Are Self-Help CDs Helpful?

The use of self-help products is relatively common today. Books, online audio and video resources, DVDs, and CDs are found in just about every bookstore as well as many health food stores with a book section. Many people find these audio products very helpful in terms of understanding and dealing with a number of issues ranging from emotional and behavioral disorders to various types of diseases like cancer and diabetes.

There are several advantages to using self-help CDs. The first has to do with the dispensing of practical information in terms that everyday people can understand. Many of the best of these audio tools go to great lengths to help the listener understand what is meant by a particular term, thus making it easier to understand the information that will follow. Since a CD can be stopped, backed up, and restarted, the listener can go over the data as many times as needed to get a firm grasp of the information offered by the presenter.

Along with providing a means of educating individuals on various issues of life, self-held CDs can often be the tool that helps people accept the fact they have a problem that needs addressing. This in turn can motivate the individual to seek professional care, whether it be seeing a doctor for a physical ailment or seeking counseling for an emotional or mental problem. From this perspective, self-help CDs can be seen as a support for professional care rather than a competitor.

Self-help CDs can also provide some level of comfort to people suffering with a particular condition. This is especially true of people undergoing some type of mental condition such as depression, severe anxiety, panic disorders, or some type of phobia. People who find themselves dealing with issues of this type often feel isolated and unable to talk with loved ones about what is happening, usually due to shame or a fear nothing can be done to correct the problem. Many of these informational CDs help sufferers to understand they are not alone, there is no shame, and it is possible to overcome the issue and enjoy life again.

There are all sorts of self-help CDs on the market today. Some are aimed at helping people cope with stress, while others deal with depression and related issues. There are children self-help audio products that are ideal for the self-esteem issues young people face today, as well as cognitive behavior resources that provide some self-help mental exercises that can be used to augment medication and therapy.

It is not unusual for these self-help CDs to be prepared by medical professionals who specialize in a related field, such as cancer research or mental health. While it is possible to purchase these CDs at many retail outlets, it is not unusual for a counselor to recommend a particular product to a patient. Rather than replacing professional care, these audio products simply add one more tool that can be used to help bring about hope and healing.