Soothe Your Nerves

Do you or someone you love suffer from "bad nerves"? .Denise is constantly on edge. She's convinced something bad is going to happen. .Ruth will drive an hour out of her way to avoid driving over a bridge. When she has to do it, her chest thumps, her heart starts racing, and she breaks out in a sweat. She's beginning to think she shouldn't leave her house. .Bernice hasn't slept in two months for fear that the witch is going to ride her again. What do these women have in common? They are struggling with crippling anxiety disorders. Thousands of Black women suffer from anxiety. What's worse is that many of us have been raised to believe we are Strong Black Women and that seeking help shows weakness. So we often turn to dangerous quick fixes that only exacerbate the problem -- like overeating and drug and alcohol abuse -- or we deny that we have problems at all. In Soothe Your Nerves, Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett explains which factors can contribute to anxiety, panic, and fear in Black women and offers a range of healing methods that will help you or a loved one reclaim your life. Here finally is a blueprint for understanding and overcoming anxiety from a psychological, spiritual, and Black perspective.

Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett is an award-winning psychologist and a faculty member at Kent State University, where she directs the Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans. She is also the founder and CEO of RISE, SALLY, RISE®, a company dedicated to helping Black women deal with anxiety. She lives in Tallmadge, Ohio, with her husband and daughter.

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Part I: Bad Nerves 1. WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN TO ME? 2. OUT OF THE BLUE AND EXPECTED, TOO 3. THE "WHAT IF"S 4. WHAT MUST OTHER PEOPLE THINK? 5. OVER AND OVER AGAIN Part II: Soothing Nerves 6. M.D., PH.D., M.S.W.: WHAT THERAPIST IS RIGHT FOR ME? 7. NERVE PILLS 8. COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY 9. FAITH, HOPE, AND THERAPY 10. SOOTHE YOUR NERVES SISTER CIRCLES 11. FAMILY AND FRIENDS RESOURCES BIBLIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX