Official Review: Releasing Anxiety, Inviting Peace

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CataclysmicKnight
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Official Review: Releasing Anxiety, Inviting Peace

Post by CataclysmicKnight »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Releasing Anxiety, Inviting Peace" by Elisabetta Reist.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Anxiety is an issue that plagues everyone from time to time, and for some it can be so crushing that even getting out of bed, talking to people or leaving the house can be a huge undertaking. When I was 17, I actually dropped out of high school due to issues that stemmed from anxiety - I was so nervous about going to school that I was frequently sick and even put on medication for manic depression. While I've done a pretty great job of turning myself around since then (if I do say so myself), I still do suffer from some anxieties, so I was interested in Elisabetta Reist's Releasing Anxiety, Inviting Peace.

The first thing that really struck me was that the first chapter actually takes the time to validate the reader's feelings of stress. I was surprised at how nice of an effect that could have as I was starting out with the book. It was also great to learn that she herself suffered from major anxiety when she was 16, even going so far as to say that her physician couldn't help her and her parents played it off as something she would just laugh about years later. The story ends up making the book much more relatable and genuine, as Elisabetta isn't just some random person talking about anxiety without having ever felt it herself. She then goes on to explain what anxiety is and gives brief overviews on different methods of relieving it. Elisabetta focuses on both psychological methods (including increasing your self-esteem, meditating, utilizing mantras) and physical (becoming healthier through a better diet and exercise, for example). There are a bunch of different methods, techniques, practices and courses that are touched on in the book, and it manages to give enough information about them to inspire further research into them if they sound interesting without dragging the book out far too long. Overall it felt very well researched, and I was amazed at just how much I'd never heard about.

My biggest surprise with the book was just how much of it was dedicated to diet. The PDF I reviewed was 105 pages (not including the introduction), and over 50 of those pages dealt with food and drink. While this certainly isn't a bad thing - I did a bit of my own research and was surprised at how much food can affect anxiety - and the book does focus on health, not weight loss, I felt the book could have somehow included diet in the title or even as a subtitle. I've dieted in the past to lose weight, and as such I've done a bunch of research on food, so very little of this section was new to me. As with the rest of the book, I was surprised at how well researched it was, but was a little put off by the spicy food chapter. I suppose people really can get anxiety from the effects of heat, but the chapter's suggestion was to use black sesame seeds. More than once Elisabetta mentions that they have a bit of a sweet taste to them, which definitely wouldn't hit the spot for a spicy food lover like me. While black sesame seeds may have made an excellent suggestion in another chapter, it was oddly out of place here.

The only real flaw I had with the book was the hit-and-miss editing. I didn't notice a single issue with the food chapters, but the chapters before and after them had semi-frequent errors, sometimes resulting in sentences that I needed to read multiple times to understand.

Releasing Anxiety, Inviting Peace is a book I was a bit surprised by at times and enjoyed overall - particularly the early sections that delivered methods of de-stressing with meditation and mind exercises. I'm giving the book 3 out of 4 stars and recommend it to anyone who suffers from anxiety attacks or who avoids doing things because of low self-esteem or anxiety. This suggestion comes with the caveat that you're also willing to change your diet, however, as it's a major portion of the book.

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lady
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Post by lady »

Thank you CataclysmicKnight for the very detailed and well written review of "Releasing Anxiety and Inviting Peace" by Elisabeth's Riest. Thanks to the author for writing this book that have a plethora of information, especially on how food and drink can effect one's feeling of well-being. Knowing this causes me to do my own research and suggest others to read this book.

-- 12 Sep 2016, 20:37 --

I apologize for the misspelling of the author name Elisabetta Riest.
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Post by AuthoressofMystery »

Interesting. I always feel better after eating spicy foods! Your review was helpful and honest. Thank you!
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Post by gaporter »

Very nice review. How interesting to focus on diet to reduce anxiety. Most books and articles focus more on simply taking deep breaths.
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Post by Kdonegan91 »

I suffer from anxiety and OCD. Four months ago I brought my beautiful baby girl into the world and suffered severe anxiety. I go to a therapist and take long term medication. I am doing much better now thanks to my support system and God. However, I am always interested in alternatives to relieve my anxiety and panic attacks. Thanks for the amazing review.
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Post by DeVere21 »

Good review! I can tell you are passionate about the topic. I can easily relate to this and it is nice to know someone puts this first.
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Post by Abodunrin »

I appreciate your plainness and sincerity in your views on the book in terms of what went well with you and what didn't. Thanks for the review
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Post by Insightsintobooks729 »

I think it's good that the author validates feelings of stress that we have. This book sounds like one I will pick up. Thank you for the review.
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Post by BookHausJ »

Very nice book. There are many opinion or research that can linked the effect of food to anxiety. Maybe it's not the food but some ingredients added on it that affects. No doubt of it because nowadays many unhealthy chemicals are flooding in the food today. Such as preservatives. And overtime, through continues consumption, little by little and day by day it will show results. Maybe we're not aware.
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Post by Amy747 »

Ive suffered from anxiety for most of my life and my daughter now does too. Im adding this book to my shelf so I can discover some new useful tips.
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Post by En+kay »

Fears, worries, unpaid Bills and unexpected news these are stuffs that triggers my anxiety mood. So I need to adjust my taste palate as well as my diet keep to exercise schedule.
Very inspiring
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Post by Shahina C A »

I think everyone have this anxiety problems atleast once in life. Thanks for the great review
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Post by Poojitha Borra »

I had severe anxiety during my college days. I couldn't be myself and felt miserable in college, but once I reached home, I was normal. It was very confusing for me as to what caused it. I did quite a lot of my own research through the internet and youtube. Now, I can manage it better, but it's still there. Exercise and reducing overthinking by positive affirmations helped me a lot.
I am having word vomit here, but this issue is quite personal to me. I constantly want to know more about it. So this book is suitable for me, and your review is helpful in the process. This is quite a detailed and elaborate review.
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Post by Sarah C McHum »

I wonder if there is someone in this earth who never experienced anxiety or depression. In my early 20s, I have to deal with body image. I constantly comparing myself with Korean idols (just look at how thin they are), and I want to be like one of them. I feel like I am a fat girl (in fact my BMI is normal), but I don't know. I felt like I need to start a diet. I am fully aware now that I have to be grateful with my body, but of course, I always need to learn and learn. I will read this book as soon as possible. Thanks for your review!
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Post by Aisha Yakub »

A lot of people are dealing with anxiety. But like Elisabetta, not many of them are taken seriously and given attention. This is a great read. Thanks for the review.
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