Anthony R. Ciminero

Life presents a variety of challenges for all of us. Some challenges are expected whereas others can be unpredictable and even traumatic. This iCope book is focused on building your personal resilience to manage the usual and not so usual events, pressures, and demands throughout your lifetime. The book presents an efficient yet comprehensive approach for those who want to learn positive coping skills to build resilience by managing stress with four key strategies. Because stress is linked to the leading causes of death, there are major health reasons to learn these positive ways to cope with stress. The methods described are all based on scientific principles established over the past several decades. You will learn what to do on a day-to-day basis to manage stress as well as what steps will improve your overall resilience to any of the many health risks caused by chronic stress.

The approach in this book could be controversial in that it advocates an alternative to the well-established 12-Step Programs typically recommended for treating addictions. As readers will see, the book is quite pragmatic in that there is great flexibility in finding what type of treatment works for each individual situation. Some do very well with a 12-Step Program and they are encouraged to continue with what is working for them. However, there are many more individuals who cannot relate to a 12-Step Program or have failed to succeed with that approach. This iCope book provides those individuals with a resource for getting into a healthy recovery. The methods described here are all based on scientific principles established over the past several decades. This book describes what to do on a day-to-day basis to cope with various challenges and stresses without relying on any unhealthy addictive behaviors. . Readers will learn: -The four core coping skills needed to replace any addictive behaviors; -How to improve self-awareness and learn when you are at risk; -Methods to relax physically and mentally without alcohol or drugs; -Cognitive restructuring as a psychological defense for negative emotions -Creative problem-solving skills to deal with certain challenges; -Recommendations for assertiveness and anger management; -Key strategies to improve self-esteem and confidence; -How mindfulness and positive psychology can help in recovery; -Relapse Prevention; -Also covered are special topics such as: Controlled Social Drinking for Some Individuals, and Genetic Factors in Alcoholism

iCope presents an efficient yet comprehensive approach for anyone who wants to learn positive coping skills to manage stress and build resilience. Because stress is linked to the leading causes of death (e.g., heart disease, cancer, accidents, suicide, and cirrhosis of the liver), there are major health reasons to learn to cope with stress more effectively. The methods described in this book are all based on scientific principles established over the past several decades. This book describes what to do on a day-to-day basis to manage stress as well as what steps will improve your overall resilience to any health risks caused by chronic stress. iCope includes self-assessment devices, worksheets, Sidebars on relevant topics, and free internet access to valuable additional resources. This edition also reviews some of the special challenges that Millennials currently face in early adulthood.The book teaches: - The four core skills needed to manage stress and build resilience- How to improve self-awareness and find your effective stress zone which can improve your performance at work and in high pressure situations- Various methods to relax physically and mentally- Cognitive restructuring techniques like those used in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) as a psychological defense against stress - Creative problem-solving skills to deal with certain stressful situations to prevent any feelings of helplessness- Specific steps to achieve physical, emotional, and social resilience from the impact of any negative stress on your life- Recommendations for assertiveness and anger management especially in significant relationships- Key strategies to improve self-esteem and confidence as a major resilience factor- How to cope with major life events or trauma when stress can be overwhelming