice Doctor Weekes' method.
I now realise that the combined number of Amazon reader reviews is nearer 1000 than 650 and you can't ignore the fact that 80% give it the thumbs up and so many claim her method brought them relief and recovery. You just can't ignore facts like that.
You have told me before that if people could be helped by reading a book like this there wouldn't be 5 million people in the U.S. suffering from anxiety. By the same token if meds are the only real 'cure' why are there 5 million people suffering.
Once again I invite you to read this book with an open mind. Some people have criticised it because it was written 55 years ago and it describes a social background and gender roles now outmoded. But neither of those things invalidate the basic methodology advocated by Doctor Weekes. She mentions electric shock treatment and acknowledges that it helped some people but only to emphasise that it is possible to recover without it.
She acknowledged that people of faith can find their religion helpful but never suggested you had to believe in God or you wouldn't recover as that review of your's suggested.
There are just too many people singing the praises of her method, half a century after this first book was published and 25 years after her death, for it to be ignored by modern psychitric practice and that is the gravaman of the charge against the mental healthcare system.
See I would recommend this book to people that struggle with anxiety but for me with people with health anxiety it did nothing. It didn't help it at all. She goes on and talks about floating but it didn't help for me. It may have helped multiple people because that's exactly how they felt. But that's not how I feel. My heart doesn't race and I don't have headaches. I'm not afraid to go places because I fear of what people say. I got over that. But some people need this book for a personal pep talk. I wish it helped me but it didn't. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't recommend just not to people with health anxiety.
Lvictoria, I'm not too sure about your suggestion that Claire Weekes' book is only any good for general anxiety disorder and does nothing for people experiencing health anxiety.
I see that she mentions heart shakes, pain under the heart, stomach upset, palpitations, trembling, breathlessness, giddiness, nausea, trembling hands, sore head, lump in the throat and tricks of vision which I would say all come under the heading of health anxiety.
I think Claire Weekes' acceptance method while easy to understand does require practice and persistance and many fall by the wayside in a world seeking instant fixes.
I totally agree with u. My health anxiety I never experienced any of that. I actually wish I did. My health anxiety was all different. Like I said it was a great read but it didn't help me at all. But I would recommend it to anyone. If it works it works if not then there's always something else😄
I agree with you. I have anxiety around physical health too. I didnt find the book massively helpful. Think you need to be n the right place to take it on board. Recovery isnt a one size fits all thing. X
I appreciate the fact that you are at least trying any method available. Nothing works for everyone but it's the effort involved that is admirable. I hope you find peace. 😊
I really appreciate all of Jeff's posts. Every tool that we can use to have a better day and hopefully a better life is worth while. As I type this I have Claire Weekes book sitting right here beside my laptop. The book may have been written in the 60's but it's still VERY relevant. I too have health anxiety and the book has helped me and I'm not even done reading it yet. What works for one person might not work for another but it's definitely worth giving it a try rather than doing nothing at all.
The audiobook read by Claire Weekes herself really does help. She had the most calming, reassuring voice. Whenever I need a boost I put her cd on. It definitely helps. Most doctors don't get it and don't seem to have patience and that just causes more anxiety.
Absolutely! Check out your local library for audiobooks in many forms! These days, most libraries provide free subscriptions to online audio and ebook services like Overdrive or Libby!
I cut sugar and carbs out of my diet and started exercising. It cut my anxiety more than half. Go figure. Different things work for different people. I believe there are many things to glean from, from many sources. One thing I do know is this. Yes, anxiety may not be curable but having all of the tools, and being disciplined enough to use them correctly, does help a LOT! It can mean the difference between living and not living life. And I chosen to live life without the meds and their side effects because you can, and it is doable (for most people with generalized anxiety).
I'm going to read this Jeff today and then I'll come back and give my opinion later. There's no right or wrong answer with books like this. It's a personal journey and what works for one...may not work for another. Thnkyoou. Janie.
