Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks

It is not a very exciting and interactive book. I wasn’t satisfied with the explanation and types of exercises given. I found it very boring.

Kurz und umfassend. Es hilft!

Love this book, very helpful as long as you stay consistent!

I have to admit that I am skeptic when it comes to trying new things. I don’t like to try new foods, new shows, new places…nothing. I think it comes with the territory because trying new things can sometimes cause my anxiety to go into overdrive. About two months ago, I was feeling like I needed more than therapy. I was doing okay, but I wanted to be better than okay. I did some research on books about depression and anxiety and I came across Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavior Therapy in 7 Weeks by Dr. Seth Gillihan. I can’t remember what caused me to jump right on ordering this book (it may have been the free shipping that came with my Amazon prime account), but that doesn’t really matter because it was meant for me to have this book. I don’t think I have ever mentioned the fact that my bachelor’s degree is in psychology. I say that to say that one would think that I would have known about Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or CBT as it is referred to in the book. But, sadly prior to ordering this book, I had not (I could blame that on the fact that I hated psychology in college, but that’s for another blog post). Even though I ordered the book and awaited it’s arrival like a child waiting for Christmas, it took me a few days to crack it open. Not that there was anything wrong with the book itself, but it was skepticism about a workbook that could help me battle depression and anxiety that kept me from wanting to dive right in. Without giving this workbook totally away, this workbook has been a LIFE CHANGER! A little disclaimer: I am in therapy and I see my therapist once a month at least. But, if it is any consolation, when I walked into my last therapy appointment with this book in my hand, my therapist informed me that she was in the process of ordering the SAME book. This further confirmed that I was on the right path. The workbook is easy to digest, meaning it isn’t filled with scientific jargon that makes it hard to understand. It truly does empower people who suffer from depression and anxiety to learn how to be their own therapist by gaining the CBT skills to combat the negative, aggressive, and overwhelming thoughts and emotions that come with both. Because of this book, my approach to new things has been different, my anxiety has decreased, and my negative thoughts don’t linger like they used to. It doesn’t mean that they aren’t there, but I can combat them like ninja when they hit me. I have also shared my work with my husband and it has helped him better support me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who suffers from depression and anxiety.

Good for practicing CBT yourself

This was by far the BEST out of four self help books I bought to help with anxiety. It explains the different types of anxiety, and their causes, and enabled me to write some notes for myself that I am certain will be a support base for me now and in the future. I feel that it has given me a foundation for reducing my anxiety, and I have seen very positive results in myself in the seven weeks that I have been using it. For me, it has been a godsend.