Stop Worrying Get your life back on track with CBT

by Kerkhof, Ad

• ISBN13: 9780335242528
• ISBN10: 0335242529
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-01
• Publisher: Open Univ Pr

Summary

We all worry about things - some of us even worry about the fact that we are worrying. This practical book will help you to put your fears into perspective and teach you to cope with stressful situations.Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) exercises to understand the nature and seriousness of your worrying, Kerkhof shows you how to stop the cycle of worrying. By spending 15 minutes, twice a day, you will learn to take control of your repetitive thoughts. By integrating humour into the exercises, Kerkhof encourages you to face and deal with your worries.Supporting and offering advice to worriers, as well as their family and friends, this book also provides guidance for professionals who work in mental health, especially those who recommend self-help to their clients.

Author Biography

Ad Kerkhof is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He specializes in worry, depression and suicide. He also has a psychotherapy practice, where he treats clients for persistent forms of worrying, depression and burn-out.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Guidance note	p. xiii
The CBT approach to worrying	p. xv
Acknowledgements	p. xix
About the Authors	p. xxi
Stop worrying in four weeks	p. 1
What is worry?	p. 3
What can be done about it?	p. 4
At the beginning	p. 5
To begin with: how much have you worried over the past week?	p. 10
The beginning	p. 12
Distraction	p. 16
Concentration	p. 20
Whirling thoughts	p. 24
Talking about worrying	p. 28
Relaxation	p. 32
I must = I want to	p. 36
How much have you worried over the past week?	p. 40
Worrying and writing worries down	p. 44
Top 3	p. 48
Positive future	p. 52
Negative future	p. 56
Probable future	p. 60
The next time	p. 64
Catch thoughts when relaxed	p. 68
How much have you worried over the past week?	p. 72
A word in the meantime	p. 73
Writing exercise	p. 76
Three-scenarios writing exercise	p. 80
Scoring	p. 84
Next worry	p. 89
Not now but later and looking at things differently	p. 94
Writing	p. 98
Relaxation	p. 102
How much have you worried over the past week?	p. 106
Three-column exercise	p. 110
Make a decision	p. 118
Looking forward	p. 122
Catch your thoughts	p. 126
A realistic approach	p. 130
Free choice	p. 134
A positive day	p. 138
How much have you worried over the past week?	p. 142
End of Part 1	p. 144
Worrying for advanced students	p. 147
Favourite worries	p. 131
I am not good enough	p. 151
Nobody likes me	p. 153
I can't do that	p. 155
I won't be able to cope	p. 157
I am stupid	p. 159
I don't know what I want	p. 160
I am a failure	p. 162
I hope I'm not going mad	p. 163
Another exercise for readers in the meantime	p. 164
Why am I worrying so much?	p. 164
When will this stop?	p. 165
But that's just the way I am	p. 167
I must stop thinking like this	p. 168
It would be better if I wasn't here any more /I'm a burden to others	p. 170
Life won't get any better/I have no future /Life has no meaning	p. 171
Treatment of obsessive worrying about suicide	p. 173
Fixed times to think about suicide	p. 173
Worrying in metaphors and with exaggeration	p. 177
Worrying as self-protection and self-torture	p. 178
Final exercises	p. 179
Conclusion	p. 181
More information about worrying	p. 182
Tips for those providing specialist help	p. 182
References	p. 183
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