Hope and Help for Your Nerves

by Claire Weekes

The bestselling step-by-step guide that will show you how to break the cycle of fear and cure your feelings of panic and anxiety.

My heart beats too fast. My hands tremble and sweat. I feel like there's a weight on my chest. My stomach churns. I have terrible headaches. I can't sleep. Sometimes I can't even leave my house...

These common symptoms of anxiety are "minor" only to the people who don't suffer from them. But to the millions they affect, these problems make the difference between a happy, healthy life and one of crippling fear and frustration.

In Hope and Help for Your Nerves, Dr. Claire Weekes offers the results of years of experience treating real patients--including some who thought they'd never recover. With her simple, step-by-step guidance, you will learn how to understand and analyze your own symptoms of anxiety and find the power to conquer your fears for good.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Mental Health, Health, Personal Development, Audiobook

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Dr Hazel Claire Weekes MBE was an Australian general practitioner and health writer. She also had an early career as a research scientist working in the field of comparative reproduction. She is considered by some as the pioneer of modern anxiety treatment via Cognitive Therapy. She continues to be noted for her books on dealing with anxiety disorders. Many of today's anxiety self-help books continue to cite her work.

Reviews

[Monty J Heying · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read from this book daily while recovering from a major panic attack--my first and I pray my last. I was able to sleep only by taking a tranquilizer. I never knew such fear existed nor imagined I would experience it, nor the suicidal ideation that came with it in waves over the following weeks. The first chapter gave me immediate relief, enabling better sleep. I kicked the tranquilizer, a dangerously addictive drug, a couple of months later. Four months later I was sleeping well, taking only St. John's Wort, melatonin and 5-HTP.

(Understand that it takes TIME to heal your nerves after a major panic episode.)

I simply can't say enough about this book. The more severe your illness, the more you will get out of it. People with only a mild condition may not find it very useful.

The most important concept Dr. Weekes stresses is "second fear," the background fear that the initial fear will return. She provides tools for dealing with second fear, such as imagining yourself "floating" in stressful settings and "letting time pass"--knowing that time spent in peaceful surroundings, will heal your hypersensitized nerves. The mere knowledge of this "time heals" aspect brings a measure of relief.

Dr. Weeks gives a string of simple illustrating examples in a variety of settings that give the reader confidence that relief is not only possible but assured.

There are more modern books about recovering from "nervous illness," but I doubt any of them can measure up to the standard set by Claire Weeks in terms of the self-confidence that is essential to chipping away the fear that must be overcome to enable recovery.

Dr. Weekes writes in a conversational style, as if you were a patient. No technical jargon. No stilted academic complications. She writes plainly and succinctly, with compassion for the suffering patient not to impress her peers with how much she knows about the topic.

(Look also for her recordings, which seem even more powerful than the book, judging from the sample I heard.)

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most amazing anxiety book. The only anxiety book you will ever need. Basic, no bells/whistles. AMAZING. My therapist urged me to read this book. I finally bought it ($7.99, most inexpensive anxiety book there is!) and two pages in I already felt relief and hope. Claire Weekes helped me get my life back during a scary time. She knows what she is talking about. Cannot recommend highly enough.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was having a ton of anxiety for a week or so, so I bought this book. I was feeling really stressed and depressed and had a pit in my stomach all day long for days. I didn't feel like eating and felt dread all day. I lost confidence in my abilities.

I also experienced a few panic attacks. I'd feel really lightheaded like I was going to pass out, it was hard to swallow, my body would feel all tingly, and I felt like I couldn't do anything but lie there. The book says those symptoms are all the result of adrenalin and it's nothing to worry about. She reassures that you can indeed still function. Just float through it.

The book helped me understand what was happening to me and easy ways to help these unpleasant feelings go away. My nerves had become too sensitive so that every scary or stressful thought released too much adrenalin so I'd feel intensely scared or stressed, more than that thought warranted. And then I didn't know what was going on and was scared about what was happening to me and maybe I was going crazy, so my body would release more adrenalin and I'd feel those panicky feelings again and it was a bad cycle. The book reassured me that those symptoms I was feeling were just a result of the adrenalin, nothing was wrong with me, and it happens to a lot of people. It gives four quite simple, but effective techniques for breaking the panic-adrenalin-panic cycle and helping my nerves to desensitize:

First, face your feelings. Instead of shrinking from the upsetting sensations, zero in on them and analyze them.