I truly believe that different things heal different people,for an author to claim her book would cure everyone is a bit strange! Specifically in the USA . Yes reading a book could possibly cure some folk same as a placebo can cure others. Speak the Truth ? I don't think your first post helps anyone ! It's not what your word's mean it is the spirit they are written in! Same as not what you say but how you say it
Delzek, Doctor Claire Weekes' statement that her method can help everybody to recover regsrdless of how long or how deeply they suffered was based on her experience of face to face therapy at her surgery in Australia where she practiced for many years. She treated a large number of people and claimed she never found anybody who didn't eventually recover.
Hi Jeff I am not belittling her statement or her belief, I am going by experience after wasting over £2000 trying something with similar claims, What helps one person or even many people does not necessarily mean it will help another.We are all different and our minds react in different ways, it also depends on where you are what affected you in the first place .All people are different and situations where you are in your own recovery etc etc !
Just too many variables in my honest opinion! Glad it helps others though I am willing to try anything if it helps !!!!
Well, for what it's worth, coming OFF all medication was the best thing I ever did for my anxiety and panic attacks. It's not the solution for everything but after 10 years I have my life back.And no more caffeine. Then I began to exercise and made some big life changes. But the exercise and the life changes I could never have done on the meds.
Me too! I was on one medication for 12 years and just last April, came off of them. It has been tough but to finally feel again...I'm back to being creative and genuinely happy. I am currently using therapy to go over past traumas that I've hidden beneath a slew of medications for years.
Oh yes, a longgggg taper was part of the process. I was told it would take 18 months to get through it & start to feel better, which was so daunting, and it did!
I agree with TheHistoricalPresent it was a long taper process and the withdrawal process was nightmarish. I am not quite as far as she is (only around 9 months off it) but I have hope! I'm already feeling healthier, and less foggy. My memory is vastly improving and my health check ups have all been great!
Why come on to a forum where people try to be positive about things and throw a huge negativety out there, what was the point ?. Boost your deflated ego !!.
If this book helps anyone, which it does and has and will, read it.
It is true medication can help and does help people, it's also true medication has lead to suicides too.
The main reason for anxiety and depression is low GAGA and serotonin levels in the brain, if you can raise them it will help.
However,
Talking helps too. If you're feeling trapped by your life, overwhelmed, at a loss over a death or have sexuality or gender issues, talk to someone don't just run to your doctor and get some meds.
I believe diet and excerice and minerals and vitamins help ALOT. So does dealing with issues that trouble you not just downing a benzo so it doesn't seem so bad.
Touche. What works, works. It is what it is. Nothing is a fit for everyone. But SpeaktheTruth's first reply caught attention, created a discussion, replies, and contributions from some members whose names I have not seen previously. That's good to see.
Well said ! What is good for one may not be good for another as I have said before, but anything is worth trying , because anything is better than being in the Never knowing when the next panic attack is going to get you! I would never rubbish anyone's belief but I check things out first get as much knowledge about an issue or claim before I take it seriously
I have read this book and it definately helped a lot especially if you want to know why you feel the way you do. And your anxiety is made worse by worrying about it. It is a very good book as a foundation for dealing with anxiety. It seems ti say the same things that the calm app does and that is not ancient.
A self-help book I read said we can reprogram our brains by changing our thoughts and reactions. I believe it. Did reading that particular book solve all my problems? No, but I haven't properly applied it yet.
I don't expect one book, course, website, etc to solve all my problems. I expect to do multiple things before I achieve my goals e.g. drink water, count calories and exercise to lose weight. Not one thing but several. The same goes for my anxiety.
Personally I don't want to rely on pills. I'd be worried about different doses, formula changes, doctors taking prescriptions away, etc. I'd rather rely on myself. I don't need a prescription to be more positive and manage my anxiety myself.
The book helped me over my first bout of anxiety in the 80's. And you reminded me of it last year when you replied to me on one of my posts. I bought the book again and it comforts me now and keeps me strong!
I think the question and the response from SpeaktheTruth is typical of the "black and white thinking" that is so common and problematic for all of us who have or have had anxiety disorder.
For me and from what I have read and discussed with therapists is that it is usually a combination of both. There is growing evidence of how diet/genetics, brain chemistry, etc... influences anxiety as well as the value of CBT, ACT and other forms of therapy for treating anxiety. Taking antidepressants and anxiety meds allowed me to gain some perspective, slow my obsessive thinking down and feel what being "anxiety free" was like. I realized early on that just taking them was not going to "cure me".
