oh hai existential terror
March 20, 2012 6:11 PM   Subscribe

Can you recommend audiobooks (downloadable only) or podcasts for handling anxiety?

I have an anxiety disorder, and I've always been soothed by listening to audiobooks, but I don't have any about anxiety and soothing.

As a person, I'm skeptical and a little prickly, so I don't have a lot of guidance for choosing self-help books. (Reading Thich Nhat Hanh has certainly helped me, and I'll see if there's an audiobook available by him that fits the bill.) Recently, I downloaded Anne Marshall's "Finding Forgiveness," and although it was a bit woolly-headed, it was truly comforting, helped me gain a lot of perspective, and incidentally helped me sleep.

Any suggestions of writers, readers or podcasts would be appreciated.
posted by Countess Elena to Health & Fitness (3 answers total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
You might like the dharma talks at AudioDharma. My favorite teacher there is Gil Fronsdal. They also have some talks specifically on anxiety. I was wonderfully calm when I was listening regularly to Gil's dharma talks and meditating occasionally.
posted by ceiba at 6:49 PM on March 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


I'm pretty skeptical as well, and in a similar situation. You could look into Emotional Clearing by John Ruskan. I found it to be fairly straight forward, and it helped me process some things.

Just did some browsing and there are some downloadable radio interviews here
posted by whorl at 7:28 PM on March 20, 2012


Unfortunately I find a bunch of the audio/podcasts that are effective for me, are filled with hugely new age theories and language, rather than more fact based language. However, when you get past the language, they're just kind of an audio CBT, and nice soothing voice type things.
I've done enough of that sort of reading that I just mentally translate it all.

Free Podcasts:

http://www.taptalkradio.com/23-releasing-sabotage/
http://www.taptalkradio.com/28-overwhelm/
http://www.taptalkradio.com/33-cant-think-straight/
Excuse the New Age language, and ignore like burning-fire the explanations on how EFT or 'Law of Attraction' works, but I found them soothing as a kind of, talk-along CBT tool. Talk along with it!

I also find a Glenn Harrold hypnosis recordings very soothing. Guided relaxation, and then a bunch of really positive self-talk often as I'm drifting off to sleep. He's actually way less woo-woo than the above podcast.
http://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Harrolds-Ultimate-Manifesting-Dreams/dp/B000MRNUAS


For more audiobooks, along the lines of Thich Nhat Hanh.

I've also heard good things about Pema Chodron, and Cheri Huber. My library actually allows you to download audiobooks, and has both authors.

E.g. http://www.learnoutloud.com/Audio-Books/Self-Development/Emotional-Development/When-Things-Fall-Apart/16411

Oddly, Neil Fiore's "The Now Habit" is also helpful to me. It just *looks* like a productivity/procrastination book, it's actually all about dealing with the underlying anxiety causing those conditions, and finding ways to feel safer, and more relaxed, while moving forward.

And, always listen to the samples! The reader can make a big difference as to what you enjoy listening to, and it's very individual.
posted by Elysum at 7:37 PM on March 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


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