My Anxious Mind

ABCT Self Help Book Seal of Merit Award

My Anxious Mind helps teens take control of their anxious feelings by providing cognitive behavioral strategies to tackle anxiety head-on.

My Anxious Mind helps teens feel more confident and empowered in the process of taking control of their anxious feelings. 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. 

Can you spare 30 minutes to feel less anxious?

​Go ahead. Think about how your life would be different if you were less anxious. What would change? Would you try out for the basketball team? Ask someone out on a date? Would you sleep better and feel less tense? Would you feel calmer and happier?

ABCT Self Help Book Seal of Merit Award

"According to the authors, one in 20 teens in the U.S. suffers from extreme anxiety. If you know one, you could do a lot worse than handing over this reassuring manual. Short enough to read in a couple sittings and imbued with an optimistic tone that rarely talks down, the book lays out common kinds of anxiety and triggers, describes breathing and relaxation techniques to stave off and coast through nervous episodes, and offers up various logs to fill out as the sufferer begins to make progress."—Booklist

"Speaking directly to teens, the authors walk readers through recognizing anxiety and its effects, both physical and mental, then deliver recommended therapies, tools, and resources for overcoming it. First-person, "real-life" vignettes are included in each chapter, which allow teens to relate to situations in a peer-to-peer fashion. This title belongs in every middle and high school library and teen resource collection."—School Library Journal

"My Anxious Mind is a terrific book! It contains easy-to-understand information and practical, straightforward steps anyone can take to reduce undue anxiety. It's a must read for anxious teens and their parents, and teachers but will be helpful to individuals of any age who have an 'anxious mind.'"—Judith S. Beck, PhD, Director, Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research; Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania; Past President, Academy of Cognitive Therapy

"This wonderful book is a must buy for adolescents and their families with severe anxiety. Its two voices—the recently affected adolescent and the experienced clinician—offer invaluable insights into the potentially devastating effects of untreated anxiety while describing in detail proven strategies for taking charge of fears and obsessions."—Glen R. Elliott, PhD, MD, Chief Psychiatrist and Medical Director, The Children's Health Council, Palo Alto, CA; Author of Medicating Young Minds: How to Know If Psychiatric Drugs Will Help or Hurt Your Child

"The strategies discussed in My Anxious Mind are firmly grounded in the latest research on treating anxiety. At the same time, the book is highly accessible, engaging, and easy to follow. I highly recommend My Anxious Mind to any teen who struggles with high levels of anxiety. Their parents should read it, too!"—Martin M. Antony, PhD, ABPP Professor of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto; Author of The Anti-Anxiety Workbook

"Up to one in five teens suffer from a significant anxiety disorder while countless others experience milder fears and worries. Tompkins and Martinez offer a step-by-step guide to anxiety management written specifically for adolescents. Along with proven techniques for dealing with anxious thoughts, physical symptoms of anxiety, and avoidance behaviors, this valuable book also addresses the important areas of sleep, nutrition, and exercise."—John Piacentini, PhD, ABPP Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine; Director, Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA

"My Anxious Mind: A Teen's Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic is a marvelous book for teens who feel anxious or shy sometimes or find that anxiety or shyness is becoming too frequent and too painful. If anxiety is interfering with teens making friends, doing what they want to, asserting themselves, or asking for help, this is the book for them. Tompkins and Martinez have written this guide with precision and clarity, while communicating warmth to their young readers and a real understanding of the challenges of the teen-age years. How great it will be to have a personal guide for handling adolescent worries and thoughts about what look like impending social disasters; and for solving the inevitable interpersonal problems and challenges of dealing with those teens love, like, can't stand, and learn to like. Teens can all learn from these authors' experience and wisdom."—Lynne Henderson, PhD, Director, The Shyness Institute, Palo Alto, California; Author of The Social Fitness Training Manuals

Michael A. Tompkins, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, a founding partner of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy; Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley; and a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He specializes in cognitive–behavior therapy for anxiety and mood disorders in adults, adolescents, and children. Dr. Tompkins is the author or co-author of numerous articles and chapters on cognitive–behavior therapy and related topics. My Anxious Mind is his first book for teens. He lives in Oakland, California with his wife and two daughters.

Katherine Martinez, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and partner at the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy. She specializes in cognitive–behavioral assessment and treatment for children and adolescents with anxiety, mood, and attention deficit disorders. My Anxious Mind is her first book. She lives in Oakland, California with her husband and son.

Michael Sloan spent several years working as a printmaker in Europe before moving to New York City. His illustrations first appeared on the Op-Ed page of The New York Times, where he remains a frequent contributor to the Letters column. He has created illustrations for many clients including Fortune, The Village Voice, The New Yorker, Barnes & Noble, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Michael is also the author of the Professor Nimbus books and comics. His second graphic novel, The Heresy of Professor Nimbus, was awarded a silver medal in the sequential category of the Society of Illustrators 49th Annual Exhibition. Visit him at and follow him on Facebook: @MichaelSloanIllustration and Instagram: @michaelsloanart.

Anxiety can make everything seem unmanageable - from dealing with family and friends to managing schoolwork and extracurricular activities. It's been estimated that between nine and 15 million teens in the United States suffer from phobias, panic attacks, or extreme worry or anxiety. That's a lot of teens! ""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. ""My Anxious Mind"" also offers ways for teens with anxiety to improve their inter-personal skills, whether it be with friends, family, or teachers; manage stress; handle panic attacks; use diet and exercise appropriately; and decide whether medication is right for them.

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