Triumph Over Fear: A Book of Help and Hope for People with Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Phobias

by Jerilyn Ross, Rosalynn Carter

The National Institute of Mental  Health calls anxiety disorders the most common mental  health problem in America. They are also among the  most treatable. Yet tens of millions of people  struggle with hidden fears and restricted lives  because they have not received proper diagnosis and  treatment. Triumph Over Fear   combines Jerilyn Ross's firsthand account of  overcoming her own disabling phobia with inspiring case  histories of recovery from other forms of anxiety,  including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive  disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder; an  post-traumatic stress disorder. State-of-the-art  information is combined with powerful self-help  techniques, together with clear indications of when to seek  additional professional help and/or medication.  Also included is the latest research on anxiety  disorders in children, plus advice for dealing with  family members and  employers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1994

Reviews

[Paul Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was broken down really well. Very enlightening!

[Helynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first became interested in this book when I read Donny Osmond's 1999 autobiography Life is Just What You Make It: My Life So Far. Donny was candid enough to share his experience with panic attacks that popped up inexplicably during his long run of playing the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He explained how reading Triumph Over Fear as well as one-on-one therapy sessions with author Dr. Jerilyn Ross helped him overcome his problem and go on performing. This book is really geared to people like Donny, who had to cope with very serious fears. Dr. Ross describes patients and recovery histories not only for people who experience panic attacks, but also those with agoraphobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-raumatic stress disorder. Nevertheless, her suggestions are useful for those of us with less frequent, less threatening, but still troubling, anxieties that pop up from time to time. She bases her therapy on six basic points that make an individual stop, think, analyze, and be aware of fear patterns and how to cope with them. Her first point, "Expect, allow and accept that fear will rise" is a great beginner for recovery because it urges us to stop fearing fear itself. Her subsequent points help people develop the ability to function with fear instead of being paralyzed by it, and to stop worrying about all the "what-if's" that hardly ever happen anyway. Other chapters describe techniques such as relaxation, exercise, and breathing control that are useful for dispatching major or minor bouts of fear. This is a nice manual to keep on hand to remind us that panic and fear are manageable when they arise, and can ultimately be conquered or at least greatly lessened to the point that we can feel normal, strong, and ready to cope with nearly anything.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite what I expected, but still pretty interesting. For the subject, it was surprisingly "readable" - not as dry as I might have expected. What this book didn't do was help much with what I would call "everyday fears". If you have a phobia about spiders, for example, then it probably won't be all that much help. The information seemed to be rather specific - I would have trouble adapting it to situations not discussed in the book. However, what this book did do was teach me quite a bit about agoraphobia and panic attacks. There's also some good examples of a fear of heights. In the end, I came away from this book with a much clearer understanding of what it must be like to live with a serious phobia or panic attack disorder, and the feeling that my fears are pretty inconsequential.

[J Crossley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book helpful with dealing with the OCD that i had and the anxiety attacks that i would suffer. I am happy to say that i no longer experience anxiety attacks, and i don't have an issue with OCD.

[Kirrilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowledge is key and this provides a lot of information and practical exercises.

[Jonathan Plowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book highly enough for those dealing with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. It helped me during a very difficult time in my life.