No More Panic Attacks: A 30-Day Plan for Conquering Anxiety

255 Pages·2002·0.97 MB·English

by  Jennifer Shoquist

No More
Panic
Attacks
30-Day
A Plan
for Conquering
Anxiety
Jennifer Shoquist M.D. and Diane Stafford
New Page Books
A Division of Career Press Inc.
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Copyright ©2002 by Jennifer Shoquist, M.D., and Diane Stafford
All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copy-
right Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in
part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, includ-
ing photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and re-
trieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written
permission from the publisher, The Career Press.
NO MORE PANIC ATTACKS
EDITED AND TYPESET BY JOHN J. O’SULLIVAN
Cover design by Lu Rossman/Digi Dog Design
Printed in the U.S.A. by Book-mart Press
Artwork ©2002 www.arttoday.com
To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and
Canada: 201-848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for
further information on books from Career Press.
The Career Press, Inc., 3 Tice Road, PO Box 687,
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
www.careerpress.com
www.newpagebooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shoquist, Jennifer.
No more panic attacks : a 30-day plan for conquering anxiety / by Jennifer
Shoquist and Diane Stafford.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 1-56414-608-1 (pbk.)
1. Panic attacks--Treatment--Popular works. I. Stafford, Diane. II. Title.
RC535 .S567 2002
616.85'223--dc21
2002069345
Dedication
This book is dedicated with love and gratitude to Belle Shirley,
a woman of tremendous compassion and love.
Love and thanks to our husbands:
Robert San Luis and David Garrett.
Love and thanks to Daddy and Granddaddy,
Clinton Shirley.
And, in loving memory of those who died
in the Attack on America on September 11, 2001.

Acknowledgments
We thank Career Press/New Page Books for believing in our
book and allowing us to share our ideas on ways to curb anxiety and
live more fulfilling lives. Thanks to our editors at Career Press/New
Page: Stacey Farkas, Mike Lewis, and John O’Sullivan. Your hard
work and creativity were such important ingredients.
Thank you, Elizabeth Frost-Knappman of New England Pub-
lishing Associates, for bringing No More Panic Attacks to fruition.
We appreciate the many people who took our 2002 Life Quality
Test and offered feedback.
Thanks to our families and friends, who have reduced our anxi-
ety a million times over, kept us targeted on the right priorities, and
understood when we had to retreat for many hours into that com-
puter “rabbit hole” to think and work. Your constancy and love make
us feel tremendously blessed. Those who were always there with
cookies and movies, friendship and love include Martin and Sarah
Shoquist, David Nordin, Jennifer Wright, Jami Exner, Chris Fleming,
Joanne Goldstein, Leticia San Luis, Allen and Christina Shirley,
Austin Shirley, Xanthe Shirley, Lindsay and Cameron Liem, Britt
Pierce, Joann Roberson, Donna Pate, Wendy Corson, Camilla and
Richard Pierce, Gina and Tom Cartwright, Lina Carlos, Eddi Lee,
Carol Ibert, Karen and Doug Johnson, Dinah Anderson, Shari
Belmarez, Shannon and John Mathis, Christy Waites, Kristina Holt,
Martha Ott, Dana Chandler, Michael Allison, Cari La Grange,
Gabriela Baeza Ventura, Gina and Curtis Bradley, Bob Livermore,
Fred Aguilar, Tessie Patterson, Rachel Capote, Spiker Davis, Scott
Coleman.
We thank Oprah Winfrey, whose vision and beliefs have influ-
enced millions, and we feel lucky to count ourselves among those.
And thanks to David Letterman, who made us laugh, and helped
the whole country get back on track after September 11, 2001.
And, thanks to our two adorable, stress-reducing lapdogs: shih-
tzus Sophie and Lucy.

Disclaimer
This book contains the authors’ opinions and ideas. It is intended
to provide helpful and informative information on the subject mat-
ter covered herein. It is sold with the understanding that the authors
and the publisher are not engaged in rendering professional medical,
health, or any other kind of personal professional services via the
book. If the reader wants or needs personal advice or guidance, he
or she should seek an in-person consultation with a competent medi-
cal professional. Furthermore, the reader should consult his or her
medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting
any of the suggestions in the book or drawing inferences from infor-
mation that is included herein. This is a supplement, not a replace-
ment, for medical advice from a reader’s personal healthcare
provider. Check with your doctor before following any suggestions
in this book, as well as any condition that may require medical diag-
nosis or attention.
The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibil-
ity for any liability, loss, or risk, whether personal or otherwise, which
someone may incur as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the
use and application of any of the contents of this book. In no way
does reading this book replace the need for an evaluation by a physi-
cian. Also, responsibility for any adverse effects that result from the
use of information in this book rests solely with the reader.

Contents
Preface: .................................................................................................11
Knowing What It’s Like (One Author’s Tale of Anxiety)
Introduction:.........................................................................................15
Simple Stress, Panic, or Anxiety Disorder?
Chapter 1:..............................................................................................31
Anxiety, Up-Close and Personal
Chapter 2:..............................................................................................53
Take the 2002 Life Quality Test
Chapter 3:..............................................................................................63
Gearing Up for Success: Your Anxiety-Busting Skills
Chapter 4:..............................................................................................91
The New You Redo: 30 Days of Anxiety-Busting
Chapter 5:............................................................................................117
What to Do When Your Children Make You Anxious
Chapter 6:.........................................................................................143
Fighting Panic Attacks in College
Chapter 7:.........................................................................................153
Handling Couple Troubles That Cause Anxiety
Chapter 8:.........................................................................................177
Getting Rid of Job-Related Anxiety