The Panic Attack Relief Workbook by Mayra Diaz lays out a seven-week plan for people to be able to better manage panic. It incorporates cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and exposure therapy. As the title indicates, it’s a workbook with exercises to fill out.
The book begins with background information about how panic affects the brain and body, as well as different disorders that can involve panic. It also provides background information about different CBT and ACT strategies. The rest of the book is laid out as seven chapters to cover week by week, with a different focus area for each week’s exercises.
The first week focuses on understanding how panic impacts your well-being. It included keeping a panic attack log to connect situations, emotions, and sensations, along with exercises to examine and identify panic’s impact on your life, the fears that your mind is treating as threats, and triggers. There are also exercises involving deep breathing, grounding, and progressive muscle relaxation.
Other weekly focus areas include breaking the cycle of negative thoughts, facing your fears, and mindfulness acceptance. There’s a mix of education, self-monitoring, self-reflection, coping tools, exposures (including exposures to feared bodily sensations) and other strategies to address thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. There are also coping statements scattered throughout the book.
One line I quite liked was “You can’t control your emotions, but you can feel capable of managing them.”
A wording choice that struck me as a bit odd was when the author encouraged readers to teach others about what they’ve learned, while at the same time being careful to avoid playing armchair therapist. She wrote, “You have learned a lot about panic, but you are not a mental health expert.” It’s a very minor thing and I know what she was going for was “you are not a mental health professional”, but I’m kind of feisty, and telling people living with mental illnesses that they’re not experts in their conditions sparks a bit of that feistiness.
I thought the author did a really good job of providing clear, concise explanations, which allowed a lot of useful stuff to be packed into a book that’s relatively short and very easy to read. It’s also very aesthetically appealing. I liked the short sections and point-form key takeaways at the end of each chapter. The tone was supportive and encouraging but not preachy, which I also liked. Overall, I thought it was very well done.
The Panic Attack Relief Workbook is available on Amazon (affiliate link).
I received a reviewer copy from the publisher through Netgalley.
You can find my other reviews on the MH@H book review index or on Goodreads.
I’ve never enjoyed workbooks. One, they never include enough space to write in them, and two, they should always be coil bound. Your review, however, is excellent as always 💖
I agree, coil-bound is definitely the way to go. 💕
This sounds like a book that might benefit me. Thanks for your review Ashley 🙂
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“A wording choice that struck me as a bit odd was when the author encouraged readers to teach others about what they’ve learned, while at the same time being careful to avoid playing armchair therapist. She wrote, “You have learned a lot about panic, but you are not a mental health expert.” It’s a very minor thing and I know what she was going for was “you are not a mental health professional”, but I’m kind of feisty, and telling people living with mental illnesses that they’re not experts in their conditions sparks a bit of that feistiness.”
I do like the idea of “each one teach one”.
Then I think of Experts by Lived Experience and peer supporters.
It is good to be open about panicky experiences.
And panic is one of these which often unseats and unbolts – so we do not trust so hard and so much in our “knowledge” about it.
[it is like “lies” and depression – as in the statement “Depression is a lie” – though that may belong better in the Depression Ignorance post!]
A minor thing – a thing which can be fixed – probably in the next edition or two with feedback.
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“Other weekly focus areas include breaking the cycle of negative thoughts, facing your fears, and mindfulness acceptance. There’s a mix of education, self-monitoring, self-reflection, coping tools, exposures (including exposures to feared bodily sensations) and other strategies to address thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. There are also coping statements scattered throughout the book.”
The author of Unwantedlife.me also has done a lot of work about exposures to feared body sensations in the last few weeks and months.
Education; self-monitoring; self-reflection; coping tools; exposures – what else is there?
Coping statements do help if they are in the Goldilocks zone [not too undercooked or overcooked – rare or well-done].
Yes, the Goldilocks zone is definitely key.
Thank you so much for reviewing this book! I’ve been looking to find ways on how to cope with anxiety, and your review is super helpful!
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I only get panic attacks when I’m on a very low dose of medication. But I am on the highest dose, with some oral paliperidone to keep me afloat. Nice article. Thanks once again for liking my blog.
I’m glad the medication is helping.
You too.
The Panic Attack Relief Workbook is an incredibly helpful and empowering resource for anyone who struggles with anxiety or panic attacks. The workbook is easy to follow, practical, and filled with exercises and strategies that are designed to help you better understand your triggers, manage your symptoms, and ultimately regain control over your life. Thanks for posting this article. It’s really helpful. However, I also found this article on Panic Attack Vs. Anxiety Attack, which I think is worthwhile reading.