The Anxiety-Elimination System by Nicos Nicolaou

The Anxiety-Elimination System by Nicos Nicolaou
Buy The Anxiety-Elimination System by Nicos Nicolaou at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Lifestyle
Reviewer: Peter Magee
Summary: A simple, reassuring system to avoid the misery of panic attacks and anxiety.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 158	Date: January 2017
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-1524667412
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Nick Nicolau suffered a major panic attack and was told by his doctor that he would need medication to control the attacks and that there wasn't much more that he could do - apart that was, from going home to sleep. The next morning he had another attack which he could neither stop nor control and before long was having panic attacks every day and developed generalised anxiety and phobias. After a great deal of work and research he discovered how to reverse and beat his anxiety - and now he helps others to do the same. No one is born with a chemical imbalance in the brain and genes do not determine behaviour. The proof of the efficacy of his system is that through the course of a particularly challenging life event - his divorce - he didn't slip back into inappropriate anxiety.

Nick went on to develop what he describes as a unique Anxiety Elimination System. I was pleased to see that there's an option to contact the author after following his six-stage programme, but this shouldn't lead you to think that the book is no more than an advertisement for his other services: you can simply follow the system as described in the book.

Research has shown that everyone experiences stress and anxiety, but that there's an increased risk of anxiety and/or depression as a result of unhappy relationships, childhood trauma, neglect, drug abuse and other life-changing events. Continuous worry and stress leads to an unhealthy mindset and creates the vicious circle of more worry and stress.

I liked that Nick stresses that it's necessary to live for today rather than revisit the past which can be one of the major drawbacks of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Everyone can follow the suggested changes to put them on the path to recovery. His instructions are reassuringly simple to follow with useful tips such as having a hot shower in the evening before bed to relieve tension and stiff muscles. You're going to keep clean - as there's a recommendation for a two minute warm shower in the morning, which is then turned to a cold shower!

I'll not detail his other recommendations as you really would be better reading what Nick has written: suffice it to say exercise and diet are major factors on the road to recovery. Unusually Nick recommends that you don't talk about your anxiety or seek reassurance from others, as this simply keeps the anxiety alive. Instead, say to yourself there is nothing wrong with me simply because no one is born with anxiety or depression. It's all reassuringly positive. He's not a fan of medication either as most antidepressants simply mask the symptoms and can lead to dependency as well as having unwanted side effects. I liked the simplicity of the ideas and particularly the diversion techniques - doing something different, changing your habits and engaging your brain differently.

Particularly useful were the key points to note at the end of each chapter and overall this is a common-sense approach to dealing with the problem.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals to you then you might also appreciate The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer by Dr Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr Elissa Epel and My Mess is a Bit of Life: Adventures in Anxiety by Georgia Pritchett.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Anxiety-Elimination System by Nicos Nicolaou at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Anxiety-Elimination System by Nicos Nicolaou at Amazon.com.

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