Title: At Last A LifeAuthor: Paul DavidPublished: 2006Publisher: Self-publishedPages: 169Price: £13.99 ( Purchase HERE)
As someone who has suffered from anxiety since the age of 7, I have quite a bit of experience in ‘trying’ to overcome this often debilitating condition. Anyone who has experience of anxiety and panic attacks knows how limiting it can feel and how frightening it can be. I have read so many books on anxiety, many written by ‘experts’, mainly lecturers in psychology or those who work with people suffering from anxiety, but rarely is there a book written by someone who has had anxiety and overcome it. I finally discovered the perfect book and this book is called ‘At Last A Life – Anxiety and Panic Free‘ by Paul David.
Not often do I review a book that means so much to me. I often describe the positive and negative aspects of a book, but this book has no negative aspects because it works!
Paul David wrote this book in a way that all anxiety sufferers will identify with. He has helped a lot of people either recover fully from anxiety or put them on the road to recovery through both his book and his website and blog. Paul recovered from 10 years of anxiety and panic so he really is an expert in this field, unlike those who think they are.
So, What Is So Good About This Book?
The book is separated into really worthwhile chapters:
- My story
- So what are these feelings I feel?
- The breakthrough
- Understanding anxiety
- Giving up the fight
- Panic attacks explained
- Feeling detached from your surroundings
- Scary/Irrational Thoughts
- Success Stories
- Other symptoms explained
- We need one route
- Born to worry
- Some final points
- Coming through depersonalisation
- Social anxiety
One thing that really helped me understand more was something Paul was triggered by in his own healing journey… one statement he was told by a specialist in anxiety which was:
“Paul, you will never get better until you stop trying to get better.”
This book explains why trying to analyse, trying to find a way to ‘rid’ ourselves of anxiety actually causes the perpetual state of anxiety to continue. It is our fight with it that continues this condition.
Paul takes you through his own healing journey and shares experiences of others who have been helped by Paul’s words and sharing online. You will totally relate to the experiences you read in this book, I promise you. And I don’t make promises often, but Paul’s way works. I only wish all conventional Doctors would automatically prescribe this book instead of medication for anxiety sufferers so that they can learn to heal from this instead of masking the real feelings that are going on.
The topic of depersonalisation really helped me understand my own life, where anxiety had made me feel detached from my surroundings, and unable to be fully present in social situations. I often felt I was having an out-of-body experience due to anxiety when socialising, and he explains the physical symptoms that take place during a panic attack. The understanding of adrenalin really helped me not to fear them any more.
He goes into detail about the kind of thoughts we go through as anxiety sufferers and literally answers every question I ever had about my own anxiety.
I liked the fact that this is not a long book, and that there is nothing wasted here. No pages filled with pointless exercises like other books often have, seemingly just to increase the size of the book. It’s all worthwhile reading and re-reading for anyone wanting to heal from anxiety.
So thank you Paul for writing this book. Thank you for sharing your story and helping so many. I only hope my review can guide people to your book and your website so that more people can heal.
I have used this book and other similar methods, not running from the feelings but allowing them and it has helped me so much. I hope it helps you too.
Some quotes from the book:
When you realise there is no miracle cure and recovery comes from within, this can be a relief in itself…
DON’T WASTE ANY MORE TIME TRYING TO WORK ANY OF IT OUT.
When you constantly try to push away thoughts and feelings, you begin to enter a never-ending cycle. You have an uncomfortable thought or emotion so you try to push it away. This can lead to more painful emotions, which you try to push away, and so on. Not only that, but every time you try and suppress a thought or feeling you are giving it more power and respect by saying it should not be there. No one wants to walk around feeling emotional pain all of the time, but when we reject our emotions, we actually make things worse for ourselves. That emotion is there for a reason.
Who Would Benefit From Reading This Book?
- Everyone who experiences anxiety.
- Anyone who knows someone who experiences anxiety.
- Healthcare providers who want to understand more on how to help those with anxiety.
- Therapists who counsel those with anxiety.
If you wish to purchase this book you can buy it from Paul’s website below and also please do check out the rest of his site and blog. There is a lot of help there that you can get straight away.
