Copyright © 2010 by Judson Rothschild
ISBN 10: 1453802924
ISBN 13: 9781453802922
PRAISE FOR JUDSON ROTHSCHILD
“Judson Rothschild has written the ideal book for those struggling with the often-crippling impact of anxiety and panic attacks. He combines his own experience with well-researched material. Judson writes with clarity, humor and purpose, seeking to share his own hard-earned wisdom with others in search of real-life answers. Those looking for hope and help will not be disappointed.”
—RICK SHUMAN, PhD, vice chair, Our House
Past clinical director, Century City Hospital
Frequent guest on CNN, CBS, FOX, OPRAH and EXTRA
“This is the perfect book to give to people suffering from panic and/or anxiety. It delivers exactly what it promises: quick, useful, medically sound advice that gives patients hope, while helping them become advocates in their own recovery.”
—DR. ROBERT GERNER, M.D., Psychiatrist
Associate research psychiatrist, UCLA School of Medicine
Founder, Affective Disorder Clinic, UCLA
President, Pacific Institute for Medical Research
“Snap Out of It? is a courageous, optimistic, spiritual book from Judson Rothschild’s heart, using as a guide his own life experiences, from which we all have much to learn.”
—DAVID R. ALLEN, M.D.
Leader in alternative and complementary medicine
Los Angeles, California
“This book is a transformational journey into the depths of panic and anxiety and is a clear and comprehensive practical guide for transcendence. A most useful tool for finding peace and spirituality. Judson’s enlightened journey unlocks the love, wisdom and power found in one’s own deep inner soul.”
—GARY QUINN, bestselling author
Living In the Spiritual Zone
“Snap Out of It? is packed with straightforward, essential strategies for effectively dealing with panic and/or anxiety, leaving the reader inspired and empowered.”
—DEBBIE FORD, New York Times bestselling author
Dark Side of the Light Chasers and
Why Good People Do Bad Things
“The true test of character is defined
by how we deal with the unexpected.”
—Judson Alan Rothschild
CONTENTS
Foreword
Chapter 1. Is There A Doctor In The House?
Chapter 2. Snap Out Of It?
Chapter 3. Panic Or Anxiety?
Chapter 4. Why Am I Sweating The Small Stuff?
Chapter 5. Understanding The Wild Beast
Chapter 6. Enemy Number One
Chapter 7. Stinking Thinking
Chapter 8. Stop Worrying Yourself Sick
Chapter 9. Breathing For Your Life
Chapter 10. Running On Empty
Chapter 11. Tricks And Treats
Chapter 12. Sleep The Night Away
Chapter 13. Supple-Mental-Ation
Chapter 14. Medication Or Ice Cream?
Chapter 15. The Bigger Picture
Panic And Anxiety Recipe
Acknowledgments
Resource List
“What makes you think you’re qualified to write a book on panic and anxiety? You’re not a doctor or a medical expert. Why is anyone going to want to buy your book?”
My answer to these questions is simple.
I possess one thing that most of these doctors and medical experts do not. I have personally survived twenty years of panic and anxiety, and I’m still standing. And believe me when I say it, I’ve earned the equivalent of a master’s degree!
Some wonderful books on panic and anxiety have been written by medical experts. I am not attempting to compete with them. You will not find case studies in this book, nor will you read hundreds of pages of dedicated, documented research material.
Snap Out of It! A Quick Guide to Panic and Anxiety is exactly that. A quick guide. When you are in the throes of panic and/ or anxiety, you need easy access to useful information, and you want it fast. The sheer thought of looking at a four-hundred-page medical book is daunting even when you are not having these problems.
Over the years, I have read hundreds of medical and self-help books. In the last few years, I have discovered an alarming trend. If you use a highlighter when you read these books and look back when you are finished, you will discover only ten to twenty pages have truly given you insight. The other three hundred-plus have been nothing but filler.
My concept for this book is very simple: to give the reader as much information as I can in fewer than one hundred and twenty pages, thus making it easier to start applying the tools right now. TODAY.
Chapter One
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?
“Doctor, doctor, give me the news,
I’ve got a bad case of lovin’ you!”
—John Moon Martin
It is unfair to your friends and loved ones to have to shoulder the responsibility for dealing with your symptoms. Odds are pretty good that they are as exhausted by this process as you are. I recommend that you start by getting a thorough physical examination from your general practitioner. If your doctor determines that you have no physical medical issues, I suggest finding a mental health practitioner who specializes in panic and anxiety. This book is not meant to take the place of medical experts; it is to be used in conjunction with them.
Remember that your doctor or therapist cannot read your mind. You must take a proactive role in reclaiming your life. At the end of this book, you will find a RECIPE FOR PANIC AND ANXIETY. Fill it out carefully. Discuss your symptoms with your doctor, and do not be afraid to tell him or her how panic and anxiety have affected any or all areas of your life. If you feel your doctor does not have a good sense of your issues, or for some reason you do not connect well, find another one. You need to have someone whom you feel you can trust. You have been battling this issue for way too long. A good therapist can give you the assurances you need and provide you with the proper tools to slay this panic and anxiety dragon forever. You are not alone in this quest. The sooner you realize this, the faster you will gain relief.
