Un Agoraphobic

“A highly structured hour-by-hour plan for each day . . . delivers assurance to those suffering from panic attacks and agoraphobia.”—Library Journal The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that nearly 1.5% of the population of the United States suffers from agoraphobia at some point in their lifetime. That’s 4.5 million people. You are not alone. No matter how alone you may feel, you are not alone. Former journalist, social worker, and amateur actor Hal Mathew knows exactly what it’s like “to fear fear,” which is how he describes the dread feeling that kept him from leaving home (or at least leaving sober and at ease) for nearly 30 years. Then, slowly but with grit and determination, he began to piece together a plan for overcoming his phobias and resuming a regular life. And it worked. And then he started teaching other people how to do it. Now he has written this book to share his self-care plan with you. Hal will guide you through writing practices, visualization techniques, even cooking and eating routines to help you feel anchored and safe and ready to take your first trips out of the house. He’ll answer your questions, offer general survival tips, and even includes a special chapter for your spouses and loved ones. The good news is that recent neuroscience research shows us that the brain is retrainable—at any age. You can stop feeling like this. You will stop feeling like this. With Hal’s help, you will be able to retrain your body and brain so you can take your life back. Totally and forever.

"Un-Agoraphobic offers a comprehensive, step-by-step self-help program for overcoming agoraphobia and panic attacks. Since overcoming his own disorder twenty years ago, Mathew has been leading support groups and recovery programs for people with agoraphobia. He understands what agoraphobes need and how to deliver it. No one knows exactly what causes agoraphobia or panic attacks, but it clearly involves some misfirings in the brain. The good news is that recent neuroscience research suggests the brain is retrainable?at any age.The basis for any recovery plan for anxiety disorders is a highly structured approach each day. Mathew provides a daily schedule that lays out a clear set of steps and considerations for conquering this affliction, including: writing every day -- cultivating present-moment thinking -- taking a new approach to food and eating -- choosing a therapist starting a peer support group -- using visualization techniques specifically designed for overcoming anxiety and panic taking medications, if appropriate -- dealing with children, spouse, parents, friends, coworkers, teachers, bosses, and more -- taking your first trip out of the house Mathew includes FAQs, general survival tips, and a special chapter on tips for spouses and loved ones. Un-Agoraphobic is candid, funny, prescriptive, and spot on for panic disorders - by an author with a lot of life experience under his belt"--

Anxiety is something that millions of people struggle with on a daily basis, and teenagers are no exception. By some estimates, nearly one in three teenagers have a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Yet many people feel isolated and alone with their experience of anxiety; it can feel like a subject that is off-limits and is often overlooked by parents and friends until it has reached a crisis level. In Anxiety: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Kate Frommer Cik provides valuable information for young adults who are struggling with anxiety, whether it is mild or severe. Cik explores what anxiety is and why we have it, and explains the different types of anxieties, anxiety triggers, coping strategies, and possible paths of treatment. The many personal stories from teenagers shared in this book show that anxiety is not something you have to go through alone, while also revealing how varied anxiety can be from one individual to the next. Their insight into what worked for them delivers helpful firsthand accounts of how relief from anxiety is possible. Drawing upon up-to-date research and interviews, Anxiety: The Ultimate Teen Guide will help young adults better understand why they suffer from anxiety and what they can do to successfully treat it, making this a valuable resource for teens, their family, and friends.

Dear Reader, We all want to be better—better in our relationships, better at balancing our crazy busy lives, better at giving the environment a helping hand, better about the foods we eat, or better at cutting ourselves some slack—we can all stand a bit of improvement in one area of life or another. We have what it takes within us to become better. Sometimes we just need a little nudge. Enter: You Only Better. Because better manifests differently for each of us, we’re offering a wide array of content, covering areas that will inspire superior health, incite greater perspective, and nurture more peaceful living. We’re positive you’ll find something in these pages that speaks to you, provokes you, or informs you. In this inaugural issue, you’ll find an interview with our Pioneers of Possibility R.U. Sirius and Jay Cornell, authors of Transcendence, “a refreshingly pro-human report on transhumanism and the ‘Rapture of the Nerds’” as Douglas Rushkoff put it. Knocking On Heaven’s Door includes a piece from Robert Kopecky’s How to Survive Life (and Death)—he’s someone who died three times and came back to share some pretty wild stories. Life coach M.J. Ryan offers five instant happiness boosters and Mark Nepo provides a meditative exercise—both of these New York Times bestselling authors appear in our Five-Part Harmony column. Laura Bond helps us clean up our act in Holy Holistics, Mandy Mitchell whips up a tasty recipe in A Seat at the Table, and At the Home of Poe might be best enjoyed After Midnight. We have two Heads-Up columns this month: one provides an overview of lucid dreaming—what it is and how to identify your own—courtesy of lucid dream specialists Robert Waggoner and Caroline McCready, and the second from an agoraphobe who kicked anxiety to the curb and now helps others do the same. In Embrace Your Inner Monster, Sarah Christiansen Fu alerts us to the bad, the worse, and the downright nasty characteristics of those under the Aquarius and Pisces zodiac signs (all in good fun). We want to hear from you! Give us feedback on articles we’ve published or ideas about ones you think we should. Let us know any random acts of kindness you’ve witnessed or about folks that are giving back in unique ways; we’ll be selecting reader contributions for future issues. Reach us at [email protected]. Better is… better. We’re in this together. Bonni Hamilton, Editor

Overcoming Panic and Agoraphobia provides a step-by-step management program that provides the necessary skills for overcoming and preventing panic attacks and associated agoraphobia. This is an indispensable guide for those affected by panic disorders, but is also an important resource for friends and families, psychologists, and those working in the medical profession. Explains the many forms and causes of panic. Contains a complete self-help program and monitoring sheets. Is based on clinically proven techniques of cognitive therapy.

Being agoraphobic can take many forms, and most people with agoraphobia are not complete shut-ins. Instead, they may have trouble walking outside alone for fear of feeling dizzy and falling down, or be afraid of driving on the freeway because they might faint, or avoid public venues for fear of losing physical or emotional control in a crowded place. Whatever form agoraphobia takes, it is a highly treatable and surprisingly common anxiety disorder. The Agoraphobia Workbook can help you or someone you love overcome agoraphobia in any of its forms. The book offers clear information about how the disorder develops and a practical, step-by-step treatment strategy you can use to control specific fears and symptoms. In an interactive, easy-to-follow style, the workbook takes you through exposure and desensitization exercises. By taking it step-by-step, you can work up to formerly difficult tasks like walking outside, driving, taking public transportation, and going to stores and malls. The book also includes tips on avoiding relapses, managing setbacks, and finding help and support.