Second, accept. When I feel those panic feelings, I need to change my scared mood into an accepting mood. I need to tell myself it's okay that I'm having those feelings and they aren't going to hurt me and then once my mood shifts to an accepting mood my body will stop releasing the adrenalin.

Third, I should let upsetting thoughts "float" out of my mind because they are just thoughts and not give them credence.

The last technique is to let time pass. Be patient and don't get scared if those feelings come back. Just keep doing the first three techniques.

Anyway, the book was very reassuring and easy to read and understand. It has helped a ton and I'm feeling back to my old self again. I've always been a worrier so these techniques are helping me to relax which is good especially since worrying doesn't help anything.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In no way is this meant to be facetious: It's the only social anxiety disorder book you'll ever need. Her simple coping techniques work wonders.

[Plateresca · Rating 5 out of 5]

'You need not be bluffed by a thought!'

That's Dr Weekes's slightly angry voice in my head, and I hang on to it every time I feel like I'm slipping into that dreadful state.

I found this book in a list of best anti-anxiety books, 'goodreaded' it, and as a lot of people said it did help, I got it; but only when I started listening to it did I realize it was actually vintage. So there must be books with more recent developments of this theory out there. But, you see, 'Hope and help for your nerves' just sounded so much nicer than, for instance, 'Fuck anxiety'. And in the end I actually did find the retro language soothing: 'nervous illness' instead of 'panic attack' or, say, OCD.

I am bothered by this abstract from Wiki, though:
'Dr. Robert L. DuPont describes in his book "The Anxiety Cure" that in 1983, he asked her if she'd ever had panic disorder. She replied "Yes, I have had what you call panic attacks. In fact, I still have them. Sometimes they wake me at night." Dr. DuPont responded by saying he was sorry to hear that. He described Claire Weekes as looking at him in shock, and she responded "Save your sympathy for someone else. I don't need it or want it. What you call a panic attack is merely a few normal chemicals that are temporarily out of place in my brain. It is of no significance whatsoever to me!"'

The thought of nighttime panic as a lifelong companion is just too depressing, even if the panic becomes more controllable.

Back to the book now.

My major takeaway is this: when we live through something traumatizing, we worry that when this thing happens next, we will feel even worse. The reassuring thought is, we have probably already felt the worse we can feel about this situation. But we fear fear, and the more we try to suppress it, the stronger it gets. The same with depression: when we try to convince ourselves that we're fine but fear that we're not, it hits harder.

This, by the way, was very helpful in that I realized the reason for the despair we feel when our loved ones tell us to struggle with depression: we already struggle so much it's killing us, and we look to them for help, and they are telling us something quite impossible - so our hurt and anger is understandable. (I had felt very weird about feeling so offended by obviously well-meant advice).

'Obsession is so often no more than this: no more than the inflexible working of a very tired mind in a sensitized frightened person.'

I've listened to the audiobook twice. It's Dr Claire herself speaking and I highly recommend getting the audio version (maybe in addition to the printed book if you prefer to have this written, too), because she is very insistent and I think her directions are thus harder to ignore than if you would be saying the same things to yourself in your own voice.

So, yes, this has helped enormously and I'm very grateful for this. I do hope you're not feeling terrified and unhappy, but if you do, there really is hope and help.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not underestimate this book because it was originally published 1969. This is an incredibly powerful book in helping deal with anxiety and panic attacks. It's especially potent if you are on the frayed edge feeling like you're having a nervous breakdown. This book is so quick to read and you can usually get it very cheaply (sometimes less than a dollar) or at your library, but it contains the most helpful and clearest advice I ever received for panic attacks. "Let the first wave pass..."

[Sad Sunday (Books? Me?!? NEVER!!!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are all mad here.



