"In this memoir, Robert Rand tells the tale of how social dancing freed him from the grip of panic disorder. Rand was a serious man, a scholarly, shy and intense perfectionist who achieved national recognition in his career. He was a senior editor on the staff of National Public Radio's All Things Considered when, in the midst of his success, panic attacks overwhelmed him. For more than two years, he suffered debilitating effects; the disease flattened his spirits and entirely stripped him of self-confidence. He crawled through his days, barely getting by." "Then Rand discovered social dancing, in particular Cajun and zydeco dance and music. Dancing became a cathartic and liberating endeavor, helping him beat back his panic disorder to gain control of his life. Rand found on the dance floor a new compelling world where absolute strangers physically embrace; a world where that embrace can turn volatile when the strangers are of different races; a romantic and passionate world, for dancing is how Rand met his wife."--Jacket.

In recent years, a growth in dance and wellbeing scholarship has resulted in new ways of thinking that place the body, movement, and dance in a central place with renewed significance for wellbeing. The Oxford Handbook of Dance and Wellbeing examines dance and related movement practices from the perspectives of neuroscience and health, community and education, and psychology and sociology to contribute towards an understanding of wellbeing, offer new insights into existing practices, and create a space where sufficient exchange is enabled. The handbook's research components include quantitative, qualitative, and arts-based research, covering diverse discourses, methodologies, and perspectives that add to the development of a complete picture of the topic. Throughout the handbook's wide-ranging chapters, the objective observations, felt experiences, and artistic explorations of practitioners interact with and are printed alongside academic chapters to establish an egalitarian and impactful exchange of ideas.

Drawing on data gathered through a three-year autoethnography, A Delicate Dance couples the author's experiences teaching multicultural education and learning to zydeco dance in order to explore semblances of intimacy across self and other. More specifically, the book looks at semblances of intimacy embodied on the dance floor and the implications such intimacy might have for thinking about curriculum and qualitative research. This lively narrative encourages readers to consider what it might mean to envision curriculum as an embodied locale - much like zydeco dancing - where the play of epistemological forces replaces technocratic force; and where students experience the relative weight of desire, fear, and knowledge, the reciprocal touch of self and other, and the mysterious momentum of the semblance of intimacy.

Throughout history and in contemporary times, people worldwide have danced to cope with the stresses of life. But how has dance helped people resist, reduce, and escape stress? What is it about dance that makes it a healing art? What insights can we gain from learning about others' use of dance across cultures and eras? Dancing for Health addresses these questions and explains the cognitive, emotional and physical dimensions of dance in a spectrum of stress management approaches. Designed for anyone interested in health and healing, Dancing for Health offers lessons learned from the experiences of people of different cultures and historical periods, as well as current knowledge, on how to resist, reduce, and dance away stress in the disquieting times of the 21st century. Anthropologists and psychologists will benefit from the unique theoretical and ethnographic analysis of how dance affects communities and individuals, while dancers and therapists will take away practical lessons on improving their and their patients' quality of life.

Panic attacks, phobias, avoidant behavior, worrying, compulsive behavior, unwanted obsessions, and body symptoms such as racing heart, breathing difficulties, sweating, shaking, nausea, numbness and weakness are some of the many manifestations of anxiety. DANCING WITH FEAR is a comprehensive guide to understanding and managing the many forms of anxiety. Using a recovery theme, the book offers a hopeful, self-help approach to the most common, costly, and chronic emotional problem in our country. According to experts, anxiety develops from the combination of three ingredients: genetic traits (such as “biological sensitivity”), family influences, and stress (the “why now” factor). The stress ingredient accounts for the widespread prevalence of anxiety today. Basically, anxiety is largely a learned reaction to stress overload in people with a sensitive temperament. Through new skills and habits, anxiety can be replaced with more effective behavior along with greater peace, optimism, and joy. The book is clearly written and technically accurate. Diagrams, lists, and charts illustrate the information, and 35 concrete skills and exercises are included. The book includes information on: · Survival instinct and anxiety · List of anxiety disorders with explanations · Diagnostic criteria for each anxiety disorder · Common fears by age group · Anxiety personality traits · Comparison of incomplete and complete stress recovery · Drugs used to treat anxiety · Herbs and natural remedies for anxiety Some examples of exercises and techniques are: · Meditation instructions · “The three-S” approach to stress management (Signals, Sources, Solutions) · Yoga and bioenergetic breathing exercises · Dietary guidelines for managing anxiety · Guidelines for friends and family members · How to replace worry with positive thinking · Three fundamental health practices for managing anxiety · Joy, pleasure, and satisfaction exercise · How to spiritually revitalize your life Content is based on the author’s personal anxiety background, as well as his expertise as a seasoned psychologist. Dr. Foxman’s own recovery from several anxiety disorders is described in an opening chapter. See Prior Distribution for a description of what is specifically new in this second edition.

My Anxious Mind helps teens take control of their anxious feelings by providing cognitive behavioral strategies to tackle anxiety head-on and to feel more confident and empowered in the process. It also offers ways for teens with anxiety to improve their inter-personal skills, manage stress; handle panic attacks; use diet and exercise appropriately; and decide whether medication is right for them.

This unique two-volume reference is an accessible, up-to-date resource for the rich and fascinating study of human emotion. Drawing on both contemporary and classic research, Encyclopedia of Emotion explores the complex realities of our emotional lives and communicates what psychologists have learned about them to date in a clear and captivating way. The landmark work bridges the divide within psychology as a discipline between basic and applied science, gathering together in one comprehensive resource both theoretical and clinical perspectives on this important subject. In two volumes, Encyclopedia of Emotion offers more than 400 alphabetically organized entries on a broad range of topics, including the neurological foundations of emotional function, competing theories of emotion, multicultural perspectives on emotions, emotional disorders, their diagnosis and treatment, and profiles of important organizations and key figures who have shaped our understanding of how and why we feel the way we do.