Book description
If you believe that dieting down to your "ideal" weight
will prolong your life; that reliving childhood trauma can undo adult
personality problems; that alcoholics have addictive personalities, or
that psychoanalysis helps cure anxiety, then get ready for a shock. In
the climate of self-improvement that has reigned for the last twenty
years, misinformation about treatments for everything from alcohol
abuse to sexual dysfunction has flourished. Those of us trying to
change these conditions are often frustrated by failure, mixed
success, or success followed by a relapse. But have you ever asked
yourself: can my condition really be changed? And if so, am I going
about it in the most effective way? Grounding his conclusions in the
most recent and most authoritative scientific studies, Seligman
pinpoints the techniques and therapies that work best for each
condition, explains why they work, and discusses how you can use them
to change your life. Inside, you'll discover: the four natural healing
factors for recovering from alcoholism; the vital difference between
overeating and being overweight, and why dieters always gain back the
pounds they "lost"; the four therapies that work for
depression, and how you can "dispute" your way to optimistic
thinking; the pros and cons of anger, and the steps to take to
understand it and much more!
An extraordinary blend of real scholarship, an experimental
scientist's best judgement, and down-to-earth self help advice. George E
Valliant, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. Martin
Seligman, a leading figure in the positive psychology movement,
Professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylania and
former-president of the American Psychological Association, is the
author of the bestselling Authentic Happiness, also published by
Nicholas Brealey.