Anxious in Love: How to Manage Your Anxiety, Reduce Conflict, and Reconnect with Your Partner

Description

In Anxious in Love, an Imago therapist and a couples therapist present practical relationship tools for people struggling with any anxiety disorder that leaves them feeling disconnected and misunderstood by their partners. These strategies will help readers apply practical tools for healing their anxiety, communicating their needs, and improving their relationships. Key Selling Points: ? This is the first relationship book specifically for people with anxiety disorders. Page 42 of 83 TIP SHEET TIP SHEET ? People in relationships who have generalized anxiety disorder were less likely to consider themselves in a "healthy and supportive" relationship than those without the disorder, twice as likely to experience at least one relationship problem, and three times as likely to avoid being intimate with their partners. 75 percent of general anxiety disorder sufferers feel that their disorder impairs their ability to perform normal activities with their spouses or partners. ? Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States, affecting some 40 million American adults, nearly 20 percent of the population (Anxiety Disorders Association of America). Description: Anxiety doesn't only affect the person who has it, but everyone who interacts with him or her and in a relationship, its effects can be even more damaging and profound. No matter how supportive the partner, anxiety disorders can wreak havoc on a relationship, increasing conflicts, misunderstanding, and tension. Anxious in Love is a relationship guide for partners who have an anxiety disorder that offers readers proven skills for calming their anxieties and communicating with their partners. First, readers learn to self soothe when their anxiety is triggered so that they can calm and center themselves when faced with their worries and fears. Second, readers learn to understand their anxiety from their partner's perspective and develop new skills for handling anxiety related conflicts that may arise. This section will be especially helpful for readers whose anxiety is triggered by disagreements in the relationship. Lastly, readers practice self sufficiency and work on not relying on their partners to ease their worries or calm their anxieties. This can create an unfair burden on the partner that can lead to tension and conflict. This section emphasizes that it is the reader's responsibility to take care of himself or herself in order to maintain a healthy relationship. The strategies in this book can help reduce conflict in any relationship that is affected by anxiety and increase communication and understanding between partners. Author Bio: Carolyn Daitch, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and director of the Center for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Farmington Hills, MI. A certified and approved consultant and fellow with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, a consultant with the University of Michigan's Program of Integrative Medicine, and a certified Imago Relationship therapist, she routinely gives trainings and presents to practitioners in the United States and abroad. She is author of Affect Regulation Toolbox, Anxiety Disorders: The Go to Guide for Clients and Therapists, and is a contributing author in Clinical Pearls of Wisdom: 21 Leading Therapists Offer Their Key Insights.

Carolyn Daitch, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and director of the Centre for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Farmington Hills, MI. A certified and approved consultant and fellow with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, a consultant with the University of Michigan's Program of Integrative Medicine, and a certified Imago Relationship therapist, she routinely gives trainings and presents to practitioners in the United States and abroad. She is author of Affect Regulation Toolbox, Anxiety Disorders: The Go-to Guide for Clients and Therapists, and is a contributing author in Clinical Pearls of Wisdom: 21 Leading Therapists Offer Their Key Insights.Lissah Lorberbaum, MA, is a psychotherapist living and practicing in the Los Angeles area.

"Anxious in Love brings help for anxiety disorders into new territory, revealing how it can affect both partners in a relationship and endanger the well-being of their connection. In a compassionate, step-by-step strategy, the anxiety disorder is first managed, and then mastered using both behavioral and psychological tools. Ultimately these practices are woven into an effective program for couples to use--one that empowers both partners to calm the inner and outer effects of anxiety on their relationship and maintain a quality connection. Anxious in Love is an invaluable resource and guide for anyone suffering from an anxiety disorder or anyone in a relationship with someone who suffers from anxiety." --Eleanor Payson, LMSW, author of The Wizard of Oz and Other Narcissists "Above all, therapists should not overlook the great advantage of prescribing Anxious in Love as a workbook for patients to use in tandem with ongoing psychotherapy. Its use will help patients get more out of their therapy by promoting self-awareness and self-reliance, as well as expanding self-care for stabilization, boundary development, and affect management." --Claire Frederick, MD, coauthor of Inner Strengths and Healing the Divided Self "Anxiety is, without doubt, the greatest enemy faced by couples, and its regulation is the most challenging and important achievement in marital happiness. The authors describe this crucial dilemma with deep and profound clarity and its resolution in clear instructions and exercises. Every couple who follows this path will end up in the kingdom of marital bliss. As the authors say, practice leads to permanence. I recommend this book not only to all couples, but also to all couples therapists. It will make their work with couples less anxious!" --Harville Hendrix, PhD, author of Getting the Love You Want and coauthor of Receiving Love with Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD "Anxiety, phobias, compulsions, and social avoidance can erode and even destroy relationships. Anxious in Love gives you the tools to decrease, manage, and even eliminate your excessive anxiety (or to understand your anxious partner). After reading the simple but powerful methods in the book, I am confident you'll be anxious to try them and will feel better right away." --Bill O'Hanlon, author of The Change Your Life Book and Rewriting Love Stories "This book is written primarily for people suffering from anxiety, but also for their partners. . . . There is a wide range of specific exercises for readers to try, so they can find what works best to reduce the overall anxiety level, recognize emotional and physical triggering experiences so the anxious reaction can be prevented, and perhaps most importantly, to learn to be calm, not merely avoiding the anxiety. . . . The authors bring multiple human examples from their decades of clinical experience, simple assessments, and many practical exercises. They create a light and reassuring mood with a genuine concern to assist healing. . . . Anyone suffering from the potentially crippling fallout from any of the potentially crippling experiences of anxiety is likely to have significant benefit from actively engaging with this book." --Robert B. McNeilly, MBBS, CET, director of the Milton H. Erickson Institute of Tasmania