Oh, Claire Weekes,
You had amazing glasses, pearls and knew how to crack anxiety,
And oh, how it was helpful and witty,
Praise to thee, praise to thee

*SadSunday aka me bows to the audience*


Wow. I will preach Claire Weekes till the Apocalypse and recommend this book to absolutely everybody (even soap-opera-fantasy-BDSM-magic-detective-poetry book fans). Amazing book. It doesn't patronise or try to brainwash you into "positivity" or "you can do this" attitude like many nowadays influencers or life coaches do. I really was surprised how relatable and easy to understand this book was. And I have to admit, I thought that it was written like five years ago (and the truth is that this was first published in 1962, and yes, the second half of the book gave a few suspicions, but I still believed this was fresh as a cucumber and very "now"). C. Weekes explains fear, nerves, anxiety, panic in a very plain, easy, yet understandable way. She gives previously unheard (at least for me) ways to understand and "treat" nerves. I loved how easily the stereotype that you have to "fight it" was destroyed giving way for much deeper explanation and understanding way of "accepting", that can help a person who is suffering. C. Weekes doesn't philosophise, she just takes the bull by it's horns and shows how to tame it. It is said that C. Weekes was the pioneer of modern cognitive behavioural therapy, and I think her insight can help a modern person a lot. Don't hesitate to pick this one, it's not like the rest of the "just do it" books.

One of the best "self-help" stuff there is.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I help people with their thinking, emotions, relationships and beliefs every day. This little gem, written back in 1969 by an Australian physician/psychiatrist should be in the hands of every person who has ever suffered with a full-on panic/anxiety disorder. We call that general diagnosis "GAD" or Generalized Anxiety Disorder today. There are a lot of great resources out there to help. This book is quite personal, clear and wonderful. It's not perfect; she suggests leaving the family for up to several months to recover, which is not something I would easily advise to anyone. And all the advice will probably not be enough without therapy, but it's a helpful adjunct.

Her principles of treatment, and they are right:

1. facing fear as a normal emotion running too high in your life
2. accepting that it is doing that at the moment, and it WONT KILL YOU
3. learning to rise, or float above or behind the annoying physical sensations
4. giving your body time to heal itself from the super-tuned-in experience of fear sensation that has you knotted up

This, along with EMDR, talk therapy, exercise and a lot of self reflection can and will help most anyone recover.

[Eliza · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shockingly ignorant

Let me save you some time. This book gives one piece of good advice, and that is to learn to accept fear and float through it. You can read about the first 40% of the book and get all the info you need to do this. After that, the author goes off the deep end. She recommends medicated sleep for several weeks (with a doctors supervision, of course, otherwise it would just be stupid). She tells mothers to go away for at least two months because it is normal to feel like to want to kill your family, starting with your snoring husband. Just two of the many horrible suggestions for dealing with ‘nervous illness’. How about some things that actually help: hormone balancing, proper diet and supplementation, therapy, stress reduction, sunlight, exercise. This book had so much potential, but left me shaking my head. I couldn’t actually finish reading it and just skimmed the last several chapters.

[Amy Hirschman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book was written in the 60's, its knowledge still applies. It helped me save my life.

[Lauren Naylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I buy a pocket Claire app? She does this amazing thing. In a compassionate and truly unpatronizing fashion, sort of like a loving Auntie with a Ph.D., she breaks down the physiological structure of panic attacks, anxiety, and all of those bad things that keep those of us who suffer in a cycle we are afraid we can't get out of, and shows us that we can. Claire explains how, and is gently encouraging. I am not done with the book but it is bringing me great comfort and relief from this beast. Thanks, Claire.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone who suffers from Anxiety/Panic disorder. I've been suffering for about 2 years (on and off) and this is a book I can always turn to for comfort. For reassurance. To know that all this anxiety and panic, with their symptons, will all pass and I get certainly go back to being the person I used to be. I felt as if the book was written towards me, knew everything I was going through and even the thoughts in my head. An excellent book!

