Peace from Nervous Suffering
Kw Ploirn :Author: Claire Weekes Angus & Robertson, ?1.50
This book sets out to inspire agoraphobics to help themselves to recover. It is a sequel to another book Self-help for your nerves, by the same author which dealt with anxiety in general. It comes with highly laudatory quotations on the dust-cover from reviews already given by daily papers and other journals.
It takes a line somewhat reminiscent of behaviour therapy in encouraging individuals to believe that their symptoms are due to sensitization’ and can be overcome by determination and retraining.
The book is extremely well and clearly written. The problem with it is that it deals with a limited aspect of a common symptom. Agoraphobia often has other diverse meanings and significance and the reader is not prepared for the possibility that even though he has this symptom the book may be wholly unsuited to his needs.
Because of this it could mislead depressives into neglecting treatment or blaming themselves, still more, for not recovering. It ought not to be presented to the public without very substantial qualifications being made in a careful introductory section.
It is also frankly misleading when it states in the Preface: ‘Although so widespread, agoraphobia has only recently been recognised by doctors generally’?unless by ‘recently’ one means the last fifty years. Harold Merskey
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