Auditul anxietății

Lynn Lyons shows seven ways anxiety can shape daily life. She shows how to spot these patterns and change them. This hands-on self-help book is for those whose fears drain their time and strength. It uses real cases to show how anxiety can hide.

Some anxiety can help us. Too much can overwhelm us. It can take the form of excess worry or avoidance. It can also cause rumination, which means dwelling on past events. Other signs include symptoms in the body and short tempers. It can also keep people busy all the time. People may see anxiety in others yet miss their own. These patterns can grow if we do not address them.

The book sets fears of the future against thoughts of the past. Both can trap us in loops of thought. We keep going over choices and what might happen. These repeated, negative thoughts raise the risk of anxiety and depression.

One case follows Colton. His active life hid his fear of conflict. He kept an emotional distance from those close to him. This helped him avoid bad feelings toward them. In therapy, he learned to speak up when he disagreed. He learned to turn down requests. He also learned to set limits at work and home. He had to bear the strain when this upset others or let them down.

Lyons is a psychotherapist and social worker. She has spent 30 years in private practice. She treats anxiety disorders in both children and adults. Mihaela Olinescu translated this edition from the English original, The Anxiety Audit.