The 23 best books to overcome anxiety

Let’s be honest. Most of us face a mind that wants to go faster than life on a daily basis.. We deal with our fears, with the tangle of worries and even with the slippery floor of insecurities. Thus, a more than adequate way to learn to handle these situations is through books to overcome anxiety.

These types of readings, aimed at improving our knowledge about certain psychological processes and states, are always of great help. They broaden our perspectives, instruct us and besides They provide us with valuable techniques to improve our way of thinking.

It is clear, however, that we always have the help of good professionals in the field of psychology and health at our disposal. However, books, as Gustave Flaubert said in his day, do not exactly seek to entertain or instruct us. Good books help us live better.

For this reason, it is worth diving into this type of options, where experts in these fields can provide us with more than adequate tools to effectively manage everything from the most punctual and sporadic anxiety, to those situations where attacks have already made an appearance. panic and phobias. Let’s see those most recommended titles below.

The best books to overcome anxiety

Doctors Richard Herbert, James D. Forman and Evan M. Gaudiano, from the University of Michigan, conducted a study in 2008 where they analyzed the impact of books on overcoming anxiety in the population. ¿Do they really help? Do they facilitate observable improvements or are they mere work without any therapeutic relevance?

Well, the results of this work showed us that among the 50 best-selling titles in this area, those that provoked the most positive changes in readers were those written by professionals in psychology, medicine or psychiatry. It’s more, The scientific evidence, the quality of the techniques provided and the resonance were assessed..

Let’s see below, which are precisely the best books to overcome anxiety, those that also bring together those points in common.

1. How to Control Anxiety Before It Controls You (Albert Ellis)

Albert Ellis was one of the most influential psychotherapists in history, for many, even more than Sigmund Freud himself. He laid the foundations of rational emotive behavioral therapy, very effective in treating anxiety problems precisely. Likewise, if with this book he undoubtedly marked a before and after, it is because he allowed us to understand several things:

With Dr. Ellis We learned that anxiety in and of itself is not negative. The worrying thing is when we lose control over it and our reality begins to become blurred and distorted by this unhealthy approach where negative thoughts abound.

With this book we will learn valuable strategies to take the helm over it. and redirect it towards much more useful and healthy paths.

2. How to overcome anxiety (Enrique Rojas)

Enrique Rojas is one of the most prominent exponents in the field of psychiatry, depression and anxiety. The main virtue of most of his books is the clarity with which he transmits the ideas, concepts and strategies with which we can be active agents in our own anxiety management.

We are facing work that is as valuable as it is professional, ideal for facilitating change, for adopting healthier habits with which to strengthen the muscle of our emotions.

3 Anxiety: Fear, hope and the search for inner peace (Scott Stossel)

Anxiety: fear, hope and the search for inner peace became a whole best-seller in a very short time. We are undoubtedly facing one of the best books to overcome anxiety about different events.

The first, because of how it is written: The author tells us his own story, his first-person experience, one where there is no shortage of humor, closeness, drama and self-discovery. Anyone who suffers from anxiety will find comfort in this reading. It is a deep, human and brilliant book with no shortage of scientific, philosophical and psychological references.

4. Even if you are afraid, do it anyway (Susan Jeffers)

With this very original title, psychologist and expert in the field of self-help Susan Jeffers offers us a book that can be summarized in one word: practical. To one side are the classic theories and sometimes cumbersome chapters where as readers we can get lost or bored. None of that happens in this job, because It is a work that does what is necessary: ​​help us manage anxiety.

With Susan Jeffers we will learn, for example, to make decisions, to face insecurity, to manage harmful relationships and to emerge as much more confident and skillful people on a daily basis.

5. Master anxiety attacks (Pedro Moreno and Julio César Martín)

Pedro Moreno and Julio César Martín are two experts in clinical psychology specialized in the treatment of this type of conditions. We are, therefore, facing one of the most useful and interesting books to overcome anxiety.

