It's Not All in Your Head: How Worrying about Your Health Could Be Making You Sick--and What You Can Do about It
by Gordon J. G. Asmundson and Steven Taylor
This book does a great job explaining how people get caught in the health anxiety trap. It's non-judgemental and has a lot of suggestions to help people deal with the problem of worrying about their health.
It has a lot of short profiles of people who have gone through health anxiety problems. I think it's really helpful to read these. When I had my worst anxiety I couldn't imagine that it was "just anxiety" and I thought there had to be a serious disease causing it.
One of the things I found most helpful with my recovery is my psychiatrist telling me about his other patients who had the same problem I did!
I wish this book had been around when I was going through my problems with health anxiety.
The same authors have a book for medical professionals which is simply called Treating Health Anxiety. Probably should be required reading for anyone who is treating patients.
Phantom Illness : Recognizing, Understanding, and Overcoming Hypochondria
by Carla Cantor and Brian A. Fallon
Someone on a message board recommended this book to me several years ago. I can honestly say it changed my life. While reading it, many times I saw myself in the case studies. It was reassuring, yet almost eerie how some of the stories paralleled mine. For the first time, I allowed myself to really admit that my main health problems were anxiety and hypochondria, not MS, ALS, HIV, cancer, or any of the other things I was spending time worrying about.
My anxiety and related problems did not go away right after I read Phantom Illness. It did help me to get help for my real problem, and after I started dealing with that, my recovery began.
This is also a good book to give to friends and loved ones to help them understand what you are going through. I gave a copy to my husband to read, and it helped us talk about what was going on with me. I think it helped him to see that I wasn't the only person going through the same stuff.
by Edmund J. Bourne
This workbook guides you through step by step through exercises designed to help sufferers understand the causes of their anxiety and make lifestyle changes to overcome it. It's a good tool for recovery, whether used on it's own or as an accompaniment to therapy. A partial list of topics includes: causes of anxiety disorders, relaxation, exercise, coping with panic, real-life desensitization, overcoming negative self-talk, changing mistaken beliefs, visualization, expressing feelings, assertiveness, self-esteem, nutrition, and medication. Amazon.com has this book Value Priced at: $12.98- a good price for a 428 page hardcover.
A Step-By-Step Program for Regaining Control of Your Life
by Reneau Z. Peurifoy
An experienced professional counselor offers an understanding of common nervous disorders--from mild anxiety and stress to severe agorophobia--and shows how they can be controlled. Originally self-published.Go to amazon.com and read the customer reviews of this book. That is what convinced me. This book has helped a lot of people.
The author of "The Anxiety and Phobia Workshop" offers proven strategies for battling anxiety, inspired by his struggle with his own obsessive-compulsive disorder.
by Dale Carnegie
Basic, solid advice on getting rid of the worry that is keeping you from doing what you want. The original edition of this book was a huge best seller in the 1930's, even though it was an expensive hardcover durring the depression. The reason why is simple to see after a quick read of this book. He gives simple instructions on how to deal with worry, which I use every day.
Getting control of your worrying is an important part of recovery from health anxiety. I have a tendency to worry about other things besides my health - like my house getting broken into or burning down, car accidents, etc. Worry is a waste of energy. Once I dealt with the worry part, I had a lot more time and motivation to pursue my other projects.
I still worry about things, but I'm a lot more rational about it and I don't devote much time to it.
by Claire Weekes
Claire Weekes does a great job explaining how anxiety symptoms are our bodies way of coping with stress. As anxiety related illness is something we got into, it is also something that we can get out of and have more piece of mind.
Stop Being Your Symptoms and Start Being Yourself: The 6-Week Mind-Body Program to Ease Your Chronic Symptoms
by Arthur J. Barsky Emily C. Deans
If you've ever read Phantom Illness, you'll remember Dr. Barsky as Carla Cantor's Psychiatrist. This book deals with controlling chronic symptoms like migraines, anxiety, back pain, indigestion and fatigue. There's a six week self help program included in the book.
