Psychological Self-Help

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We have studied in chapters 3 and 4 about values to guide our lives and about how to control our behavior. In chapters 5 to 8, we turn our attention to four generally unwanted, unpleasant emotions-- stress, depression, anger, and dependency. First, we will study stress, anxiety, and fears, because these are the most common emotional problems.

Read this chapter as a single page (easier to view on mobile).

   Chapter 5: Stress, Trauma, Anxiety, Fears and Psychosomatic Disorders
       Overview
       A Case Study: Jane--difficulty speaking in front of groups
   Signs of Stress
   Sources and Types of Stress
       External Situations that Lead to Stress
       Frustrations, threats, and conflicts cause stress
       Prolonged and Intense Stress
   Dealing with Trauma
   Becoming Absorbed with One’s Wounds
   Theories Explaining Stress and Anxiety
       Constitutional factors--genes and physiology
       Operant and cognitive theories about anxiety
       Operant conditioning and stress
       Thoughts and emotions
       Observational learning and cognition
       Faulty perceptions and irrational reactions
       Can we handle it?
       How and what you think determine your stress level
       Self-confidence in coping skills
       Does thinking explain all fears and anxiety?
       Thoughts, emotions, and actions are all interrelated
   
       Psychological Theories
       Psychoanalytic views
       Psychological defense mechanisms
       Unconscious causes of fears
   
       Summary of the Ways or Means by which Stress is Developed
       Summary of the Effects of Stress and Anxiety
   
   Ways of Handling Stress and Anxiety
       How to Cope With Stress, Anxiety, and Fears
       Confront the stressful situation
       Find causes and escape stress
   
       Support and self-help groups
       Relaxation training
       Desensitization
       Stress inoculation
       Develop toughness and skills
       Cognitive methods
   
       Have a purpose. Hope and purpose enable us to overcome hardships, whether it is concentration or prison camps, serious physical or mental illness, or occupational burnout (Pines & Aronson, 1981; Frank, 1974). As chapter 3 says, a valued purpose for livi
       Summary of How to Handle Stress, Anxiety and Fears
   Treatment of Specific Anxiety-Based Problems
       Anxiety, worry and shyness
       Insomnia and burnout
       Anxiety, fears, and phobias (books and sites)
       Panic attacks and agoraphobia
       Obsessions and compulsions (books and sites)
       Personality, emotions, and health
       Psychosomatic and physical disorders



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