Harmful Thoughts

You are not your thoughts! In this powerful book, two anxiety experts offer proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills to help you get unstuck from disturbing thoughts, overcome the shame these thoughts can bring, and reduce your anxiety. If you suffer from unwanted, intrusive, frightening, or even disturbing thoughts, you might worry about what these thoughts mean about you. Thoughts can seem like messages—are they trying to tell you something? But the truth is that they are just thoughts, and don’t necessarily mean anything. Sane and good people have them. If you are someone who is plagued by thoughts you don’t want—thoughts that scare you, or thoughts you can’t tell anyone about—this book may change your life. In this compassionate guide, you’ll discover the different kinds of disturbing thoughts, myths that surround your thoughts, and how your brain has a tendency to get “stuck” in a cycle of unwanted rumination. You’ll also learn why common techniques to get rid of these thoughts can backfire. And finally, you’ll learn powerful cognitive behavioral skills to help you cope with and move beyond your thoughts, so you can focus on living the life you want. Your thoughts will still occur, but you will be better able to cope with them—without dread, guilt, or shame. If you have unwanted thoughts, you should remember that you aren’t alone. In fact, there are millions of people just like you—good people who have awful thoughts, gentle people with violent thoughts, and sane people with “crazy” thoughts. This book will show you how to move past your thoughts so you can reclaim your life! This book has been selected as an Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Book Recommendation—an honor bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Don’t let your thoughts and fears define you. In Overcoming Harm OCD, psychotherapist Jon Hershfield offers powerful cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness tools to help you break free from the pain and self-doubt caused by harm OCD. Do you suffer from violent, unwanted thoughts and a crippling fear of harming others? Are you afraid to seek treatment for fear of being judged? If so, you may have harm OCD—an anxiety disorder associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). First and foremost, you need to know that these thoughts do not define you as a human being. But they can cause a lot of real emotional pain. So, how can you overcome harm OCD and start living a better life? Written by an expert in treating harm OCD, this much-needed book offers a direct and comprehensive explanation of what harm OCD is and how to manage it. You’ll learn why you have unwanted thoughts, how to identify mental compulsions, and find an overview of cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based treatment approaches that can help you reclaim your life. You’ll also find tips for disclosing violent obsessions, finding adequate professional help, and working with loved ones to address harm OCD systemically. And finally, you’ll learn that your thoughts are just thoughts, and that they don’t make you a bad person. If you have harm OCD, it’s time to move past the stigma and start focusing on solutions. This evidence-based guide will help light the way.

An exhilarating and delightfully deviant debut story collection that, with comedic precision and compulsive irreverence, explores the most surreal and inadmissible fantasies of contemporary women. “Nada Alic’s Bad Thoughts is lit up with the perception, wit, and cunning of Miranda July and Sally Rooney.” —T. Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls Nada Alic's women—the perverts, nobodies, reality TV stars, poetic hopefuls, shameless party girls, and self-help addicts of Los Angeles and its environs—are all wrestling with a shared stark reality: the modern world. To cope, they live in their baddest thoughts: the lush, strange landscape of female make-believe. In “Earth to Lydia,” a support group meets to enjoy earthly pleasures after achieving "too much enlightenment," engaging in bizarre exercises that escalate to a point of violence and fear. The narrator of "Ghost Baby"—the spirit of a proto-child assigned to a couple whose chemistry is waning—writhes in disembodied frustration as its parents fail to conceive it. In “Daddy's Girl,” the daughter of Eastern European immigrants tries to connect to her distant and difficult father through the invention of increasingly elaborate home maintenance repairs. And in “The Intruder,” a lonely woman’s break-in fantasy quickly builds to a full-blown obsession, until she finds an unwitting partner with whom to act it out. Though each of Alic’s characters thrive and ache in different circumstances, they all grapple with the most painful equations of modern life: love, trust, power, loneliness, desire, violation, and vengeance. And she conjures them all with a voice that is instantly arresting, unexpectedly hilarious, and absolutely unforgettable. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL

“Ingerman’s creative, multi-pronged plan for healing is gentle, practical and encouraging, making it a fine resource for the overstressed.” —Publishers Weekly We may not realize it consciously, but negative feelings can be as toxic as physical poisons, wearing on us and causing depression, illness, and burnout. But how can we keep ourselves safe in a world too often ruled by resentment, jealousy, rage, and stress? How to Heal Toxic Thoughts provides the cure, and it lies in the ancient principle of alchemy. Many people think that the old alchemists were trying to turn lead into gold. But in actuality, as Sandra Ingerman—a practicing shaman and psychologist—reveals, they were metaphorically working on transforming heavy leaded consciousness into gold light consciousness. Using their theories, Ingerman offers strategies for processing the harmful thoughts and emotions that hit us throughout our day. Instead of sending and receiving lethal energy, you will learn, through meditations, visualizations, and other exercises, how to radiate positive thoughts and shield yourself from those that are destructive. Her methods are simple . . . but they can change you, others, and the world. “This wonderful little book, filled with healing stories and wisdom, will change people’s lives. Sandra Ingerman is to be commended for she has created very good medicine indeed.” —Hank Wesselman, PhD, and Jill Kuykendall, RPT, authors of Spirit Medicine “If you sincerely want a more healthy, compassionate approach to life’s challenging moments, this book can help enormously. How to Heal Toxic Thoughts is like a weeklong retreat delivered in an easy-to-follow format.” —Leonard Felder, PhD, author of Keeping Your Heart Open

