Very Interesting | Worry | Edward M. Md Hallowell

Help for the common man and woman | Worry | Edward M. Md Hallowell

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	• Worry Edward M. Md Hallowell Ballantine Books, 1998 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 16 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

very informative book on worry

I was very happy that I bought this book. As a person who suffers from worry/anxiety (learned from the best of them....my mother) I turned to this book to help me understand the reasons behind worry and what can be done to help the person suffering from it. Dr. Hallowell does an incredible job discussing the different forms of worry (including the differences between good and bad worry), the possibility of genetic reasons, how worry fits in with other mental illness (depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder), etc. He then talks about the different ways that worry can be dealt with. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he is not an advocate of just giving medication. He discusses a well-rounded approach of therapy, medication (if necessary), and things a person can do on their own. He discusses the various types of medication and how they work with different types of mental illness. The last part of the book talks about various things a person can do to help themselves deal with worry.

Overall I think this is a wonderful book. It is definitely a great starting point for those who know they have a problem but are unsure of how to start dealing with it.

I completely disagree with the reviewer who said this book would not be good for learning how to deal with worry. Its as if they were reading a completely different book than I did.

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Very Interesting

I am very impressed with this book so far. I have not gotten very far but I am intrigued by this book so far.

Help for the common man and woman

I picked up Dr. Hallowell's book about three years ago. I was in a horrible job with a demanding and verbally abusive boss and thought I had died and gone to Hell. On more than one occasion I seriously considered driving my car into a tree just to avoid having to go to work another miserable day. I was in counseling with a psychologist at the time who, though quite a funny guy, was of no help to me. I worried about a lot of things. I worried about everything: how to survive in a rotten job; how to regain joy in my life with my wife and newborn son; how to stop self-destructive behaviors; how to get back my lost sense of humor. I was, needless to say, desperate! Then, while browsing through the "Self-help Section" of the bookstore, I was grabbed by the title of Dr. Hallowell's book: "Worry". I bought the book and read case studies all about myself. People who suffered exactly like I did. I learned that I wasn't a failure. I wasn't crazy. I wasn't destined to live out the rest of my life as a miserably unhappy man. I talked about the book with my wife and told her I thought I was depressed and really needed help. I went to a psychiatrist who said I was suffering from Major Depression. He prescribed medication and long term therapy. The change in me was dramatic. I felt better, mentally and physically, enjoyed my family, regained my sense of humor, and, best of all, I quit my job. Of course I found another job and I'm still in therapy. I'm no longer depressed. This book literally saved my life.

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Intelligent, Informative, Inspiring

If you are looking for a book on worry that goes beyond the usual platitudes or advice found in "stress management" books, this is a great choice. Instead of just repeating the basics such as exercise, meditation, or others, Dr. Hallowell brings the background of a clinical expert to the discussion. He shows exactly how exercise, meditation and other ideas can help, and when they might not.

Dr. Hallowell explains that worry is natural and necessary, but because it ties into the potent human imagination, it can become hard to control in some people, and for various reasons. The author delivers his world class expertise in short chapters that are easy to read, though there is pretty deep information for the interested layperson.

Some examples of the insights I appreciated in the book include: not thinking of excessive worry as a moral failure, but rather a condition to be treated; recognizing the relationship between procrastination and worry, realizing there are basically two kinds of worry - adaptive, which is healthy and maladaptive, which manufactures imaginary dangers. A good quote on the importance of healthy worry: "Refusal to worry constitutes denial". Many modern professions reward healthy levels of worry (scenario recognition and planning), but this can get away from an individual when it becomes a personality trait (and some are born to it). Perfectionists are setup up for toxic worry because they do not feel safe enough to fail.

The overall plan of the book helps the reader determine if they should seek professional help for worry due to psychological, physical or combinations of these causes. There is a lot of reflective questioning and case studies to help you think deeply about why you worry in an unhealthy way. Reading the real life cases helps you put your situation in perspective, no matter what course you should follow. There is a helpful survey to gauge the severity and amount of your worrying. Larger issues such as connectedness to others, unresolved guilt, hereditary factors, vengeful thoughts, anger, negative self-talk and many other deeply personal causes of worry are explored. Genuinely engaging these parts of the book can help you learn some things about yourself.

The book does a great job for the person who does not need professional treatment, but does need solid clinical advice. On the other hand, if you do need professional counsel tailored to your situation, the book helps you see why and does not demean you for getting the help you need. There are full chapters for OCD, phobias, GAD and other conditions that require more treatment than the book provides, but it can help you get on the right track with solid information.

An important part of using worry in a healthy manner is to act using a simple three step formula: Evaluate, Plan, and Remediate. Basically, instead of continuing to worry, use the worry itself to identify a straightforward plan to at least improve the situation. The book helps you determine the source of the worry and connect them to a plan. You don't have to fix the whole world in one shot, just make some progress; this reduces worry and makes a difference outside your mind in the real world too.

I really like the book and it has helped me. I was lead into some very personal reflection about my background that I would not have come up with on my own and I did not have to pay for expensive counseling (and I am better informed about when that is appropriate). If you are tired of light advice on a difficult subject, try this book.

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Useful stuff here for the worryworts of the world

A decent, well-written book on what to do about the problem, written by a psychiatrist who is advocates a well-balanced approach between the usefulness of medication and the usefulness of simple good practices (meditation, prayer, exercise, having a social network).

The author explains the various diagnosed conditions that pertain to "worry" such as ADD, depression, panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He illustrates them with case studies from patients (mostly other doctors) that he's treated.

I found it an interesting book, somewhat helpful with the simple good practices and somewhat more helpful in learning more about these conditions in the first place. I guess you can't expect too much more; you've got to do the hard work yourself.

The author gets major points for a chapter on Samuel Johnson who apparently was a horrendous worrywort, and yet who lived a full and vital life.

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Here is the first book to explore every facet of the most common and debilitating emotional state: worry. While a healthy level of worry can help us perform efficiently at work, anticipate dangers, and learn from past errors, in its extreme forms worry can become "toxic"--poisoning our pleasures, sabotaging our achievements, and preventing us from resolving actual problems.

In this lucid, reassuring book, Dr. Hallowell discusses all types of worry, explores their underlying causes, and considers the best strategies for coping. Case histories and anecdotes illuminate such issues as worry in relationships; the correlation between worry and conditions like , depression, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder; worry at work; and the worried child. In an effective section titled "Remedies That Work," Dr. Hallowell shows us how to evaluate, control, and manage worry, both with and without medication.

Even "born" worriers can learn to use their worry wisely and channel it healthily. This book is the key. Filled with practical solutions and insightful guidance, Worry is an invaluable aid to living a happier, calmer, and more rewarding emotional life.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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