Table of Contents:
Prologue: If I Believe in Therapy, Why Write a Self-Help Book?
Chapter 1: I Can Do It Myself
I don’t want to take medication for depression, anxiety, ADD, etc.
Chapter 2: Understanding the Psyche
A peanut butter sandwich
Chapter 3: Quick! Get the Plunger!
Overflowing anxiety: The origin of obsessions, compulsions and addictions
Chapter 4: The Knight in Shining Armor
Am I really being defensive?
Chapter 5: Abandon Ye All Hope
Why am I depressed?
Chapter 6: Am I Depressed or Am I Grieving?
What is the difference? It sucks either way!
Chapter 7: Letting Go
Experiencing “good grief” for our many losses
Chapter 8: This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us
The fight for self-esteem
Chapter 9: The Rotten Banana
The danger of seeing only the “good” in people
Chapter 10: The Most Misunderstood Emotion
I’m not angry, I’m just…well, anything but angry
Chapter 11: Sorry, Officer, I Didn’t See the Signal
Why do we ignore the danger signals?
Chapter 12: Growing Up on the Streets of Laredo
You need to learn how to protect yourself
Chapter 13: It’s the Same Old Story
Why do I repeat the same mistakes over and over?
Chapter 14: What Is Codependency Anyway?
I know I’m doing it, but I don’t really know what “it” is
Chapter 15: Float Like a Butterfly– Sting Like a Bee
Is it truly narcissism, or is it the self-centeredness of ADD?
Chapter 16: A Deer Caught in the Headlights (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
I know I’m an adult but sometimes I feel like a scared child
Chapter 17: If You Should Lose Me, Oh Yeah, You’ll Lose a Good Thing
Why should I give up my defenses and face my feelings?
Chapter 18: Emotional Intimacy– The Goal
If I never eat ice cream, I won’t have to feel the pain of what I’ve
missed all my life
Conclusion
Emergency Contact Sheet
Types of Therapists and Therapy
Paying for and Choosing a Therapist
Resources
Glossary
Bibliography
Index