Books For Adults
Gratitude Diaries By: Janice Kaplan
When we deal with anxiety, we may find our thinking patterns to be more on the negative side. This book combines personal experience of the author with research and scholarly findings to explain why practicing gratitude can improve one’s overall quality of life. She divides the book into sections to make the read more manageable and easy to apply to real life.
The Gifts of Imperfections By: Brene Brown
Perfectionism seems to be a common trigger for anxiety, whether someone deals with OCD or generalized anxiety disorder, many tend to find themselves believing that what they are doing is not good enough or has to be perfect. This book is a short “how to” guide in letting go of trying to be perfect and accepting yourself and the world around. Brene Brown, as always, is authentic in her personal accounts, but backs up her recommendations with research findings.
Daring Greatly By: Brene Brown
Anxiety is often fueled by the fear of vulnerability. This book walks the reader through how to be vulnerable to gain more out of your life and form meaningful connections. As another Brene Brown book, you will find the writing style similar to that of The Gifts of Imperfection, however this is less of a “how to guide” and more of a honest letter to the reader.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving an F*** By: Mark Manson
Not your standard self help book. This book is an adult “in your face” kind of guide to happiness. The author is real and honest, and at times harsh about how we let anxiety rule our lives. He also backs up his claims with evidence based findings and has no qualms about telling it how he sees it. Definately 18 and older reading audience.
Books For Teens
OCD Love Story By: Corey Ann Haydu
This book is a romantic fiction that paints a fairly honest picture of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. For those who feel alone in their fight against OCD, this may be the book for you. It is an easy fun read that will have you saying “Yes, that is so me,” and “I say the same things in my head.”
Every Exquisite Thing By: Matthew Quick
A fiction portrayal of a teen going through stress and anxiety in high school. This book highlights how mental health issues affect not just the individual experiencing the symptoms, but everyone around them as well. The author also attempts to portray how choices made from anxiety can have negative consequences, but when you are brave good things are possible.
Second Position By: Katherine Locke
Many teens struggle to make the leap to go to therapy. This book is about a twenty three year old who continues to struggle with issues from her teenage years, and is finally seeking help. How the author portrays the progression through therapy is pretty close to the real deal- it is not fast, painless, nor easy, but it is remarkable and worth the hard work.
The Panic Workbook for Teens: Breaking the Cycle of Fear, Worry, and Panic Attacks By: Debra Kissen PhD, MHSA, Bari Goldman Cohen PhD, Kathi F. Abitbol PhD
This is a step by step workbook for teen who struggle with any type of panic attack or anxiety. The lessons are easy to understand and easy to complete. While it may not replace therapy, it certainly is a valuable extra tool to assist with the awful symptoms of anxiety.
Books For Children
What to do with a problem? By: Kobi Yamada
This is one of my favorites. This book elegantly describes the general concept of how to conquer anxiety in a kid friendly way with beautiful illustrations. The description of what a “problem” can feel like to a child, and what avoiding that “problem” can do to one’s life is both relatable and accurate.
How Full is Your Bucket By: Tom Rath
This book focuses on a easy to understand metaphor to help explain self esteem. The book even takes the concept one step further to explain how others not only affect our self esteem, but how we have the ability to affect other’s self esteem in both positive and negative ways as well. Parents and teachers can also utilize the concepts from the book to create group projects/demonstrations to make the lesson come to life.
What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety By: Dawn Huebner
Written by a Clinical Psychologist, this book is a parent and child workbook for children with anxiety. She utilizes easy to understand analogies, and provides short activities to help take the lesson to the next level. She also provides several “tips and tricks” to help conquer anxiety on a daily basis.
A Boy and a Bear: The Children’s Relaxation Book By: Lori Lite
Kids learn about relaxation techniques differently than adults. This book is a cute way to teach your child how to practice coping skills to help themselves feel better. It empowers the reader to be able to self soothe, reduce stress, fall asleep easier, and feel better about themselves.