7 Books that Help Overcome Anxiety
Let’s be honest. On a daily basis, most of us cope with a mind that wants to go faster than life. We have to deal with our fears, problems, and insecurities as well. One of the best ways to learn how to handle these situations is through books that may help overcome anxiety.
These types of books can be of great help. They broaden our perspective, instruct us, and give us valuable techniques to improve our way of thinking.
It’s true that we can always resort to good psychology and health professionals for help. However, good books, as Gustave Flaubert once said, don’t seek to entertain or instruct us. Good books help us live better.
These books can give us the proper tools to tackle hardships effectively. From sudden and sporadic anxiety attacks to those situations where panic attacks and phobias persist, there’s a book for everything. Let’s take a look at the best books that may help overcome anxiety.
“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.”
-Epictetus-
The best books to help overcome anxiety
Dr. James D. Herbert, Dr. Evan M. Forman, and Dr. Brandon A. Gaudiano from the University of Michigan carried out a study in 2008 where they analyzed the impact of books to overcome anxiety. Do they really help? Do they cause improvement? Or are they mere works without any therapeutic relevance?
- The study showed that among the 50 best-selling books in this field, the ones with the greatest positive impact on readers were those written by professionals.
- Moreover, they evaluated the scientific evidence, the quality of the techniques, and the resonance of the books. Specifically, resonance is the ability to connect with the reader from a humanistic, simple, and accessible point of view.
Let’s take a look at the best books to help overcome anxiety. These books are the ones that fared better in all of the three points we mentioned above.
1. How To Control Your Anxiety Before It Controls You by Albert Ellis
Albert Ellis is one of the most influential psychotherapists ever, for some even more so than Sigmund Freud himself. He laid the foundations for rational emotive behavior therapy, an effective and useful tool to treat anxiety. This book changed anxiety treatment because it taught us how to understand several things:
- Thanks to Dr. Ellis, we learned that anxiety isn’t bad.
- Anxiety becomes problematic when we lose control over it. In that case, our reality starts to become a blur. An outlook where negative thoughts are prominent distorts the truth.
With this book, we’ll learn valuable strategies on how to take control of our anxiety and redirect it towards much more useful and healthy things.
2. La Ansiedad (The Anxiety) by Enrique Rojas
Enrique Rojas is one of the most outstanding speakers in the field of psychiatry, depression, and anxiety. He transmits his ideas, concepts, and strategies clearly to help us manage our anxiety.
This book is as valuable as it is professional. In particular, it’s useful to help stimulate change and adopt healthier habits.
3. My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind by Scott Stossel
My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind quickly became a best-seller. Without a doubt, this is one of the best books to help overcome anxiety for different reasons. First, it’s one of the best books because of how it’s written. The author tells us his story in a relatable way. Moreover, there’s a lot of humor, drama, and self-discovery.
Every person suffering from anxiety will be comforted by this text. It’s a profound, human, and brilliant book with a plethora of scientific, philosophical, and psychological references.
4. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
This book can be summed up in one word: practical. It sets aside the classical theories and tricky chapters that can sometimes be boring as well as difficult for the average reader. I t’s a book that helps us manage our anxiety.
This book teaches the readers how to make decisions and how to face insecurities. Also, we’ll discover how to manage harmful relationships and how to become more confident and skillful.
5. Dominar Las Crisis de Ansiedad (Dominate Your Anxiety Crisis) by Pedro Moreno and Julio César Martín
Pedro Moreno and Julio César Martín are two clinical psychology experts that specialize in treating this condition. This book is full of insights, which is why it’s one of the most useful and interesting books to help overcome anxiety.
What separates this book from the rest is its main focus: anxiety crises. Not only does it provide us with tools to better cope with situations, but it also teaches us why they happen, what their origins are, and which therapies are the most effective. Consequently, this is a useful book for both patients and professionals.
6. The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne
This is one of the most famous books to help overcome anxiety. In fact, it’s a classic. Reading this book can help us delve into phobias and irrational fears that often get in our way.
Many mental health professionals recommend it to help you:
- Discover the usefulness of relaxation and breathing techniques.
- Control your internal dialogue.
- Identify and understand wrong beliefs.
- Learn about the importance of proper nutrition.
- Discover how to prevent and cope with panic attacks.
7. The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, and Zindel Segal
8 weeks. According to the book, that’s how long it takes to see results after beginning to practice mindfulness. This interesting book reveals the keys of a well-known and practical approach to treating anxiety: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). This book is simple, useful, and very interesting.
To conclude, we should note that there are many more books to help overcome anxiety. Every year, new and interesting books are published. However, you must be clear about what you’re looking for before choosing a book. Think about what you need and if that book you’re considering was written by a professional.
These books are tools to help us better confront those black holes that take away our peace and quality of life. Choose one today!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Redding, R., Herbert, J. D., Forman, E. M., & Gaudiano, B. A. (2008). Popular Self-Help Books for Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma: How Scientifically Grounded and Useful Are They? Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(5), 537–545. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0735-7028.39.5.537
- Antony, M., & Swinson, R. (2014). Manual práctico para el tratamiento de la timidez y la ansiedad social. Editorial Desclée de Brouwer.
- Edelmann, R. (1992). Anxiety: Theory, research and intervention in clinical and health psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
