Review
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"This important book is essential and mandatory
reading for anyone affected by unwanted and intrusive thoughts,
and their providers. The authors crystallize decades of
experience into a perfectly clear and readable guide. The
solution to this misunderstood problem is in this book."
--Joseph A. Adams, MD, medical director at Baltimore
Systems and Step By Step of Maryland, LLC, and past president at
Smoke Free Maryland
"I wish I would have had access to this book twenty years ago!
Sally Winston and Martin Seif have put all the pieces of the
puzzle together to help people understand and overcome unwanted
intrusive thoughts. This is a must-read book, packed with
information to help people suffering with anxiety-provoking
intrusive thoughts, as well as clinicians who are trying to help
them."
--Kimberly J. Morrow, LCSW, maintains a private practice in Erie,
PA; specializes in the of anxiety and
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); provides training and case
consultation for clinicians through www.anxietytraining.com; and
is author of Face It and Feel It
"It turns out that commonsense approaches to stopping our
worries, such as pushing thoughts away, arguing with them, or
seeking reassurance, actually feed these worries and help them
grow. Sally Winston and Martin Seif--two of the brightest minds
in our field--deliver a simple yet powerful two-step process for
change."
--Reid Wilson, PhD, author of Stopping the Noise in Your Head
"Finally, here is an effective, neurologically based clinical
approach to dealing with unwanted thoughts (without having to use
a rubber band). The authors' clear and distinctive voice should
be widely heard by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) clinicians,
and by those engaged in an ongoing and unrelenting struggle with
undesirable ruminations."
--Ronald M. Doctor, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at
California State University, Northridge; author; active
researcher; and practicing behavior therapist
"In their book Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts, Winston
and Seif tackle one of the great mysteries of human distress and
suffering: the seeming inability to rid our minds of unbidden,
unwanted, and disturbing thoughts, images, and memories. Readers
are given a rare glimpse into the nature of unwanted intrusive
thoughts, as well as their origin and impact on emotional
distress. Written in a warm, engaging, yet knowledgeable manner,
this book provides new ins for consumers and professionals
alike on why common sense fails to soothe the troubled mind.
Readers will find practical, research-based guidance on how to
subdue unwanted intrusions and overcome their emotional
disruption. This book offers much-needed help for those who
struggle with the torment of persistent disturbing thoughts."
--David A. Clark, PhD, professor emeritus in the department of
psychology at the University of New Brunswick, and coauthor of
The Anxiety and Worry Workbook and Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety
Disorders with Aaron T. Beck
"Tens of millions of people have bothersome intrusive thoughts,
and most often these thoughts are so unacceptable or embarrassing
that many people have trouble telling anyone about them--even
their closest family members or friends. At worst, these
intrusive thoughts are part of severe problems such as OCD, but
we know that almost anybody under stress can occasionally
experience intrusive thoughts. Now, at last, a state-of-the-art
psychological program written by two of the leading clinicians in
the country with years of experience treating this problem is
available. The program in this remarkable little book may be
sufficient to help you overcome your intrusive thoughts, if
therapeutic assistance may be needed, to guide you to the best
available resources. I recommend this program very highly as a
first step for anybody dealing with this issue."
--David H. Barlow, PhD, ABPP, emeritus professor of psychology
and psychiatry, founder, and director emeritus at the Center for
Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University
"Winston and Seif have done a wonderful job in providing
sufferers of obsessive intrusive thoughts with up-to-date and
scientifically accurate information about this often crippling
problem. This clearly written guide will serve both as a
self-help resource, as well as a workbook to be used as an
adjunct to psychotherapy."
--Lee Baer, PhD, professor of psychology in the department of
psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and author of Getting
Control and The Imp of the Mind
"An interesting and original account of a little-understood
phenomenon--intrusive thoughts."
--Fredric Neuman, MD, director of The Anxiety and Phobia
Center, and author of Caring, Fighting Fear, and
Worried ?
"What a great book for people who struggle with intrusive
thoughts! Two highly skilled and respected experts in the
of chronic anxiety explain how intrusive thoughts work,
what they mean and don't mean, why they defy your best efforts at
getting rid of them, and most importantly, how to change your
relationship with these thoughts so they don't remain a
persistent, negative focus. They help the reader understand that
intrusive thoughts don't persist despite your best efforts; they
persist because of your best efforts at arguing with, struggling
against, and seeking to avoid these unwanted thoughts. Their book
offers plainspoken instructions with lots of good examples that
will help you let go of the guilt, fear, and confusion that so
often accompanies intrusive thoughts. This is a must-read for
anyone experiencing such thoughts, as well as the professionals
who seek to help them."
--David Carll, PhD, is a Chicago-based psychologist
specializing in treating chronic anxiety for over thirty years,
author of Panic Attacks Workbook and The Worry Trick, and "coach"
at www.anxietycoach.com
"Winston and Seif have written an important and much-needed book.
It speaks to those who suffer intensely from unwanted intrusive
thoughts and, as a result, descend into a world of anxious
isolation. The authors lift the sufferer from a frightening
darkness into a world of understanding and onto a path to
freedom. This is necessary reading for anyone suffering from the
tyranny of unwanted thoughts, and it should be required reading
for helping professionals."
--Bruce Shapiro, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia
University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Book Description
----------------
In this powerful book, two anxiety disorder experts
offer powerful and proven-effective cognitive behavioral therapy
(CBT) skills to help readers get unstuck from disturbing
thoughts, overcome intense shame, and reduce anxiety.