[Kim Machado · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever suffered from anxiety or panic attacks, and/or continue to suffer, this book is a MUST read. I struggled terribly with anxiety in my mid-twenties to early thirties and this book really helped me understand the biological effects that were driving and altering my behaviour. It changed my outlook and gave me the confidence to get well.

[Ahmad · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book and its content are outdated. It's a feel-good book with no real practical advice that supports the author's promise of this book "definitely 100% helping you". And the book has very outdated language. There are better terms in psychology that defines what the author cant define but threw under the term "nervousness". Different people have different types of "nervousness", or what's nowadays called "disorders", and to heal different disorders you need to be able to define what they are first, and then try to understand how they came to be. This book might have helped many when it came out, but there are much better modern alternatives that try to talk about modern issues.

[Danielle Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main 4 ideas presented in this book are indeed helpful....but thats all it is. Its just repeated in like 20 different ways over 200 pages.. o.O

Also...i feel like this was written for a 1950s housewife, lol. On the better things, i say!

[Becca K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of self-help books, I just haven't found one that really works for me. This was the first one I read that actually connected with me. Everything in it makes sense, and the advice even helps. It's presented in such a logical manner and is easy to understand. I've read some self-help books that ended up just making me feel defeated, this one actually gives me hope and offers a warm hug in working with my anxiety.

[Katie Pottekkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Outdated and repetitive at times, but the author does provide quite a few valuable pieces of advice and reassurance for the anxious reader. I needed this book 10 years ago!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was delightful and helpful. A very old school vibe, but that made it charming and comfortable. The advice is clear and practical, and always encouraging.

Listened to a 1-hour audio version on Scribd, narrated by the author on "records" at some point. That just made it even more charming.

I got many valuable insights from reading this one, and would easier re-read it to reaffirm the insights yet again.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't like this book. My psychologist recommended this to me years ago, and I hated it. For someone new to anxiety, it just made me feel like everything was wrong with me because that's how the book started. It told you why you were acting this way. In a way it made me depressed about being anxious and depressed.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best. I've owned it for ten years and recently needed to get it off my bookshelf and re-read it. If you have ever suffered from depression, anxiety, or panic disorders, please buy this book. If Dr. Weekes was still alive, I'd be tempted to travel to Australia and hug her. It's that helpful, and she's that kind.

[Natalie Kral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a practical book. The author is blunt and realistic, offering tangible ways to heal.

[Diane Holcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if this book is still in print, but it's worth scoping around used book stores to find a copy so you can underline passages. And there is much to underline here.

First, Claire Weekes uses the old-fashioned term "nervous illness," which, for some reason, sounds less threatening to me than the word anxiety. She takes the shame out of anxiety by referring to the illness as "severe sensitization" of the nervous system. Nerves become sensitized after a surgery, a major illness, prolonged tension, dieting, and whatever stresses the body. The body reacts with the symptoms of anxiety: a churning stomach, sweaty hands, racing heart, etc. These reactions become a habit.

Second, the author explains every symptom in her no-nonsense yet reassuring tone, taking the fear out of the experience.

Third, she encourages the reader to face the fearful symptoms, and not add to them through what she calls "second fear"...those worrisome what if thoughts that keep our stomachs churning, our hands sweating, our hearts racing.

She reminds us that overcoming a case of sensitization doesn't happen quickly, but, like any habit, it can be changed.

The sufferer can be cured.

This book, as well as a steady practice of meditation, helped me kick the panic habit. If I overtax myself and start becoming sensitized again, I often reach for this book, and Dr. Weekes' understanding, encouraging voice, to steady my nerves again.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about overcoming anxiety and panic. I'd recommend it for anyone - not just the "nervously ill," as the author calls them.

She gives important information about the role of the sympathetic nervous system in producing symptoms of anxiety. She recommends "floating past" these physiological responses by realizing that we are in no immediate real danger. This process is quite different from fighting against anxiety; it involves understanding and acceptance, not a struggle. She describes how "sensitized nerves" can persist even after we have learned to understand these fight-or-flight reactions and reminds us that recovery is gradual but always possible. Since fighting against anxiety would be to contribute to the original problem (a hyperactive fight-flight reaction), it is not helpful. The key is to simply understand, notice and accept.

