From Publishers Weekly
According to psychotherapist O'Connor (Undoing Depression), the human brain and nervous system cannot process the constant stress that is accepted as inevitable today, resulting in an alarming rise in chronic illness, depression and anxiety. Using current mind/body research, he shows how the brain and nervous system respond to stress; how the body manifests these changes; and how negative patterns become vicious cycles of mental, emotional and physical illness. O'Connor says there are many studies implicating stress as a major factor in heart disease, diabetes, cancer and such difficult to treat conditions as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, but the health-care establishment hasn't been able to adequately help patients make the lifestyle modifications needed for lasting change. To that end, he suggests mindfulness techniques to help readers identify mental and emotional programming and defense mechanisms, make healthy choices and form life-affirming habits. O'Connor's vast subject ranges from everyday stress to deep-seated emotional trauma and serious mental illness, and this work may overwhelm readers in the acute phase of a stress-related condition, although they will likely find O'Connor's compassionate understanding helpful. The book may be of greatest value to professionals who work therapeutically with patients, and readers interested in the mind/body connection who are ready to make major changes in their lives to combat stress.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
In this groundbreaking book, psychotherapist Richard O'Connor explains how a wide range of ever-more-common problems-both emotional and physical-are in fact side effects of 21st-century life. When our fight-or-flight response is stuck in the "on" position, the over-stimulation and complex demands of the modern world can have severe long-term effects on health and well-being, sometimes in ways people don't even recognize until it's too late.
Combining expert authority with down-to-earth language, Undoing Perpetual Stress reveals how to put an end to this mode of existence, replacing anxious responses with a new and more effective set of skills. Readers will learn how to:
- Regain a measure of control over their environments
- Cope with stressors calmly and constructively
- Make health and happiness a daily priority
Combining expert authority with down-to-earth language, Undoing Perpetual Stress reveals how to put an end to this mode of existence, replacing anxious responses with a new and more effective set of skills. Readers will learn how to:
- Regain a measure of control over their environments
- Cope with stressors calmly and constructively
- Make health and happiness a daily priority