Buy ‘At Last A Life – Anxiety and Panic Free’ by Paul David
Also, to stay in touch with Paul and be inspired daily, follow him on twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.
And also check out Paul’s story in the guest post he shared recently at Kelly Martin Speaks below.
Paul’s Journey From Anxiety To Freedom
And a big thank you to Paul for being kind enough to offer 4 copies of his book ‘At Last A Life’ to 4 lucky readers at Kelly Martin Speaks.
Enter below via the GLEAM app and add a mandatory comment in response to the question in the app below.
WIN 1 of 4 Copies Of ‘At Last A Life – Anxiety & Panic Free’ by Paul David
*Post Disclaimer: I received 5 copies of the book ‘At Last A Life’ by Paul David’ from Paul David in the UK for review & give-away. All opinions are my own.
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Kelly Martin, author of ‘When Everyone Shines But You’ is a dedicated writer and blogger who fearlessly explores life’s deepest questions. Faced with a decade of profound anxiety and grief following the loss of her father and her best friend Michael, Kelly embarked on a transformative journey guided by mindfulness, and she hasn’t looked back since. Through her insightful writing, engaging podcasts, and inspiring You Tube channel Kelly empowers others to unearth the hidden treasures within their pain, embracing the profound truth that they are ‘enough’ exactly as they are.
Actually it's my mum who suffers with anxiety. She has suffered with panic attacks for many years. Many a time have we ended up at the hospital where she has thought there is something terribly wrong with her.My mum also goes through stages of agoraphobia caused by anxiety.
This will be perfect for her. He explains all of it so well and it is really such a relief. Good luck!
Thank you, it sounds just right for her. I'm glad you found the book useful too 🙂
My daughter suffers from terrible anxiety and if affects the whole family. she currently wont attend school which has meant that i cannot go to work. I would love to be able to help her overcome her irrational fears
I have suffered from anxiety for years which means I can't drive anymore or go out by myself.I have panic attacks if I do.
Ah ha! Thanks for covering such a difficult subject. It's too easy to brush such a horrid thing away.
Do you have professional support at all?
Hi Melanie, I understand. And from checking out Pauls site and his blog and the book you are not alone in this. It seems modern fast paced living seems to be causing a lot of people to experience intense anxiety. If you have time I really recommend checking out Paul's site here on the section on panic attacks : http://www.anxietynomore.co.uk/panic_attacks.html and his blog with the hundreds of comments from others who are experiencing similar, it may help you not feel isolated and give you hope that this can change. http://anxietynomore.co.uk/blog/
totally and I think the way the medical establishment focuses on it can cause the anxiety to increase. When I finally stopped trying to fix it and relax into it, the anxiety has considerably lessened. I am no longer afraid of panic attacks after reading Pauls book.
I have to say that I too suffer with anxiety and panic attacks. So much so I was trapped by this and had no life. I had to seriously look at my high stress life. I chose to clean out all the unneeded stresses, change my profession, get rid of possessions that was weighing me down and make my life simple in all areas. Wow, what 10 years of changing, cleaning up and ridding self of stressful things. I don't take medicines anymore, I sleep better and enjoy simplicity.
Thank you,even though I have been on medication for my anxiety for years,I sometimes still start to get a panic attack but I have learnt to focus on something else until it subsides.Even on the medication though I would not attempt to drive or go out alone.
Anything to do with poor mental health has been "brushed under the carpet" for way too long and it's good to see that's there are now TV adverts and others, like yourself, helping with gradual (and way overdue) awareness of a difficult subject. Although I'm lucky enough not to suffer myself, I live with it daily as my husband suffers from long-term depression and anxiety/panic, together with other serious physical aspects of ill-health. I find that love, humour and compromise help and reminding yourself constantly that things could be so much worse …. thanks for the opportunity to win the book and take care x
it prevents me from doing things i really want to do
it paralyses me when i need to be right on the ball
Without going into too much detail, I'm trying to support a friend whose anxiety is impacting quite heavily on her life. For me, it can be tiring but that's nothing compared to what she's going through so anything which may help, I take an interest in.
I'd like to read this book, have suffered for many years
Whilst I don't personally suffer from anxiety I know someone who does and would love this book to try to understand more and to help if possible.
