For many people, life is made intolerable by phobias. Common fears may range from crowded places to a fear of spiders or blood, but, the basic underlying mechanism is the same - acute anxiety. This book looks at how to tackle both specific phobias and the anxiety which causes such disproportionate fear, and covers obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety state, and panic disorder with agoraphobia. Other topics include: Causes of anxiety and phobias; Professional help and how to get it; Planning a self-help programme; Panic disorder and agoraphobia; Dealing with catastrophic thoughts; Lifestyle tools - exercise, relaxation, diet, alcohol, time management