I have not read Claire Weeks book but I did do a home tape program called Chaange a number of years ago. I've also read numerous books that are similar like From Panic to Power. They helped but i continued to have anxiety issues. I realized that subconsciously I was still resisting the anxiety and trying to make it go away.
I no longer have anxiety issues and what helped the most was realizing that I had to totally accept it. When I had the anxiety feelings come up I would mentally and physically imagine myself as being attacked by a bear where the best defense is to just curl up in a ball and don't resist. If you resist it just makes it stronger. The other major thing was that my inner critic voice was a total lie and to not believe it, no matter what. I also started talking back to and correcting my inner critic. I also realized that the role of a therapist should be to provide you with the insight and tools to cope and accept your anxiety disorder because ultimately they can't "fix" you, you have to fix yourself.
I also learned as much as a could about anxiety disorder, particularly recent and new material. It was important and very helpful for me to understand why and how I developed anxiety disorder in order to heal. I do believe that anxiety disorder does not "just happen or come out of the blue". I was bullied as a child and developed social anxiety disorder which also sometimes would evolve into health anxiety disorder. Because I had been bullied, I came across "Complex PTSD" and my anxiety disorder started to make a lot of sense.
The books/resources that were the most helpful for me were: "At last a life and beyond, anxiety and panic free" by Paul David; "Get out of your mind & into your life (ACT therapy" by Steven Hayes; "Complex PTSD from surviving to thriving" by Pete Walker; "It's not all in your head. Stop worrying about your health...." by Gordon Asmundson and Steven Taylor. I also worked with a therapist who specialized in treating people with Complex PTSD.
My recommendation about therapists is to find one or a group that specializes in specifically treating anxiety disorder only and is focused on the experiential aspect of it. From my experience talk therapy and even CBT therapy aren't effective. Understanding and rehashing your childhood traumas, etc... is valuable but learning to surrender and accept the anxiety and live in the present is the first priority.
Great post design guy. This is more along the lines of what I was thinking. I never said books couldn’t help you, just my feelings that a book alone won’t “cure” you of your anxiety. I advocate meds because they usually help. Once they start working they allow you to relax and ground yourself again and give you a break from the anxiety that has been causing you stress. It gives you a chance to look at things for a different and more rational perspective.
I tried for 3 years to get my anxiety under control without meds because I thought I could do it. I read a ton of books, did yoga, tried meditation and acupuncture. I finally broke down and went the Med route. Once they kicked in, I saw things in a whole new light and was able to get control of things and start fresh. I haven’t felt better in years.
Thanks SpeaktheTruth, and I totally get your "saw new things in a whole new light." I tried using natural supplements and even had neurotransmitter tests done. They weren't moving the needle and I started the meds. They definitely helped me get me head up out of the hole and start to see the reality of things. Unfortunately, there seems to still be a stigma about meds. People still view them as a crutch, getting hooked, etc... My position is that if they help - who cares, especially when my physical tests showed my body needed them. There is growing research that supports the theory that our first brain is our gut, which influences our second brain in our head.
Simply reading the book doesn’t bring about cure. A good understanding and applying the knowledge gained from reading it (over & over if need be) will cure anxiety and any other fear based disorder, so long as there is no underlying medical condition of which anxiety is an actual symptom (e.g. hyperthyroidism)
When I say cure, I mean it in the sense that anxiety is a normal human reaction designed to protect us from threats. The only difference is anxiety sufferers have become afraid of the symptoms of anxiety which are designed to frighten us, to make us run, hide or play dead (if the perceived threat is bigger or faster). This creates a fear-adrenalin-fear cycle and causes the nervous system to become sensitised through over use (trigger happy) producing the very symptoms that sufferers are trying to get rid of and often for no particular reason.
Anxiety disorders occur when people become afraid of the symptoms caused by “frayed” nerves. Fear is the root cause.
The way to recover is simple (lose the fear) but not so easy to apply. It takes practise and a little courage but achievable for all sufferers. It’s not a method, it relies upon the natural physiological healing powers of the human body to heal sensitised nerves. If anxiety is classed as an illness, it’s an illness of the nerves that control the emotions that have become sensitised through stress or a series of stressors and will heal so long as the sufferer allows the process to happen by accepting the symptoms and not fighting them. Fighting is akin to continually picking the scab on a graze and stressing because it isn’t getting better. Acceptance is trusting the graze to heal without interference.
Hence, Acceptance is not something you do. Recovery happens by changing your attitude towards the symptoms of anxiety. Fighting, suppressing, avoiding, distraction or any other method or technique used to not feel anxious only provides temporary relief. Permanent relief and a return to normal levels of anxiety at appropriate times comes about through acceptance.
Trying to get rid of the symptoms of anxiety has the opposite effect. Anxiety is a paradox. The less you do to get better, the more you feel better. Doing nothing except observing the symptoms is the way to recover from inappropriate levels of anxiety. I learnt this from reading two books. The only thing I did to recover from GAD, health anxiety, relationship anxiety (to name but 3 - different labels, same root cause) was to change my attitude towards the symptoms and make my life bigger than anxiety and not let it dictate matters. Over a period of time, the symptoms melted away and usually without me noticing that they had gone. I learned not to go searching for recovery but for recovery to find me.
Designguy, you say you haven't read anything by Claire Weekes but what you just wrote about acceptance and surrender is what her whole method is based on as explained in her first book published in 1962 but she had been using acceptance based therapy in helping patients at her medical practice in Australia for some 10 years before that.
I too found CBT ineffective and this was at the world famous Priory Clinic too, but maybe this was down to the therapist.
Hello jeff1943, I was responding specifically to your question "Can you REALLY recover from anxiety by reading a book?" I think it is possible for some if their anxiety is not chronic or a "disorder". I think the majority of us on this forum have or have had chronic anxiety disorder and probably multiple disorders, which in my experience required more than reading a book. I think her book was and still is valuable and ground breaking from what I understand and likely influenced a lot of people and other authors and therapists about treating anxiety.
When I started my quest for books/info on it, it wasn't one I came across, it wasn't that I purposefully dismissed it. Like a lot of info on anxiety, I think you have to be "ready" to receive the info. The "peeling the onion away" metaphor.
Jeff, did you recover from your anxiety by reading her book?
Designguy, my anxiety is family inherited, it goes back to Victorian times, so I will never be entirely free of it. But Claire Weekes' acceptance method allows me to keep it well controlled, if I feel it creeping up I know how to respond, so I am free from it 95% of the time, maybe more.
When anxiety first struck in 1974 it was disabling, I retired to a dark room and never thought I'd leave. I had no reluctance in going onto medication which gave respite. But I didn't want to take them for ever so remembering that on my mother's bookshelf there were Doctor Weekes' first two books I read them and I fully embraced her accept-it-for-the-moment- don't-fight-it method for recovery and recovered. A major reoccurance came in 1996 when I again took meds but then reached for Doctor Weeks' books again and recovered. Nothing major since then, I know her two first books by heart now, I respond instinctively to her teachings. A course of CBT therapy at the Priory Centre years ago did nothing for me.
I advise people with overwhelming anxiety to take meds and use the respite to look for long term recovery by therapy and/or self help. But there seems to be great resistance to taking meds among many we meet here. I tell them 'anxiety about taking anti-anxiety meds is just another symptom of anxiety' and believe this is the reason. If you have diabetes you take insulin, no problem, if glaucoma you take timolol, no problem, so why have a problem about taking amitriptyline when you haven't left your bedroom for five weeks?
Doctor Weekes, who herself experienced anxiety disorder used to say that if you cure yourself once by her method then even if you have a reoccurance years later you have still recovered because if you've cured yourself once you can do it again. So according to her I have recovered.
Self cure? That must be the hardest thing to do and this Dr weekes appears to have written her first book when any signs of non conformity you would be locked in an asylum ! A very brave person by all means will order via Waterstons today!
Jeff, you have mentioned your anxiety was inherited back to Victorian times. Could you explain how you learned that and is there information to read to determine if others have it?
I know my anxiety is genetic because my mother had it and told me that it was common up her side of the family going back to Victorian times. My two daughters and one of 3 grandsons have it but I'm hoping it's burnt itself out in the case of my great grandson. I have heard of no way of testing for inherited anxiety tenedencies.