The book might have earned 5 stars if it hadn't (on more than three occasions) recommended electroconvulsive (shock) therapy. This seems not to be the only thing out of date in this book; she also makes repeated references to something called "brain fag." Other than these diminutions, which are forgivable given what was known at the time the book was published, this is a solid effort.

[Amanda Haydock · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. My counselor RAVED about it, claiming it would cure my anxiety. I ended up strongly DISLIKING it. For one: it’s totally outdated. I understand this was written a while ago but there needs to be an update. We no longer live in an era where women only stay at home. Yes, some do. But, not all. The view on women in this book is that they are overly worried and emotional, dependent on their husbands. It’s 2020 : things have changed and so have opinions. This book NEEDS an update. I also don’t like how she claims that this will cure you. Some people can’t be cured of anxiety due to a chemical imbalance in their brain. It’s misleading to think “If I do this, I will be cured.” Not true AT ALL.

Her suggestions are weak at best and hard to relate to. There should be exercises in the book to help you implement her suggestions and there aren’t. There’s a lot about this book I didn’t like and very little about it that I enjoyed / related to. I will not be recommending it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough amazing things about this book. Dr. Weekes is brilliant! I picked up this book after hearing her name mentioned a lot. I was suffering horrific anxiety due to a medical diagnosis I received. I have only just finished reading it so I cannot yet claim to be cured. But, applying her strategies has helped me immensely with my anxiety. Yes it is an older book and therefore has language which is "old-fashioned" and dated. But to me it just felt like I had an older trusted, wise advisor by my side, understanding me and helping me move forward. This is a fabulous book, actually life-changing. I wish I could write Dr. Weekes a thank you letter, but sadly she has passed away.

[Dena Sanders]

I CANNOT reccomend this book enough! This is the penultimate classic for dealing with panic attacks and/or anxiety. I listened to the audio books in order to help me sleep and the advice Ms. Weekes gives is timeless and practical. She was "damed" (she-knighted) by the Queen of England for her contributions and they are still relevant today. Along with "How Top Stop Worrying and Start Living" by Carnegie, it is one of the best books for coping with and overcoming anxiety and panic. It is simply unmatched and easy to focus on and internalize her message and I re-read it when things get tough. Happy reading, all! :)

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be put off by the dated language. Full of useful methods for managing panic attacks, social anxiety and many other depression-related afflictions.

[Tanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want explanation of how anxiety works and why we have certain thoughts, this book will change your life ! I love it!

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Facing, Accepting, Floating and Letting time pass”.

This is the essence of what Dr. Claire Weekes argues will best cure anxiety. I found this book to be a treasure trove of interesting information and tips for dealing with anxiety. At first I was apprehensive that the book would not apply to anxiety treatment in today's day and age, especially since it was published in the 1960s, but I was proven wrong with the contents of Dr. Weekes' writing. I found this book to be insightful and approached the subject of anxiety sensitively. Floating through anxiety and not focusing on the fear is what Dr. Weekes believes to be the best way to tackle anxiety. Fighting it only brings about more anxiety because energy is wasted focusing on it. Overall, I think this book is fantastic for anyone who ever struggles with anxiety or anxious feelings from time to time. Really, I think it's a book for everyone. Anyone who reads it can gain something from it. I have highlighted a bunch of quotes from the book and I know I will come back to them when ever I feel I need some insight into nervous illnesses.

[Claire McCormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The great majority of my nervously ill patients have been made ill and kept ill because of the way they feel; because of fear of what they think may happen next.”

A near-perfect gem in the sphere of anxiety resources. It was first published in 1969 so some content and beliefs are outdated but the core messaging is crystal clear, which is all you can really ask for in the overpopulated and overcomplicated landscape of self-help books.
All this book asks you to do in periods of “nervous illness” / “sensitised nerves” is to face your anxiety, accept it, float through the feeling and let time pass. Weekes claims that it’s the resistance and fear attached to certain thoughts, sensations and situations that sets you off on a never ending cycle of anxiety, which only further sensitises your nerves and makes it far easier to trigger them.