I suffer from anxiety and agoraphobia so can not go out alone at the moment, I would give anything to be 'normal' again.
I worry all the time about things can't change, have rouble sleeping, am on 3 lots of anti-depressants
I am terrible in social situations with people I don't know or haven't seen in ages
I am out of work and this is causing severe anxiety – trouble sleeping, panic attacks and loss of appetite.
Would very much like the chance to read this book, and will be checking out Pauls' site.
have been suffering from depresion & anxiety since my mum died 3 years ago plus my fiance of 24 years suffers from social anxiety & agraphobia. and our autistic son (21) has just moved back home!
I have suffered anxiety and panic attacks for nearly 20 years unfortunately, im 32 now and feel it will never go!.. I've no friends (of which don't bother me) and I rely on my husband for everything.. My anxiety all stems from being bullied at school and then major health issues from the age of 16 and now the main issue is my 3 dogs.. I have bad insomnia where when bad I can be awake 4-6 days straight.
Hugs, I hear you hun. Good luck in the competition and hope you get some support from his site too. Paul has helped so many women and men who have exactly the same experience as you do and they are on the road to recovery now.
That is great news Valencia, gives people hope. So would you say you are on the road to recovery or do you no longer experience it?
Hi Amelia, it is so good your husband has such a supportive wife. It is a condition that seems to be rife in our modern society. I am glad more and more people are able to get help and support now, its slow coming but it's getting there.
Don't give up hun, I am 38 this year and I have had anxiety since I was 7 years old. And finally, finally with the help of the insights that Paul shares in his book and site on-line I am in recovery now. The main change that has helped me is to stop fighting against anxiety and the feelings, it is amazing what this one change makes such a difference in how I feel.
If you have the time check out Paul's site he talks about this on there and also on his blog. Like many anxiety sufferers he tried everything until one person said to him:
"Paul, you will never get better until you stop trying to get better."
Paul's site : http://www.anxietynomore.co.uk/
Paul's blog: http://anxietynomore.co.uk/blog/
It stops me doing things that I really want to do. Things where they will be lots of people/crowds.
I've suffered from anxiety and stress ever since I started school at the age of 5. Being in social situations makes me uncomfortable and leaves me feeling drained, and I worry constantly either about my kids or about things which I can't change. I always feel like I'm dependant on other people to get me through things rather than being able to cope with situations on my own
I find i tend to get very anxious when i try and sleep at night, this leaves me often having strange and distressing dreams.
I find it difficult to enjoy anything due to my constant worrying. I now see similar symptoms in my children and need to do something to stop them feeling the way that I do all of the time
The hardest thing I find with anxiety is that I struggle to spend time in social situations. I almost dropped out of college after I stopped attending lectures, because I couldn't cope with being in a silent classroom with other students in case I did something to attract attention and embarrass myself, which is something I have struggled to get over.
im very nervous and worry a lot id love this book
This sounds exactly what i need in my life! I've been diagnosed with GAD and have recurrent panic attacks and palputations. I'm exhaused most days and struggle with my eating. I'm desperate to get over the daily anxiety and do something to help myself
I am so anxiety strick and depressed, leading me to alcohol and losing job. I am on pills that I would like to come off for this
Affects all areas of my life, as holds me back from doing things because of stupid thoughts
🙁
I get very anxious in crowds and social situations
mostly social anxiety…. affected me a lot when younger, and I missed a lot of opportunities and school.
I have a relative who is suffering, very interested in this giveaway
I think detachment is my biggest woe, I hate the fact I feel half asllep/not with it 🙁
I suffer with anxiety/OCD. I get little obsessions about things that then trigger anxiety and panic attacks.
I'm entering this for my mum, she suffers anxiety attacks a lot and I think this book could really help her xx
I'm entering on behalf of my friend's husband who I feel could really benefit for this book.
I am entering this for my daughter. She has always suffered from anxiety, which is due to her being adopted. It has caused her to do numerous things that she shouldn't do and to make lots of mistakes. This is because the anxiety can turn into a rage and also because she can't wait for things
I suffer really badly with social anxiety and it does inhibit your life greatly. I would love to be able to overcome it and start living again
It affects me night and day – no respite from it!