You have to be able to have a rapport with your therapist and trust them to a degree,that's why I now will not go near them ! They make me more anxious than when I used to go to them
I am more fortunate than you. My neuropsychiatrist usually just has a 15 check up with me each month. But if I am having difficulty I call ahead and time is adjusted for him to work with me. He was the first one to mention practicing how to change the nightmares I have with my PTSD type issues. I'd almost given up on nightmares ever leaving when one morning I woke remembering one of the repeating nightmares had a different ending where I was in control. After that my deep crushing feeling anxiety stopped. I still have anxiety, but not anything like that while awake. Nightmares still visit, and my doctor is really helping me deal with them.
Jeff, it sounds like her book was and continues to be very helpful for you. I totally agree with you about the meds and the analogy of taking meds for other physical conditions. A lot of people believe that it's a "mental" condition when there is growing evidence that it is also a physical condition. I went to a psychopharmacologist to get prescribed what was best for me at the time. I wanted to do what ever i could physically to improve my mental functioning. I also think people have to make a serious commitment to themselves to do whatever it takes to get better, understanding that they are solely responsible for how they feel.
I agree about recurrence. Once you learn and experience recovery you can't un-learn it. It might take a bit of refreshing like rereading part of her book but the recovery time will be much less.
I believe our minds are so incredibly powerful that we CAN heal ourselves without medications. I don't trust any doctor that force feeds their patients meds. It seems like laziness. I've been off my meds for almost a year and, while my anxiety has been bad, I am finally working through past traumas. I know I can get better. I'm not giving up on myself. Rather than hiding from or masking my pain, I'm confronting it and making progress. Now, I am not saying all medication is bad or completely unnecessary, I'm simply an advocate for the beautiful potential of our minds. If going medication free works for some people, I don't understand the harm in reading a book or two.
But, I'm biased. I work in a library so I'm a huge nerdy advocate of reading. So there's that.
Look up “At Last a Life” by Paul David or visit his website, AnxietyNoMore.co.uk. He has rpublished a second book which I didn’t need to buy. Paul’s book and More Self Help for Your Nerves by Dr Claire Weekes wer3 th3 two books that helped me to recover without mecication which didn’t work for me, for whatever reason. I also remember thinking how would I know if it was me who recovered or the medication that did it for me. Typical anxious thoughts in hindsight but chose to recover without the tablets. The great thing is I now have all the tools I need to recover in the unlikely event that I manage to create and then fall into that same black hole. I say unlikely because I know where I went wrong so can’t posdibly make the same mistakes again. I lost my fear of anxiety which is the root cause and genuinely do not care even if it does come back.
Hi Morgjt, when you try something new, always read it with an open mind. Give it the benefit of the doubt. Take what you feel relates to you. Pick and choose the words and advice carefully. One time around won't do it. As with anything we do in life, it takes practice and time in allowing something to work for you.
It's all about believing in what you are trying. Including medication and some old wives' tales. My best to you. x
So many professionals advocate drugs today. Drugs is not the answer. They didn’t have drugs thousands of years ago and they did just fine. Why should we take drugs for everything? It’s ridiculous. I am a firm believer that drugs are bad for you and have side effects. Everyone should use them only as a last resort. The only medicine i take is hayfever liquid syrup, and that’s only if my reaction to pollen gets really really bad. I suffer from depression and was offered all sorts of meds but turned it down.
I don’t know..your first post in the forum mentioned how bad your depression was and that you didn’t want to live anymore. I’d say that’s a point of last resort. You’ve been suffering since 2005...it might be time to try some meds and give your self a break.
I go through phases. Glad i resisted meds when i made my first post. I’m fine now and didn’t take meds. I think people are too quick to take meds these days. It isn’t the best solution in most cases in my opinion.
I think it's quite simple really, if you feel overwhelmed by anxiety and you have a job to hold down and maybe a family to provide for or even if you haven't but feel desperate it must be right to use medications to give yourself a break and see if there are other solutions for you. I think the list of side effects the pharmas list with the meds to cover themselves is maybe what puts some people with anxiety off. And then because of the anxiety a lot of imagining goes on about side effects. I don't think the demonising of meds does us any good even though our goal may be to be free of anxiety by talking therapy or self help studies.