A proven-effective CBT approach to help you break the cycle of repetitive negative thinking If you suffer from anxiety or depression, chances are you also experience unwanted, distressing, and repetitive thoughts. These negative thoughts are often grounded in anger, guilt, shame, worry, humiliation, resentment, or regret. And the more you try to gain control over these thoughts, the more they seem to spiral out of your control. So, how can you break free from this self-defeating ‘mind trap,’ and experience lasting peace and relief? The Negative Thoughts Workbook offers a step-by-step program to help you target and effectively cope with negative thinking patterns. Based on effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies, this practical guide outlines a transdiagnostic approach to managing the thoughts that drive your emotional distress and threaten your mental health and well-being. You are not condemned to a life of constant, chaotic, or disturbing thoughts. If you’re ready to take shelter from the storm inside your head, the easy-to-follow activities in this evidence-based workbook will help you gain control over your cycles of negative thinking. Discover powerful ways to: Identify your own thinking traps Deal with worry and anxiety Stop rumination before it takes over Confront shame and move beyond regret Find release from resentment

A leading expert on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder explores the hidden epidemic that afflicts millions of Americans. In the first book to fully examine obsessive bad thoughts, Dr. Lee Baer combines the latest research with his own extensive experience in treating this widespread syndrome. Drawing on information ranging from new advances in brain technology to pervasive social taboos, Dr. Baer explores the root causes of bad thoughts, why they can spiral out of control, and how to recognize the crucial difference between harmless and dangerous bad thoughts. An illuminating and accessible guide to the kinds of thoughts that create extreme fear, guilt, and worry, The Imp of the Mind provides concrete solutions to a tormenting and debilitating disorder. Including special sections on the prescription medications that have proven effective, it is "a beautifully written book that can be a great help to people who want to know what to do about obsessions" (Isaac Marks, M.D., author of Living with Fear: Understanding and Coping with Anxiety).

If You Want To Break Free From Negative Thought Patterns, Stop Worrying And Learn To Think Positive, Here's The Right Book For You! Do you find it hard to fall asleep because your brain won't stop worrying? Do you feel stuck in an endless loop of uncontrollable negative thoughts? Do you struggle with problem-solving because you can't stop overthinking? You're not alone. Around 18% of the population suffer from anxiety, and up to 73% of adults admit that they overthink. In fact, our brains are wired to look out for potential dangers. We remember negative events more vividly than positive ones. We instinctively look for negative things and imagine worst-case scenarios. This instinct is helpful when you're lost in a jungle full of hungry predators. But in our safe and comfortable lives, our negativity bias can get out of control. When you don't have to worry about being eaten by a tiger, your brain might start worrying about your future grandkids' careers or that awkward conversation that happened five years ago. If you don't make a conscious effort to manage your negative thoughts, you'll get lost in an endless loop of negativity - or, even worse, a downward spiral. When your mind is engrossed in negative thoughts, it becomes blind to amazing opportunities that life throws at you. It becomes blind to possible ways of solving the very problem you're worrying about. It becomes blind to the simple joys of life and ends up depressed. But what if you could eliminate negative thinking? What if you could stop thinking about problems and start solving them? What if you could love and appreciate yourself instead of beating yourself up? Derick Howell, an anxiety coach with decades of experience, is here to help you. His insightful book will help you banish negativity from your life and learn to love yourself. Here's a sneak peek of what you'll find in this book: The mistakes you're probably making when dealing with negative thoughts 13 simple ways to clear your mind and relax when you're getting anxious The easiest therapist-approved way to change your thought patterns A step-by-step guide to building positive thinking habits The surprising reason why thinking about problems won't help you solve them Mind hacks that will help you overcome worry and stop negative thinking A complete guide to cultivating self-love and breaking the spell of negativity If you've ever tried to overcome negativity, you know that just telling yourself to "think positive" won't cut it. This book offers a comprehensive toolkit of actionable strategies and techniques that will help you eliminate the deep-seated causes of your anxiety, manage your day-to-day worries, stop overthinking in its tracks, and finally love yourself the way you deserve to be loved. Are you ready to say goodbye to negativity? Scroll up, click the "Buy Now with 1-Click" button and Start Reading Now!

Over 90 percent of new mothers will have scary, intrusive thoughts about their baby and themselves. What if I drop him? What if I snap and hurt my baby? Mothering is so hard—I don't know if I really want to do this anymore. Gosh, I'm so terrible for thinking that! Yet for too many mothers, those thoughts remain secret, hidden away in a place of shame that can quickly grow into anxiety, postpartum depression, and even self-harm. But here's the good news: you CAN feel better! Author Karen Kleiman—coauthor of the seminal book This Isn't What I Expected and founder of the acclaimed Postpartum Stress Center—comes to the aid of new mothers everywhere with a groundbreaking new source of hope, compassion, and expert help. Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts is packed with world-class guidance, simple exercises, and nearly 50 stigma-busting cartoons from the viral #speakthesecret campaign that help new moms validate their feelings, share their fears, and start feeling better. Lighthearted yet serious, warm yet not sugary, and perfectly portioned for busy moms with full plates, Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts is the go-to resource for moms, partners, and families everywhere who need help with this difficult period.