Title: The CBT Handbook
Author: Pamela Myles and Roz Shafran
Type: Non-Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 530
Rating: 9/10
Pamela Myles and Roz Shafran – The CBT Handbook
Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.
I should probably start this by explaining what CBT is, because if you’re new to it then you won’t really understand the concept of the book. We’re talking about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is typically used to overcome depression, anxiety and anger. I suffer from depression and anxiety, which is more common than you might think, and so when I was offered the chance to review this book, I thought, why not?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is basically a form of self-help, but it’s one of the most successful treatments that’s out there and way better than some of the hippie shit that people suggest, like meditation and yoga. I’m sure that works for a lot of people, but it tends to stress me out even more – CBT, meanwhile, is all about changing the way that you think about things, and it’s surprisingly effective.
In this book, the two authors explain everything that you need to know about depression, anxiety and anger issues, from the root causes of them to the physical sensations that they cause and the behaviour that they can lead to. With many mental health issues, simply being aware of what you’re facing can make a huge difference to your overall prognosis, and I’ve personally found that the information provided makes life a lot easier.
Pam Myles
And then there are the activities that the authors suggest that you take – see, although there are a hell of a lot of pages here, a lot of them are part of the appendix, which is there so that you can follow along with the activities that the authors recommend. I didn’t actually do those, but I’m well aware of their importance – in fact, I’ll probably come back to it at a later date when I’ve got a little more time, and then I can read back through it again, whilst doing the activities.
I actually found this book so useful that I made a recommendation in person for it, because I’m so convinced that people will find it useful. The only downside to it is its price, but then it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind, as they say. Personally, I think that it’s a great thing that the two authors are doing, because their book has the potential to change a lot of lives for the better.
I haven’t seen a more well-researched and comprehensive book about mental health for a long time, and I read quite a lot of books on the subject. You probably won’t get much out of this if you don’t take the time to follow through with the activities, and so you’ll need to already have a desire to beat your condition. In some ways, it’s like trying to kick an addiction – the first step is acknowledging that you have a problem and committing yourself to change. If you’re at that stage, this is going to do more for you than medication.
CBT, Apparently.
