Every year, nearly one in five Americans—some 40 million men and women—must cope with an anxiety disorder, be it general, persistent anxiety (GAD); social phobia; obsessive-compulsive disorder; or life-altering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, the sad fact is that the very large majority of these people will never get the help that is available.
This thorough discussion and analysis of anxiety and related disorders looks at case studies, specific diagnostic categories, and treatments.
Anxiety disorders are the most common and frequently misdiagnosed and undertreated of all mental health conditions. Dealing with Anxiety and Related Disorders: Understanding, Coping, and Prevention explains in accessible language the myths, misunderstandings, and realities of anxiety disorders, including often misdiagnosed somatoform and dissociative disorders.
Psychologist Rudy Nydegger approaches anxiety and related disorders, including panic disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD, with the most up-to-date and professionally sound information available. The history of and theories about anxiety disorders are thoroughly discussed, as are the most recent ideas and findings. Readers are provided with comprehensive information on each disorder—its description, clinical symptoms, dynamics, and available treatments, including alternative and experimental approaches. Ways in which patients can get help and help themselves are discussed, as are steps family members and friends can take when they know a loved one is struggling with an anxiety disorder. Detailed case studies illustrate both the disorders and the options for treatment.
Features
• In-depth case studies of individuals with anxiety, dissociative, and somatoform disorders to facilitate understanding
• Quotations regarding anxiety, dissociative, and somatoform disorders
• A chronology outlining the history of thinking about anxiety disorders
• A list of helpful resources, including books, articles, and websites
• A complete bibliography
Highlights
• Covers common disorders that affect millions, including general anxiety, social phobia and OCD, and PTSD
• Explains the various disorders and treatments, as well as how to choose a treatment and know whether it is working
• Includes safe alternative treatments that can be helpful
• Integrates clinical, experimental, and theoretical material in a fully professional and accurate fashion, but in language that will be easily understood by the general reader
Rudy Nydegger, PhD, is Professor of Management and Psychology at Union Graduate College and Union College, Schenectady, NY, and is Chief of Psychology at Ellis Hospital there. He is coauthor of Understanding Workplace Violence: A Guide for Managers and Employees and author of Understanding Depression: Ways to Find Hope and Help. Nydegger has won numerous awards, including the Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Psychological Association of Northeastern New York, the Distinguished Service Award from the New York State Psychological Association, and the David Mitchell Award for Contributions to Academic Psychology from the New York State Psychological Association. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Clinical Psychology and is certified as a clinical psychologist by the American Board of Professional Psychology.
