Rediscovering Self Help

Specialists from nine Western countries explore how formal and informal means of helping work together in a variety of different systems and cultures. Mutual help groups, voluntary associations, informal helping networks, and simple neighbourly or family ties are shown at work with professional services. Care for the elderly, for people in single room hotels, networks of refugees, and self-help groups are some of the specific programmes discussed. The last section of the book deals with policy issues. Is it a cheaper form of social service? What unexpected problems and drawbacks does it entail? Such questions are answered for human service workers and policy makers.

“So this is my life? What happened to the person I thought I might be at this stage of the game? Where did that person go? Why am I feeling like I’m just treading water, trying to stay one step ahead of my bills and obligations. Anyway, I’m just too tired at this point to try to figure out where that other person went. But I sure expected to be living a different life than this one.” Most people in their forties, fifties, and beyond catch themselves saying something similar to this. Everyone has a mental image of the person they want to be, but few of us actually fulfill these wishes. Once people realize they are living a completely different life than they’d envisioned, they often think it is too late to change and carry on with the same old habits. Too many people settle for a half-lived life. Best-selling author John Lee has long been addressing the fallacy of this attitude in talks and workshops—and now he sets this program into book form. In The Half-Lived Life, he introduces and explains how passivity holds us hostage to old ways of doing things—and provides solutions on escaping this paralyzing state of mind, body, and spirit while increasing our emotional intelligence (EQ). He also shows the freedom to be gained via compassionate assertiveness—an outgrowth of setting boundaries and enforcing limits. Just as Lee’s seminars have successfully led many to find their authentic self in the second half of their life, so too will this book.

One of the world's most esteemed and influential psychologists, Roy F. Baumeister, teams with New York Times science writer John Tierney to reveal the secrets of self-control and how to master it. "Deep and provocative analysis of people's battle with temptation and masterful insights into understanding willpower: why we have it, why we don't, and how to build it. A terrific read." —Ravi Dhar, Yale School of Management, Director of Center for Customer Insights Pioneering research psychologist Roy F. Baumeister collaborates with New York Times science writer John Tierney to revolutionize our understanding of the most coveted human virtue: self-control. Drawing on cutting-edge research and the wisdom of real-life experts, Willpower shares lessons on how to focus our strength, resist temptation, and redirect our lives. It shows readers how to be realistic when setting goals, monitor their progress, and how to keep faith when they falter. By blending practical wisdom with the best of recent research science, Willpower makes it clear that whatever we seek—from happiness to good health to financial security—we won’t reach our goals without first learning to harness self-control.

Here is new information on the development of international and intercultural research on self-help groups. This book reflects the many developments which have occurred in the field over the past decade, emphasizing empirical research. Self-Help and Mutual Aid Groups provides specific research findings and honed concepts to help health professionals learn more about self-help groups and work effectively with such groups. More countries and ethnic groups are now involved in the self-help movement, and this volume increases knowledge of how different cultures react to and participate in self-help mutual aid and how self-help groups can be adapted to fit different racial or ethnic populations. Self-Help and Mutual Aid Groups explores the definition of self-help, the centrality of culture as a major factor explaining variability in self-help, the development of appropriate methodological tools, and the role and involvement of professionals. It brings together different traditions of research for the study of cross- and intercultural and inter- and intraorganizational aspects of self-help groups. Contributors who represent various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, social work, and nursing, discuss: a paradigm for research in self-help the development of self-help groups in Japan, Hong Kong, and the former East Germany the participation of blacks in Alcoholics Anonymous the participation of Mexican Americans in groups for parents of the mentally ill relationships between self-help groups and health professionals predictors of burnout in self-help group leaders characteristics of effective groups ways individuals change their world view through self-help participation Self-Help and Mutual Aid Groups is an informative and helpful resource for self-help researchers and teachers, students, and professionals who want to be more effective in their work with self-help groups across cultural and national lines.

Do you have trouble saying "no," or constantly sacrifice your own needs to please others? If so, this evidence-based workbook will help you set healthy boundaries in all aspects of your life—without feeling guilty or afraid. If you find yourself feeling responsible for others’ happiness, worrying about letting people down, or struggling to speak up for yourself, you probably have difficulty setting healthy boundaries. Establishing clear personal boundaries is essential to creating and nurturing mutually respectful relationships based on equality. Setting limits can also protect you from getting involved in exploitative relationships, and help you avoid toxic personalities who don’t have your best interests at heart. This evidence-based workbook will show you how to set healthy boundaries across all aspects of life—without sacrificing your kindness or compassion for others. You’ll learn to define your boundaries and discover why they’re so important for your emotional well-being. You’ll also find a wealth of tips for maintaining boundaries in a "constantly-connected" world, strategies for what to do when people get upset or threatened by your assertiveness, and ways to make sure your needs are met. If you’re tired of feeling guilty or afraid of putting your mental and physical health first, are ready to take back control of your life, and create healthy and balanced relationships, this book will show you how to step up and set limits, assert yourself confidently, and realize your full potential.

Every couple has arguments, but what happens when recurring battles begin to feel like full-scale war? Do you retreat in hurt and angry silence, hoping that a spouse who "just doesn't get it" will eventually see things your way? Spend the time between skirmishes gathering evidence that you're right? Demand some immediate changes--or else? Whether due to innate personality traits or emotional vulnerabilities, there are some aspects of our behavior that are difficult to alter. But these differences do not have to get in the way of healthy, happy, and long-lasting romance. This practical guide offers new solutions for couples frustrated by continual attempts to make each other change. Aided by thought-provoking exercises and lots of real-life examples, readers will learn why they keep having the same fights again and again; how to keep small incompatibilities from causing big problems; and how true acceptance can restore health to their relationships.

Follow your heart. You do you. You are enough. We take these slogans for granted, but what if this path to personal happiness leads to a dead-end? In Rethink Your Self, Trevin Wax encourages you to rethink some of our society’s most common assumptions about identity and the road to happiness. Most people define their identity and purpose by first looking in (to their desires), then looking around (to express their uniqueness), and finally—maybe—looking up (to add a spiritual dimension to life). Rethink Your Self proposes a counter-intuitive approach: looking up before looking in. It's only when we look up to learn who we were created to be that we discover our true purpose and become our truest selves.