Are you plagued by fears, phobias, or panic attacks? Do you toss and turn at night with a knot in your stomach, worrying about your job, your family, work, your health, or relationships? Do you suffer from crippling shyness, obsessive doubts, or feelings of insecurity?

What you may not realize is that these fears are almost never based on reality. Anxiety is one of the world’s oldest cons. When you’re anxious, you’re actually fooling yourself. You are telling yourself things that simply aren’t true. See if you can recognize yourself in any of these distortions:

All-or-Nothing Thinking: “My mind will go blank when I give my presentation at work, and everyone will think I’m an idiot.”

Fortune Telling: “I just know I’ll freeze up and blow it when I take my test.”

Mind Reading : “Everyone at this party can see how nervous I am.”

Magnification: “Flying is so dangerous. I think this plane is going to crash!”

Should Statements: “I shouldn’t be so anxious and insecure. Other people don’t feel this way.”

Emotional Reasoning: “I feel like I’m on the verge of cracking up!”

Self-Blame: “What’s wrong with me? I’m such a loser!”

Mental Filter: “Why can’t I get anything done? My life seems like one long procrastination.”

Now imagine what it be like to live a life that’s free of worries and self-doubt; to go to sleep at night feeling peaceful and relaxed; to overcome your shyness and have fun with other people; to give dynamic presentations without worrying yourself sick ahead of time; to enjoy greater creativity, productivity and self-confidence.

Does that sound impossible? The truth is you can defeat your fears. In When Panic Attacks , Dr. Burns takes you by the hand and shows you how to overcome every conceivable kind of anxiety. In fact, you will learn how to use more than forty simple, effective techniques, and the moment you put the lie to the distorted thoughts that plague you, your fears will immediately disappear. Dr. Burns also shares the latest research on the drugs commonly prescribed for anxiety and depression and explains why they may sometimes do more harm than good.

This is not pop psychology but proven, fast-acting techniques that have been shown to be more effective than medications. When Panic Attacks is an indispensable handbook for anyone who’s worried sick and sick of worrying.