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Understanding panic attacks and overcoming fear

Lion Hudson, 2011
RRP $12.90

Rev Dr Lew Born is a retired UCA minister and a member of the Newlife Robina UCA congregation.

This is an excellent self-help book written by an authority in behavioural and cognitive psychology, the Professor of Clinical Psychology at Bournemouth, UK.

It is written for three groups of people: as a self-help guide for panic suffers, for families and friends to understand and support sufferers, and as an extra resource for clinicians in helping anxiety patients.

There are five sections: The A to Z of panic, Myths about panic, Root causes of panic, Practical therapy for panic attacks and Cures, half cures & limitations.

The author does not disclaim the need for professional and drug therapy in serious cases, but for many others the cognitive understanding, theories and processes in the book may help find an answer.

He cites in detail the massive research which supports the claim that cognitive therapy has a significantly high effectiveness with anxiety attack sufferers.

In answer to the question about whether people can help themselves, Dr Baker says "I believe a lack of understanding of what is happening is a primary block to self help."

In addition to its scholarly and research, the book is an easy read for lay people.