Lots of very disappointing self-help books out there that promise to help you do things like "take charge of your adult ADHD," "gain control of your anxiety" and "lift the fog of your depression," but instead they merely take your money and offer nothing more than a bunch of history on the condition in question with a few anecdotal experiences sprinkled in for good measure. Thus far, all of the books I've purchased have turned out to be all fluff with no substance, providing no help at all. One disappointing waste of money after another. That is until I took a chance on "Retrain Your Brain." Thank you whomever you are Seth Gillahan or whatever his name is lol. This book is structured. The author lets you know exactly what to expect from the book. He lets you know that he will provide a brief overview of CBT and why it works with brief information about depression and anxiety and then he will get into 7-weeks of giving you practical CBT skills to practice to improve your condition and functioning. You'll work your week to week, much the same you would with a therapist. For the record. I have ADHD. Anxiety and depression often comes along with that. I started CBT with a therapist about 2 months ago but my therapist is ermmm, not very good at her job let's just leave it at that, so I am on the hunt for a new therapist. In the meantime I decided to check out some self-help books to help myself in the meantime but kept coming up short with crappy book after crappy book. Any way, this book has helped me more than my last 2 months of therapy. You won't be cured of depression or anxiety in 7 weeks of course (and the author lets you know that so that you know what to expect). However, if you take your time and motivated to improve your condition, this book can help you get measurable relief and improve your daily life.

I honestly feel like this was a waste of money for me. I struggle with depression and anxiety but can't afford to go to a counselor. I read the introduction and did some of the exercises but I'm just not in a good place for a workbook I guess. This might be helpful if you are working through it with a counselor but if you aren't very motivated to do it yourself, it will just sit on the shelf. It did have some good information but some simple research on this type of therapy would give you the same results without spending money. It is a nice quality book and I'm sure it's helped some people out there, just not me.

Accidentally ordered 3 books need book sent to my daughter I highly recommend anyone who's in need of therapy for issues described to read this book in it's entirely.

This book can help so many people think in many different perspectives. Great workbook!

CBT is a hard concept.

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.

This I use all the time with clients. When they are sitting in my office waiting for session this is one they pick up to look at. I'm usually making copies of the activities for them to do by the time they leave. They are able to see their values, and certain areas they are reflecting some undesirable behaviors. It then breaks it down to possible sources. Client can easily understand the material offered.

This book is very well-written and accessible. It is also well-organized and has a lot of good practical advice. Definitely recommended.