Showing results by author "Catherine M. Pittman PhD" in All Categories

Do you ever wonder what is happening inside your brain when you feel anxious, panicked, and worried? In Rewire Your Anxious Brain, psychologist Catherine Pittman and author Elizabeth Karle offer a unique, evidence-based solution to overcoming anxiety, based in cutting-edge neuroscience and research.

If you've ever wondered why you seem to get trapped in an endless cycle of obsessive, compulsive thoughts, you don't have to wonder anymore. Grounded in cutting-edge neuroscience and evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Rewire Your OCD Brain will show you how and why your brain gets stuck in a loop of obsessive thinking, uncertainty, and worry; and offers the tools you need to short-circuit this response and get your symptoms under control-for good.

In Rewire Your Anxious Brain, psychologist Catherine Pittman and author Elizabeth Karle show how the amygdala and cortex (both key parts of the brain) are essential players in the neuropsychology of anxiety. The amygdala acts as a primal response, and oftentimes, when this part of the brain processes fear, you may not even understand why you are afraid. By comparison, the cortex is the center of “worry.” That is, obsessing, ruminating, and dwelling on things that may or may not happen.

A chronic sense of unease. Nagging what-ifs. Worry about what other people think. Paralyzing phobias. Full-blown panic attacks. Anxiety shows up in a lot of different ways and can permeate every aspect of your life. The good news is that although it can feel confusing and overwhelming—as if things will never get better—it is possible to retrain your brain and put yourself back in the driver's seat.

In this practical yet powerful guide, psychologist and neuroscience expert Catherine Pittman—author of Rewire Your Anxious Brain—introduces fifty new ways to work with your brain's neural connections to find lasting, effective relief from your worst anxiety symptoms. The chapters of this book can be used in any order, as needed, to give you the information you need to act now, whether you're at home or on the go. Also included are quick skills to help you soothe an anxious or stressed-out brain through physical movement, identifying what you care about, and banishing toxic thinking.