Anxiety has affected me since the birth of my daughter 10 years ago. It is like a constant weight around me and a black cloud above me. I struggle to find any happiness in life, except for my daughter of course. It stops me doing a lot of things I would love to do, like being able to make friends and all social situations are difficult. I had a short course of group CBT from my doctor which didn't help at all. I stay at home far more than I would like but I can't see any way out of my situation.
My anxiety affects me in various ways but I think the most significant is that it prevents me from leaving my home most days of the week.
I struggle with stress and anxiety, I suffer from insomnia dreadfully as I just can't sleep because of it. I also suffer from palpitations, shaking hands, headaches and pins and needles! I really wish I could learn to control it.
I get very anxious about many things, add to that a fear of heights and dogs and you can see that I would really like to 'get my life back'. I am always convinced that the worst will happen and this often stops me from doing the things that I would really like to do.
I suffer from insomnia and as I struggle to sleep I panic I am not doing enough for other people.
I have suffered from anxiety and depression since the death of my father, 13 years ago when I was 11. It affects every aspect of my life from maintaining relationships, to my work life and hobbies. I am currently going through CBT therapy which has been really good so far, fingers crossed for a brighter future.
I suffer from bipolar and anxiety is right up there with my downfalls, I have made improvements as a couple of years ago i was too scared to leave my flat. I have 2 children so have to push myself but I struggle with everyday things like social situations, i'm scared to answer the telephone, have huge issues with my confidence and self esteem always worrying about what people think of me. I would really like to try some self help
I worry about new situations and meeting new people. Sometimes I change my mind in going somewhere so I don't have to do this. When I get nervous I end up with really bad bouts of IBS too.
I suffer from anxiety and it affects relationships and interactions with everyone
MY Anxiety affects me the most when it triggers my asthma, which can be life threateningly severe. Obviously I then get anxious about getting anxious and it is a viscious circle!
My partner suffers from anxiety, it is sometimes hard to always be the 'strong' one x
My husband suffers from anxiety about everything – It would be wonderful to release him from it
I worry about being in new situations
i would like this for my mum as she suffers, and also for my dad so he can understand more xx
I suffer from agoraphobia, social phobia/anxiety and generalised anxiety disorder. I have done since I was 15 (11 years ago now) so I have no friends or partner because I don't go out so don't meet anybody. I have to rely on my parents for a lot of things which affects my self-confidence.
I have added the book to my Amazon wishlist and bookmarked the site to read in the morning (it's a bit late to read something like that now), so thanks.
my aniexty is so bad, really gets me down
I suffer from panic attacks (ALOT) so badly that I end up in hospital attatched to an ECG because my heart rate goes to 170 odd beats per minute!! I would love to read this book, just thinking about reading it is making me smile!! 🙂
i feel my children pick up on my anxiety 🙁 luckily i have alot of positives (i do alot with them)
Sadly anxiety has become a permanent fixture in my life since I sustain facial damage from an assault three years ago, I have to try and consciously manage it all the time.
I feel like my anxiety really holds me back from doing the things I want to do. My dream is to go to uni and study nursing but need to overcome my anxiety first! I would love to read this book…
I feel that anxiety has always held me back … I won't try new things and even have doubts about my ability to do things which I know full well that I can do … 🙁
It affects my sleep
I have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks since the birth of my daughter 16 years ago. I get very anxious in busy places such as shops, pubs and airports. It stops me from going to new places.
Going out and generally surviving. I've always been a highly anxious person and know that I suffer badly from social anxiety and worrying about what people think of me. I've always had a problem even planning what i'm going to wear a few days in advance to make sure that what I look like isn't going to cause me problems on the day! I also struggle to hold down jobs because of this!
I really had to look into this to help with flying. I didnt fly for 5 years but finally managed to last year. I still dread going again and know I will have a panic attack again!
I suffer anxiety in very day life, walking to uni, even speaking in uni lectures, I suffer anxiety when it comes to letting my son be looked after anyone other than me or my parents, I suffer from nightmares every night, I have tried most treatments, self help is the best.
Not me but a cousin who suffers all the time
When i'm going to work somewhere new or somewhere that i haven't been before
In meetings and group situations (but not interviews!) and parties unless I've had enough booze to pass out!