So, in this case, What differentiates this work from the rest of the options is the topic on which it focuses: anxiety crises. Not only do they provide us with tools to better deal with these situations, they also allow us to understand why they occur, what is the origin and what types of therapies are the most effective. This is a useful book for both patients and psychology professionals.

6. Anxiety and phobias (Edmund Bourne)

This is another of the best-known books to overcome anxiety (in fact, it is a classic). What we will achieve with reading it is delve in an effective and useful way into phobias and irrational fears that often block our lives.

Many mental health professionals recommend it because of the learning we can obtain:

Discover the usefulness of relaxation and breathing techniques.Control internal dialogue. Understand and identify mistaken beliefs. The importance of correct nutrition.How to prevent and cope with panic attacks.

7. The path of mindfulness (John Teasdale, Mark Williams, Zindel Segal)

8 weeks. That is the time when, according to this book, we can begin to see changes after starting to practice the mindfulness . This interesting work reveals the keys to a well-known and practical approach to the treatment of anxiety: cognitive therapy based on mindfulness (TCBM). It is a simple, useful and very interesting book to learn about one of the approaches of the so-called third generation therapies.

8. Practical manual for the treatment of shyness and social anxiety (Martín Antony and Richard Swinson)

Sometimes the intensity of shyness and social anxiety prevents people from enjoying life. This is a book ideal for those who want to learn to be more comfortable with others. Therefore, renowned psychologists Antony and Swinson have taken several successful treatments for social anxiety and adapted them for a lay audience.

The book presents gradual strategies that have been proven to be understandable, effective and safe to help the reader better address social situations.. As the reader carries out the activities, this manual will be able to:

Discover your strengths and weaknesses with self-assessment. Explore and examine your fears. Create a personalized plan for change. Put the plan into practice through gentle, gradual exposure to social situations.

9. Calm anxiety: Discover how mindfulness can free you from fear and anxiety (Jeffrey Brantley)

This book too offers to mindfulness as a solution for anxiety. To do this, the author relies on techniques and perspectives from two apparently different traditions: the eastern and the western.

Thus, offers a powerful and profound approach to overcoming anxiety, fear and panic. From the evidence-based tradition of Western medicine, it teaches the role thoughts and emotions play in anxiety. And, drawing from the tradition of meditation and inquiry into meaning and purpose, it shows the potential of presence, stillness, kindness and compassion in the healing process.

10. Learning from anxiety: the wisdom of emotions (Pedro Moreno)

A book that In addition to proposing to mindfulness As part of the treatment for anxiety, it also becomes an invitation from the author to better understand our emotions and to turn our fears into an opportunity for growth. The text proposes a series of steps to progressively free ourselves from anxiety and make us increasingly compassionate and kind to ourselves and others.

It is a book recommended by many professionals, because:

It is aimed at self-knowledge and introspective work around the symptoms of anxiety. It includes simple exercises to show progress. It helps us become more aware of those situations and thoughts that generate anxiety.

eleven. Anxiety, someone help me! (Sara Burillo)

This best-seller, first published in 2013, Its purpose is to help those who are dealing with anxiety problems through simple strategies that can help them lead a calmer life connected to the present time. Among the useful information it includes, it stands out that:

It clearly presents the different symptoms of anxiety. Each chapter includes exercises and actions that can be done in a simple way and which can be monitored. It shows techniques to control the symptoms of anxiety. It allows us to think about our mental well-being in a way comprehensive that also includes physical health.

12. Panic Out: Natural Technique That Will Help Quickly Stop Your Panic Attacks and General Anxiety (Barry McDonagh)

Written by psychology professional Barry McDonagh, this book is based on the author’s own experience trying to overcome his own episodes of anxiety and panic attacks. A panic attack is an intense and sudden episode of anxiety crisis, characterized by symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, tremors, loss of a sense of control, depersonalization, among others.

13. Feel good (David D. Burns)

With this simple title, The author provides a multitude of strategies to deal with negative emotions. And, since feeling good not only has to do with reducing anxiety, it also provides many other perspectives related to the topic: guilt, need for approval, sadness and a…