Why are some people on here so evangelical over this style of treatment and specifially this book.I totally get what you are saying. It is amazing that ths has helped yourself and all of those people. However for every person it helps there will be those it won't. It is great advice and knowledge people are giving out but some of it will seem quite intimidating to those who aren't in a place where they can concentrate enough to read this and put it into practice. As someone who has had a lot of therapy, i really advocate DBT but i couldn't continue the course because i just wasn't in that place. I believe it is a combination of meds and pro active steps to recovery. One size doesnt fit all. X
Maybe read the reader reviews taken from Amazon at the top of this thread. As for myself it brought understanding of what was happening to me, an end to bewilderment and taught me how to deal with anxiety so that I am free from it 95% of the time. In my case anxiety disorder is genetic so I will never be entirely free from it.
If you are able, look up some of my posts on this website. All are based on the teachings of Dr Claire Weekes and a website called AnxietyNoMore.co.uk which applies the exact same principles about accepting the symptoms, making your life bigger than anxiety and time being the great healer.
I'm with you jeff1943 I have had anxiety for over 40 years and I've had good years and some bad ones.but I purchased Dr Claire weeks book self help for your nerves last year after I had severe anxiety after the loss of my mother.and I had medication from doctor 2 mg diazepam and Dr weeks book really helped me as on really bad days I took Dr weeks advice.....I got ready for work and I accepted the anxiety as best I could and off I went to work.it was not easy but I kept saying to myself you can do it no matter how crap I was feeling.I did go out every day and faced my fears.I got better little by little.some days I still get anxiety BUT it doesn't stop me living my life.I no longer fear the anxiety as I know it will pass I just accept it.
Jessie, your story is a wonderful testamonial to your own courage and to the beneficial nature of Claire Weekes' methods. Thank you for letting us know.
Dr weekes understud anxiety she saw thousands of patients over the years and she was so right when she said accept FEAR and all the symptoms for what they are ! Its the fear of fear that keeps anxiety alive.you will still get bad days ( especially when you've had a stressful day etc.but instead of full blown panic.you see anxiety for what it really is .and just accept it and do not fear it.that's the way forward.
It can and it will if you apply the teachings in full. No half measures but you can build up to that point. Recovery lies within you and is a process. There is no instant cure but entirely possible if you understand what is happening to your mind and body and learn to embrace / live alongside the symptoms of anxiety instead of fearing them and trying everything to stop yourself from feeling anxious. Like I’ve said before, anxiety suffers will not get better until they stop trying to get better. It’s the trying that keeps people from recovering. Doing nothing about the symptoms is the way to recover. It’s about changing your attitude to one of acceptance instead of avoiding, suppressing, distraction or doing anything else to not feel a certain way. Sufferers regain control b6 giving up trying to control anxiety. Learn to let go.
I read that book many years ago. It worked in reverse for me. When I read if you don't stop being afraid of it it will get worse and worse and I got scared because I told myself I can't stop being afraid now I'm going to get worse. I'm afraid of the fear. I took it the wrong way. I don't believe in myself. So the thought of being afraid of the fear won't leave my head. I don't blame the book or dr Claire weekes
Oh, I am sorry I misunderstood what and why you were asking. My apologies for that. I am not familiar with Dr. Weekes works or books. I have anxiety but do take some medication and use other ways to manage my anxiety. Sorry you are having such a tough time and wish I could help you more. Know from your posts you have been having a tough time. xx
It does go away! I suffered panic anxiety health anxiety for the past 7months & wen i started accepting it/faced it & wasnt afraid of it it slowly wen away! I took fluoxetine for 5 weeks stopped it just over 2 weeks ago & i feel alot better! I drink plenty of water go walking deep breathing hope this helps x
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Yes it does. Thank you. My husband doesn't understand any of this.
Think this has been a good discussion from a variety of viewpoints and don't really think you could relax about thinking a troll is doing anything, Joey21.
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So there's that. 
Are meds the only way to recover from anxiety?
Can anxiety really do all of this? 
Can anxiety really have such a physical affect
Can you help me with my Anxiety problems?
