Molly's Reviews

Anger and AnxietyAnger and Anxiety: How To Be In Charge Of
Your Emotions and Control Phobias
Dr. Bob Rich
Zumaya

Informative read ... Recommended

This is a book of 91 pages, 8 chapters and bibliography written by a counselor with many years experience in the field.

Chapter titles include 'Why You Need An Anti-Switch Stress,' 'The Cave Person in You,' 'The Man Who Got Dogs to Dribble and Drool On Demand,' 'Phobias,' 'Making the Switch,' 'Help From Those Who Care,' 'Talking Back', 'And So On.'

Author Rich points out that those in need cannot expect magic solutions to problems, nor is single step recovery likely. Rich continues by noting that stress is our method for reacting to challenge, that we respond to threat with fight or flight reaction, and anger can goad most of us to action we may later regret. He underlines what we all know, but often forget in that stress is often the result of our interaction with other people.

This work is a blending of case studies taken from Dr. Rich's files, procedures, and educated perceptiveness into the human understanding. It is an indispensable teaching guide for those dealing with anxiety disorder and other problematic responses. This book will educate on how to modify these behaviors and emend both mental and physical health.

In Anger and Anxiety: How To Be In Charge Of Your Emotions and Control Phobias Writer Rich has produced an easily read work meant for those who realize they are in need of some help with the problems they may be facing in life. This short little book is packed with helpful suggestions while not overwhelming the reader with a lot of psychoanalyst mumbo jumbo. Rich offers good suggestions without trying to solve all problems. He knows that the job of the psychologist is not to solve or point out solutions, but to guide the distraught toward learning what does and does not work in order for them to solve their own problems.

Dr. Rich describes how anxiety and phobias come about and are maintained once developed. He cites everything handy in order to get his point across. Fantasy, Sci-Fi, selections from texts and extracts taken from case studies are all interwoven with the erudite explication of problems discussed. Rich reviews a variety of divergent behaviors, he presents a chronicle of studies and introduces what he terms the ABC method for analyzing behavior in stressful situations. A/the antecedent leading to B/behavior resulting in C/consequence. Rich suggests that the keeping of a behavior diary listing reactions etc can be helpful for sorting out understanding response to stress. He offers a detailed variety of coping techniques for dealing with identified problems.

The most hesitant or into denial reader facing problems may well find Anger and Anxiety: How To Be In Charge Of Your Emotions and Control Phobias a valuable tool as they search for something to help them with their struggle to overcome whatever emotional problems facing them. Rich offers sound suggestions couched in terms lay readers can understand as he explains the significant attributes of the Cognitive-Behavioral approach . His writing is hard hitting, deals with real problems and offers sensible proposals for the reader to use.

 

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