Amazon.com
Here's another "disorder" that didn't exist in your grandmother's day. Gynecologist Brent Bost has dubbed "the hurried woman syndrome" a problem he says affects 30 million Americans: a stress-induced combination of "fatigue, moodiness, weight gain, and low libido." He uses the term interchangeably with "pre-depression," as these symptoms often spiral the sufferer into clinical depression. Bost touts the benefits of regulating women's neurotransmitters, and doesn't hesitate to recommend pharmaceutical assistance, primarily through prescription pills such as Zoloft and Wellbutrin. One could regret that he doesn’t urge readers to seak therapy in conjunction with such pills; after all, he does admit feeling like a "gynechiatrist," since so many of his patients reveal their relationship troubles to him. Bost says his 7-step approach for boosting vitality and health teaches "cognitive-behavioral coping strategies"; in other words, he hopes to help readers eradicate negative thinking. By thinking more positively, and (best of all) learning to make a heathy use if the word "no", he says women can minimize the effects of stress on their bodies, helping to regain their sense of joy and self-esteem.--Erica Jorgensen
From Publishers Weekly
Talk about your Desperate Housewives! Bost, a gynecologist who has been treating harried women for 20 years, had no idea when he began his practice that he'd be hearing so much about fatigue, weight problems, mood swings and low libido. Yet many of his patients were struggling to juggle work, children and relationships while barely maintaining their mental and physical health. After conferring with other ob-gyn physicians, he discovered that the condition was indeed a common one and typically caused by chronic stress. This stress, estimated to affect some 30 million women, compels women to feel hurried, which leads to a damaging syndrome that, Bost says, is "common ... but it is anything but normal." In this book, the author convincingly argues that doctors and patients should view the syndrome as a form of "predepression," which can slip into clinical depression if not managed properly. After discussing brain chemistry and the impact of chronic stress on the body, Bost presents a seven-step program that includes doing exercises to overcome fatigue and weight gain. The author doesn't pretend to be a psychologist; he is instead a synthesizer who takes concepts from popular programs that he thinks work best for stressed women. Some of his steps are better documented than others but, overall, the holistic approach is thorough, effective and easy to follow. "Unhurrying your life is not an event; it's a process," Bost says, reminding readers to periodically review their priorities and to be realistic about themselves and their lives. If they are, he predicts they'll go a long way toward finding relief and avoiding both physical and mental maladies. This is an excellent prescription for women "on the verge" who are willing to take some down-to-earth advice. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
Also called predepression, hurried woman syndrome affects 30 million women annually in the United States. HWS is most commonly found in mothers who live with the chronic stress of trying to fulfill many roles for many people and is characterized by a set of chronic physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms that can include fatigue, weight gain, moodiness, sleep problems, and low libido. Torn between the demands of managing children's school and activities, keeping up a home, work (paid or volunteer), social obligations, and more, hurried women feel as if they are on an endless emotional roller-coaster ride. Unfortunately, most HWS sufferers are unaware that they have a clinically identified and treatable problem. With proper guidance, most sufferers can quickly reverse the symptoms of HWS and regain their energy and love of life. Without it, they are in serious danger of developing full-blown clinical depression.
Based on Dr. Brent W. Bost's experiences treating his patients, The Hurried Woman Syndrome offers the first integrated program for overcoming the symptoms that make up the syndrome. An indispensable survival guide for busy women who feel stressed, tired, and dissatisfied, it features: A mood assessment test to help determine if they have HWS, or more serious depression A complete, seven-step program for managing stress and overcoming HWS symptoms Expert guidance on how to manage weight, set priorities, get adequate exercise, create firm limits, talk with doctors about antidepressants, rekindle the romance in their relationships, and more
From the Back Cover
Are you a Hurried Woman? Hope and help are on the way! Do you feel stressed out much of the time? Is there always someplace you’re running to? Do you feel like you never have any time for yourself? Do you frequently find yourself irritated by things that never used to get under your skin? Is there a constant stream of “to-do” lists running through your mind, particularly when you’re trying to sleep? Do the things that used to give you pleasure in life--including sex--now fail to excite you?
These are just a few of the serious issues that millions of women of all lifestyles wrestle with daily--and just a few of the symptoms of the Hurried Woman Syndrome, an all-too-common stress-related condition. But like being overweight, while the syndrome is quite prevalent, it is anything but normal--and it is preventable.
Fatigue, moodiness, weight gain, low sex drive . . . if these issues sound familiar, you are not alone. Nearly 30 million American women struggle with these symptoms every day, sometimes for years. Many of them juggle motherhood and work, paid or volunteer; some are married, some are not. But whatever their differences, they share a constant state of being torn between meeting their own needs and the needs of others--with the distinct sense that there isn’t really enough time for both. They are all under stress. And they are all hurried. But now help is on the way.
In this much-needed book, leading obstetrician/gynecologist Brent Bost, M.D., empowers you to overcome the Hurried Woman Syndrome--a very real condition that is often a precursor to major depression and other stress-related illnesses. Drawing from nearly two decades of insight into women’s complex physical and emotional lives, Dr. Bost has created a highly effective, medically sound seven-step program that will enable you to: Identify what causes stress and worry in your life--including the less obvious but often most damaging stressors Lower your stress levels by taking advantage of four key resources: people, money, experience, and time Regain your lost energy and happiness Learn the principles for achieving and maintaining a healthier body Rekindle passion in your relationships
Also included is an attitude and mood self-assessment quiz to help you determine whether your symptoms may require medical attention. While this program alone will be enough for the majority of Hurried Women, others will find that they are too overwhelmed to effectively implement it without help. Antidepressant medication can provide assistance, and specific recommendations for making good choices with your doctor are covered here. But whatever combination of techniques is right for you, this reassuring book reminds you that the Hurried Woman Syndrome is curable.
About the Author
Brent W. Bost, M.D., FACOG, is a board-certified specialist in obstetrics, gynecology, and infertility with more than twenty years of experience in medicine. He is a graduate of Baylor College of Medicine and received his specialty training at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. He has been named one of the Best Doctors in America by colleagues and speaks regularly to a variety of groups. He has been a guest on national TV and radio programs, including "Good Morning America." His work has been covered in major magazines, including Self, Ladies’ Home Journal, Woman’s Day, Redbook, and Glamour.
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