Chapter Two
SNAP OUT OF IT?
(If you are currently experiencing panic and/or anxiety, go straight to Chapter Three)
For those of you lucky enough never to have experienced panic and anxiety, trust me when I say this is something you would not wish on your worst enemy!
Imagine a large hand coming down from the sky, entering your body through the top of your head, and pushing all hope and positive feelings out of your body and soul. You are left with nothing but gloom and doom. Suddenly your body reacts as if you have stepped off the curb in front of an oncoming car. The scary thing is, there is no curb, nor is there a car. You are actually sitting in your chair at your office. You look around like a wild person. You must be going crazy. If feeling crazy is not bad enough, your body retaliates. You break out in a sweat. Every muscle in your body screams, “Run!”
You have no idea what is happening to you. It feels as if you have jumped out of your skin! The world is upside down. A feeling of unreality starts drifting in, and then the anxiety. Oh, no! Not that feeling again! Panicked, you start climbing back into your skin as quickly as you can. Anything to stop that feeling! You push, you stretch, you shove, and you desperately suck in your breath every inch of the way, finally managing to pull up that zipper over your skin.
You can barely breathe. There is not one ounce of your body that does not feel as if it is going to claw, tear and rip itself right out of your skin. You are so uncomfortable, you cannot imagine feeling like this for another second, let alone another minute. Ten minutes?! Oh, my God! The thought of an hour feeling like this? You decide right then that you will kill yourself! What? Where did that thought come from? Oh, my God, you are going crazy! At that moment, you want to tear every ounce of skin off your body and run down the street, screaming, “Help me! Please help me! Please! God, someone help me!”
But guess what? You are not running down the street. You are still in your office.
You look around, panicked. You start calling your friends and loved ones. Beads of sweat appear on your forehead. Your armpits are soaked. You tell your friends, family and loved ones that you are feeling strange, that you want to jump out of your skin. The more you try to put the feeling into words, the worse the effects. Without knowing it, you have started to hold your breath.
After listening to you, your friends and loved ones offer many inspirational responses:
“YOU THINK YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY? YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?”
“GET A GRIP.”
“HONEY, I REALLY DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS. I’M LATE PICKING UP THE DOG FROM THE GROOMER’S.”
Or the all-time-best one…
“SNAP OUT OF IT!”
Your worst fear has come true.
You hang up the phone. There is no denying it. You are all alone! You sit there, shaking, re-evaluating your whole life, which is flashing in front of you like a Warner Brothers B movie.
Just this morning, you felt as if you were on top of the world. You have a great job, a great life. Soon, you are going on an incredible two-week vacation to Paris.
Now, you are nothing but a quivering mess. How did this happen?
Snap out of it? You still cannot believe your ears. If you could frickin’ snap out of this, why would you have called anybody? The tears start as your body uncontrollably rumbles and twitches. Overwhelming sadness shakes you to your soul. You truly feel as if you are in this all alone.
Chapter Three
PANIC OR ANXIETY?
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”
—Napoleon Hill
First, let me start by reminding you that stupid people do not have panic and/or anxiety. Research has shown that it takes a highly intelligent, creative brain to conjure invisible monsters. So it is important to remind yourself that there is a plus side: You have a great creative brain and an extremely high IQ. Soon, you will learn how to use that creative IQ to slay the invisible monsters and create a life of abundance and hope. And the good news is…it’s not that far away.
There is a fine line between panic and anxiety. I have read many books on the subject, and quite frankly, I was more confused after reading them than I was when I started. Some argue that anxiety comes first and panic follows. Others say just the opposite. Personally, I really did not care which came first.
Didn’t these people understand? I was in the middle of having an attack. I just wanted it to STOP! I didn’t want a dissertation. I wanted answers.
I have spent enough money on this panic vs. anxiety issue to be quite sure I’ve put many therapists’ children through college. I’m not going to spend time debating the books and the medical experts here, because, in fact, I cannot. I am not a doctor, nor do I have any informal medical training, for that matter. I do, however, possess one thing most of these doctors probably do not. To date, I have personally survived two decades of panic and anxiety. And as I have stated before—believe me when I say it—I have earned my degree!
The start of my panic and anxiety journey was a true revelation. To my horror, I discovered there was no clinic or specialist for these specific issues. The year was 1988, and at the time there were two options: medication and/or hospitalization.
I had never had a drink, nor had I ever smoked, taken drugs or had a cup of coffee: I grew up seeing too much abuse of these substances. Therefore, medication did not seem the right option to me. (We will discuss the pros and cons of medication in a later chapter.) Hospitalization posed even more problems, including cost and time. These concerns only fed the anxiety. Not to mention the fact that you are placed in a ward with people who have severe psychiatric issues. That is the last place someone who is feeling panic and anxiety needs to be. You already fear that you are going crazy (which, of course, you are not; we will discuss this in a later chapter as well). Why would anyone think a hospital was the appropriate place for someone suffering from panic and anxiety?