Living Well With Anxiety: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You … That You Need to Know

AORN Journal,  May, 2007  by Susan Gerdes

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Living Well With Anxiety: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You ... That You Need to Know Carolyn Chambers Clark 2006, 335 pages $14.95 softcover

Anxiety conditions affect nearly 30 million American adults each year, and the frequency of anxiety disorders is increasing dramatically in children. Anti-anxiety medications seem to be the treatment of choice, but these medications commonly treat only a patient's symptoms without addressing the source of anxiety. This book provides readers with a holistic, wellness approach to the treatment of disorders including general anxiety disorder (ie, GAD); panic disorder; obsessive-compulsive disorder; social phobia; and post-traumatic stress disorder (ie, PTSD).

The book is divided into three sections. Part one describes causes and effects of anxiety, types of anxiety, and medical treatment. There is a comprehensive section on anxiolytics that lists actions and side effects of many prescription medications. The author warns readers not to take any medication injudiciously and stresses the importance of keeping their health care professional informed about what type of medications, herbs, and other treatments they are using.

Part two provides a holistic approach to dealing with anxiety, in which numerous remedies are explained in detail. For example, the food/mood connection, which states that certain foods can calm and others can produce stress, is discussed. The author cites studies indicating that foods containing omega-3 fatty acids or selenium or diets that include higher fruit and vegetable intake can lead to reduced stress. Caffeine, salt, saturated fats, and sugar, on the other hand, may aggravate anxiety. The author suggests that readers keep a food/mood diary to examine how their emotions are affected by the foods they eat. Herbs also are analyzed, from albizzia bark to valerian root, with a caution that many herbs are very potent and should be used only by someone well-informed regarding effects and dosages.

Unnatural environmental elements, including nicotine, alcohol, and chemical contaminants, also may produce anxiety. The author provides many valuable tips to aid the reader in smoking cessation. In addition, the author explores an extensive list of anti-anxiety therapies, including aromatherapy, biofeedback, music, sunlight, exercise, controlled breathing, imagery, journaling, meditation, self-hypnosis, and many others. Even individuals who do not suffer from specific anxiety disorders but experience normal situational nervousness may find useful hints in this comprehensive listing. One interesting exercise that encourages whole-brain thinking involves writing the alphabet with both hands.

The final part of the book describes ways to create an anti-anxiety plan, including making a list of the background and education of different therapists. Readers are encouraged to educate themselves about and take responsibility for their own care by asking specific questions when choosing a therapist and keeping a thorough journal to assist them in determining which treatments work and which do not.

This book is written in an easy-to-understand, well-researched, organized format, and it includes several pages of references with explanations and web sites the reader can visit to find additional information on the self-care approach to anxiety. It would be appropriate for health care professionals or patients seeking a more holistic approach to dealing with anxiety. Readers who have a tendency to rely on taking medications rather than making lifestyle changes or those who are uncomfortable with the chapter on spirituality may disagree with some of the information. There are so many beneficial, practical anxiety-reducing tools, however, that even these readers could find much valuable information in the book.

This book is available from Collins, a division of Harper-Collins Publishers, 10 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022.

SUSAN GERDES RN, BSN, CNOR

STAFF NURSE

MERCY MEDICAL CENTER, NORTH IOWA

MASON CITY, IOWA

COPYRIGHT 2007 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning