Is there something inherently wrong with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? Yes. It's bloated. Some people think that mental disorders don't exist, and that some people are just misunderstood. Well, I don't buy that line of thought. The reality is that some people do have mental problems, and they are different, but not because they're a little kookie or eccentric. They have serious underlying genetic, or other issues, that keep them the way they are. The DSM's job is to help psychiatrists classify the various
How to Stop Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations. Don't these two words make you shudder with anxiety? Well, maybe the words don't, but the sensations caused by heart palpitations certainly do scare people. In fact, it's the main topic of emails that I get from people who contact me with questions. And given that this anxiety symptom is so common among anxiety sufferers, I thought it would be helpful to do a "how to" article on palpitations. First, a few basics. A heart palpitation is an abnormal beating of the heart AND your heightened awareness of your heart
Finding Your Place in the World
Today's guest post is brought to you by Dan Stelter of Anxietysupportnetwork. Does social anxiety make you feel lost some times? Like you just don't fit in anywhere? Dan's article is a great starting point for you if you've ever felt this way in the past. Dan has a lot of useful insights about social anxiety on his site and I'm glad that he was willing to share some of those ideas with us here. For those of us suffering from social anxiety disorder, we often find ourselves being run-down by others and being pushed outside of the group.
Panic Disorder: Stories of Hope (1994)
This is a 20 minute documentary video that follows the story of three people with panic disorder. The video is a little dated and somewhat cheesy, but the information it contains is up to date and useful. It's kind of hard to find good media about anxiety disorders, so I was glad to find this video and make it available to you. The bottom line of this short video is that panic disorder can be crippling, but it is also highly treatable. If you can't see the video CLICK HERE. [poll id="7"]
How to Stop Anxious Thinking: Released
The day has come. After nearly four months of research, writing, and revision I'm happy to announce that my Special Report How to Stop Anxious Thinking is now available. I've created an information page that you can visit to get a real clear picture of what you can expect from my Special Report, so I won't rehash every single detail in this article. However, I do want to give you some background and a few highlights. First, let's start with the title How to Stop Anxious Thinking. Why stop anxious thoughts and not anxiety symptoms or
Does Having an Anxiety Disorder Build Character?
About two weeks ago I was watching a t.v. show on the History channel about American prisoners of war and it got me thinking. One of the most poignant moments in the show was when one of the former prisoners was talking about how his experience had helped him. He said it helped him to know himself better, he learned to deal with adversity, and if he had to do it all over again he would. He described how he was kept in solitary confinement for months; the darkness of the cell, the tapping communication code he and his comrades developed to
Special Report Competition: Update
In celebration of my soon to be released Special Report How to Stop Anxious Thinking I've decided to run a competition. To enter the competition all you have to do is submit a short story describing your most memorable triumph over anxiety. Whether it was overcoming panic, public speaking, or extreme nervousness in any number of situations. Be creative. In one week I will select the winner and give that person a free copy of How to Stop Anxious Thinking and publish their entry on Anxietyguru.net. Here are a few quick
How Drinking Tea Can Relieve Anxiety
There are many ways to treat an anxiety disorder. Some people use drugs, yoga, acupuncture, vitamins and the list goes on. But did you know that drinking tea can help relieve anxiety? Tea contains a unique anxiety reducing amino acid called L-Theanine that helps create a calming sensation. The irony is that tea often contains caffeine. Nonetheless, people who drink tea often say that they feel calm after having a cup. In addition to reducing anxiety, studies have shown that L-Theanine may be effective in promoting concentration,
If You Don’t Stop Mind Reading Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later
No matter how hard you might try you will never be able to read minds; this despite your anxiety driven belief that you know what other people are thinking when they stare at you from across a room. I recently spoke with a friend about this and I thought I'd write about it in the future, then I thought why wait? It seemed like an immediate issue for my friend, it only made sense to me that there would be more people with the same problem. I used to try and "read" other people's mind too, that is until I realized how pointless it was. At