The title gives you the premise of the book, “Unlearning Anxiety and Depression,” which means if we have learned it, we can unlearn it, and that gives any reader who picks up this book hope for their future.
Right off the bat the author describes anxiety and depression and tells the “Thumper the Frog” story which gives a good connection about who do you listen to. But is only a few pages later in the book in which he describes his childhood anxiety surrounding his bad spelling and his later recovery which may grab the reader. I related to his childhood emotions of anxiety even though we both had differing childhood situation or experiences.
But he gives some hope in the middle describing talking with his “victim” cousin because most therapists create a parent/child relationship with their patient rather than the reality of coaching someone to better living and working.
MORE ON SELF-COACHING: https://self-coaching.net/
Journalists can “bury the lead” of their news story and open with secondary or superfluous information, thus relegating the central premise to a later part. The author’s Chapter Two is titled, “Two Words That Will Change Your Life,” but he “buried the lead” and I could not find the “Two Words” within the chapter. Yet his Section titles have the word “Mind Talk” in it, are those the two words?
I loved his description of the pathways of our habit-loops which I liken to our minds being on a thought treadmill and we do not know how to get off. That certainly can describe most of our habits, whether the habit is good or bad.
The author’s comments of “thoughts-as-things” gives rise to the issue that you can control your thoughts, your thinking mind determines whether you feed your initial thought or not. “Do I want that doughnut or not?” You either have your mind continue to feed the thought, “If I get the doughnut, I can have a sugar-free drink” or “You’ll spoil your dinner if you eat that sweet.” Whether the thought is good or bad, you can decide or decide not to spend more brain cycles or time you devote to or feed it.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Unlearning-Anxiety-Depression-Self-Coaching-Program/dp/1936636158
The formatting of the book is visually lacking. While Part II and III have titles for each section, Part I needs a title to show continuity and progression with the rest of the book. Chapter content section titles are much too similar in style to the content “healing” or ‘unlearning” notes and quotes and is visually confusing. Sections and subsections, such as “Case Stories” and the subsection “Officer Mike” are exactly the same and causes the reader to have to think about what is being said rather than visually quickly understanding his content structure.
The book ends describing the Native American story of the “Good Wolf, Bad Wolf.” The story brings to close the book and cements the premise and steps of how to unlearn bad habits.
Review written by Kevin Cullis, posted by Garth Thomas