Antonio Matteo Bruscella - Neuroplasticity: A Cognitive Behavioral Approach to Anxiety and Procrastination. 2 Manuscripts : Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, How to Stop Procrastinating

Neuroplasticity

A Cognitive Behavioral Approach to Anxiety and Procrastination

2 Manuscripts : Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, How to Stop Procrastinating

Antonio Matteo Bruscella

Copyright 2019 by Antonio Matteo Bruscella All rights reserved.

The reproduction, transmission, and duplication of any of the content found herein, including any specific or extended information will be done as an illegal act regardless of the end form the information ultimately takes. This includes copied versions of the work, both physical, digital, and audio unless the express consent of the Publisher is provided beforehand. Any additional rights reserved.

Table of Contents

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

Workbook For Anxiety : A 7-Step Program To Overcome Your Fear, Panic, Anxiety, And Worr y

Introduction

Have you ever felt that gut-wrenching moment where your heart pounds against your chest and you are suddenly convinced you are in imminent danger, even when there is nothing threatening you? You may feel clammy, scared, and unable to focus on anything other than the sheer panic running through you. During an anxiety attack like this, you may feel completely paralyzed and unable to function. This anxiety can get so bad that you find yourself struggling to get through your day-to-day life, no matter how hard you try.

When anxiety has you caught in its clutches, it is easy to feel hopeless or trapped, especially if you have tried and failed to work through your problems in the past. Please know that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook for Anxiety: A 7-Step Program to Overcome your Fear, Panic, Anxiety, and Worry is here to hold your hand and guide you, step by step, through getting a handle on your anxious feelings. With this book, you will be walked through seven steps, designed to teach you the skills you need to learn to manage your anxiety on your own.

First, you will be taught all you need to know about fear and anxiety, as well as how they can impact your day-to-day life. You will be provided with information on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), an extremely effective therapy, as well as why it works. You will then be walked through how to use this book to utilize what is written to its fullest extent.

From there, you will be guided through the seven steps you will need to follow in order to complete the CBT process for anxiety. Each of these seven steps will compound on themselves, providing you with what you need to know, as well as giving you three different assignments per step that will aid you in conquering your anxiety once and for all, without ever having to consult a licensed professional.

It is important to note, however, that while this workbook is designed to provide you with information on anxiety and suggest some strategies you can utilize to manage your symptoms of anxiety and worry, it is NOT a substitute for a proper diagnosis, treatment, or the advice of an appropriate health professional. The book is a fantastic reference, but will never be able to provide you the individualized care a licensed health professional could offer. If your symptoms are severe or overwhelming, or if you have never seen a doctor about your mental health symptoms, it is important to seek advice from a qualified health professional. Likewise, this book does not advise you to alter any medication that has been prescribed, and you should always seek medical advice before altering your medication regimen. If you ever feel as if you may hurt yourself or others, please consider this a medical emergency and call your local emergency services hotline, or seek treatment in an emergency room.

Remember, no matter how severe your symptoms may seem or feel, you can fix things. If not through this book, then through seeking help from a licensed therapist or taking medication. No matter how bad your anxiety feels, or how hopeless it may seem at times, you can make things better. You deserve to live a life free from the constant tendrils of fear and anxiety. You deserve to live a life you can enjoy without worry or fear. You deserve to live a life where you do more than just survive. You can, and you will attain the life you wish to lead with perseverance and effort. No matter how hard things may get, remember to keep your goals in mind, and never stop striving for them. Happiness and mental wellness are within your reach, even if your anxiety has fooled you into thinking otherwise.

Part I

Everything You Need to Know Before Starting the CBT Workbook

Chapter 1: Fear and Anxiety

Fear and anxiety may seem similar, but they are two different feelings. While they both involve stress responses, they are reactions to different types of threats. Anxiety is a reaction to the idea of a threat: It keeps you on edge and apprehensive, heightening your awareness so you can respond to any potential threats quickly. Fear, on the other hand, is a response to a known threat. Rather than being alert in case of a threat, you are reacting to something that is actively threatening you. This distinction is necessary to make, as fear can cause anxiety symptoms, but true anxiety does not directly cause fear. Understanding these nuances, as well as how to identify when what you are feeling is fear or anxiety, will help you learn to control your feelings of anxiety or worry. After all, anxiety is a feeling that something bad is coming, not that there is a threat present.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety attacks can take many forms. Sometimes, they present as aggression, while other times, you may feel frozen in fear. In the heart of an anxiety attack, you feel as though there is danger surrounding you, and no matter how hard you try to tell yourself that you are okay, you cannot shake the fear of imminent danger. This often manifests in any combination of the following symptoms:

All of these symptoms could be signs of anxiety, but also signs of serious medical problems. If you feel these symptoms on a regular basis, even when there is no apparent danger around you, it is worth getting a checkup from a licensed medical professional. Your primary physician can eliminate any worry that there is a more sinister cause of your symptoms, and also refer you to a mental health expert that will be able to accurately pinpoint your diagnosis and help you on the journey toward wellness.

Healthy Fear and Anxiety

As unpleasant as both fear and anxiety are, they are both healthy and normal feelings, in moderation. They each have very specific biological purposes, and when they are functioning normally, they both work together to keep you alive. Imagine if you are faced with someone with a gun: Your gut reaction will likely be fear. This fear will start your fight-or-flight reflex, and with adrenaline coursing through your veins, you will be able to focus better on what is happening, so you can react to movements quicker. Your muscles will be ready to burst into action to either fight or run. Your endurance will increase. All of these together will prepare you to protect your life, allowing you to either flee from the person with a gun or fight off the person with the gun.

Likewise, with anxiety, your body is reacting to the idea of a threat. There may not be a threat that you are aware of, but you do feel as though there might be one somewhere nearby, and that apprehension is enough to keep you prepared to launch into fight-or-flight mode at a moments notice. If you are walking through a dark alley at night, you may feel that anxiety gnawing at you, telling you to stay on edge and alert for any threats that may potentially jump out at you. That anxiety warns you that there may be a danger, and in healthy individuals, this anxiety is balanced. It will keep you alert when your surroundings dictate that you probably should be, such as when you walk through a dark alley, or when you are hiking through a mountain trail at dusk: Your alertness keeps you prepared to react to any sort of threat that may arise. For people without anxiety disorders, it is smart to pay attention to these gut feelings, as we often have them for good reasons, such as knowing that we are in a dangerous area or that we are doing something risky.