http://www.physorg.com/news102339266.html

Is this yet another version of the magical thinking put about by new agey "positive" thinkers?

There seems to be very little in this report that establishes what exactly this new self-help programme actually does, and how it works.

It"s of great concern that the person who is anxious or whatever is exhorted to go it alone. The vast majority of fears, rational or irrational, are rooted in things over which others have control. Indeed, those who have most control over their environments are most likely to report high mental health and personal satisfaction with life.

The fact is that so much in our ordinary lives is increasingly dysfunctional and/or uncertain - and outside our control. No wonder anxiety levels are rising. The statistics speak for themselves: 20% of people are identified as living in some sort of private hell of anxiety and phobia. These are only the people, one assumes, who"ve come forward for help.

Shoving a booklet at them and telling them to go away and sort themselves out is not exactly a recipe for success. I suspect it"s yet another ploy to get NHS patients to take themselves off waiting lists. It"s also another flavour of the epidemic individualism that plagues modern life...we all know how highly Samuel Smiles and "there no such thing as society" are regarded now.

In a way I agree with you, that this is possibly a sad attempt to dissuade people from getting the therapy they need, in person to person models. But it may work well for a minority of people who do well using books as a way to combat phobias, and repair their problems of all kinds. These sorts of books are pretty amazing when they work according to plan. Some are so life changing that one is completely changed by their content. Still I do think we need to become dependent again upon one another as groups, and clans, and family members but, if one can benefit from the book, why not try it as well?

The individuality of American postures has always perturbed me. There is something wrong in being too estranged in such a place. Unless maybe your a wilderness person.