Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Depression; New Ways to Regain Your Confidence.

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Recognizing that physical wellness is greatly influenced by our emotional health and spiritual frame of reference, I have focused some time and effort in better understanding these inter-relationships. A well person is not simply someone whose labs and physical exam came out normal, but someone who has integrated all aspects of themselves, mind, body, and spirit. In the furious and fragmented pace of life, we tend to become dis-integrated, forgetting who we are and ignoring the question of why we are. It is perhaps presumptuous of me to want to make a difference in people’s lives beyond the aid I can offer through my medical training. But I think it is appropriate, when speaking of health and wellness, to discuss the underlying support system, spiritually and emotionally, that informs our perspective and sustains us in difficult times. 

This search for understanding resulted with my first book, co-authored with Dr. Art Bell, “Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Depression; New Ways to Regain Your Confidence.”  (Career Press, N.Y., 2000). I am thankful to the patients who bought (and hopefully read) the book or got it for a friend or family member. Its main purpose was to encourage anyone suffering from these conditions to seek help. We don’t live in a vacuum, and if we are unhappy, everyone around us is affected as well. Even though medications work and are safe, there are other roads to wellness as discussed in the book. But the first and most important step is recognizing the problem is within us, not out in the world somewhere, and giving ourselves the permission to get help. As a frequent guest on local and national radio, I have been able to express my views on these issues through a live, interactive “call-in” format. I am working on a CD which would include various informative and entertaining discussions from the archive tapes of those shows.

Phobias and How to Overcome Them, Understanding and Beating Your Fears

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Our second book, “Phobias and How to Overcome Them; Understanding and Beating Your Fears,” was published in January of 2005. The writing of this book was another opportunity for me to expand my understanding of emotional dysfunction and the larger human condition. This understanding led to the development of the Anxiety Toolbox Program, a web-based, downloadable resource to help people gain control over anxious emotions due to anxiety disorders or depression.

The Anxiety Toolbox Program
The comprehensive integrative approach to calming anxious emotions.

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The five-book program includes a comprehensive self-test, a “quick fix” formula for calming anxiety within 1 to seven days, and the eight-compartment Anxiety Toolbox Program workbook. A personal anxiety assessment list and personal daily planner are also included to help patients organize their strategy for defeating anxiety.

A new book is also in the works, and is entitled “Human Emotions; The Owner’s Manual”. It is intended for high school and early college level students, and is written to help young people navigate the spectrum of emotions they will invariably experience. Since emotional and spiritual health are the keys to personal and career success, the more we know about ourselves, the more we are empowered to make positive choices for our lives. I am working on an interactive website that would encourage students to continue to share and discuss their thoughts and feelings about each chapter online.

Lastly, I have been preparing a book for my patients which brings together basic spiritual truths and insights of some of the great modern psychologists, philosophers and theologians. Whether or not a person has any religious devotions, every individual can develop a spiritual frame of reference. Having such a model by which to guide and inform your actions, words, and thoughts is, I believe, an essential tool for developing a strong and healthy sense of “self”. I will discuss what I thing is right and what is wrong about “New-Age” spirituality, and will present a simple formula for giving our lives a spiritual dimension. This dimension, when implemented into everyday life, will help to dissipate the toxic levels of stress and inner turmoil that lead to physical and emotional illness.

Most of us have a way to reach that spiritual and emotional center of our being.  It may be through athletics, nature, art or music, or any number of endeavors that free us from our inner strife.  For me, these activities are fishing, hiking, gardening, photography, and music.  In this section of my website, I may occasionally share my own music performances or photos from the garden or a nature hike I enjoyed.