Book excerpt: Forty million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders. Hospitalized at age thirty with severe anxiety disorders and depression, Suzanne Jessee was determined to overcome the mental paralysis and addictive behaviors that ruled her life. Not only did she personally triumph over these debilitating disorders, but she set out to study and work in the world’s leading treatment centers where she helped thousands of patients to recover from severe anxiety. Accompanied by a PBS special, Escape Anxiety: 8 Steps to Freedom through Meditative Therapies explains the causes and symptoms of these complicated and often misunderstood medical disorders and offers a path to recovery through Jessee’s revolutionary 8-Step Escape Anxiety treatment program. Designed to provide natural techniques to manage anxiety, each step to healing includes exercises and a specially designed script for a guided meditation based on her innovative methods of Neurogenesis Meditative Therapy TM (NMT). By combining proven therapeutic techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with ancient mindfulness practices, NMT empowers anxiety sufferers by liberating them from unhealthy “thought myths” to help them create sustainable, life-changing habits. Backed by recent scientific proof that meditation has a transformative effect on the physical brain, Suzanne demystifies the practice of meditation and demonstrates its power as a viable alternative to synthetic medications for treating anxiety. After years of experience helping patients at the Betty Ford Center and other clinical settings, and recognition for her success from the top experts in the field, Suzanne Jesses now offers an affordable and accessible in-home treatment program to heal those who suffer from the devastating effects of anxiety disorders.