To ask what is the best self-help book you've ever read and how it changed your life?

[Flamingo1980]

I'm needing a big kick up the bum and to make big, permanent and positive changes in my life and so looking to you gorgeous people for your experiences and recommendations.
I'm currently reading 'The chimp paradox' which is brilliant but when I finish it I would like more books to get me on the right path.
What do you recommend?

Another vote for "he's just not that into you"- helped some serious scales fall from my eyes re a bloke I had invested far too much emotion in and taught me the signals to recognise to stop making the same mistake again. By the same author "It's called a breakup because it's broken" is also brilliant.

I am happily married now but those books helped me a lot during my wilderness years.

This book, Emotional Healing in Minutes . It is a system that releases trapped emotions and traumas - all under your own control. In minutes refers to the fact that you do not need years of psychotherapy.
You can use the technique to help overcomes addictions for example and the emotions being blocked by that addiction are gently revealed, but all from your own mind. The way it works may seem odd, but the technique may combine something like a mixture of mindfulness with a interrupting of entrenched brain patterns related to a habit.
www.amazon.co.uk/Emotional-Healing-Minutes-Acupressure-Techniques/dp/0007112580

Healing Without Freud or Prozac is also a book that helped me a lot.
www.amazon.co.uk/Healing-Without-Freud-Prozac-Servan-Schreiber/dp/1447211464

Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
www.amazon.co.uk/Miracle-Mindfulness-classic-meditation-revered/dp/0712647872

Perhaps not what you have in mind either but the Bible does it for me.

I actually find it very releasing and freeing to know that I will never have the ability or resources to help myself but that I can draw upon someone much bigger and better to make me into more of the person I was made to be.

The Road Less Travelled

NOT Louise Hay, OP, unless you're fine with the doctrine that your terminal cervical cancer is caused by you holding onto resentment and fear about being raped, and the like, and that you should refuse medical treatment and instead do forgiveness and reflexology and live on tomatoes.

Brilliant thread! I love self help books but not heard of some of these, going to add them to my reading list. Thanks all 💜😀

Yes Feel the Fear, I read it with my mum when my dad left I read Johnathan Livingston Seagul by Richard Bach when I was about 17/18, it's quite abstract and is more of a story but hugely inspiring, mainly about just having the courage to be yourself, nothing more, "just you" is enough; makes you think about what your goals actually are. Which for me has always been the problem - I'm still just blowing in the wind without direction most of the time .... Will read it again!

Yet another one for 'Feel the Fear' here too! Finally managed to leave an unhappy marriage after reading it.

Without a doubt, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. On constantly in my car on audio book. It has positively impacted my work, relationship and outlook in general.

The Secret - crystalized a lot of things for me

This thread about self-help books is so useful, I have made a list.

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Feel the Fear and do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers

Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach

The Road Less Travelled

The Bible

Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

Healing without Freud or Prozac by David Servan Schreiber

Emotional Healing in Minutes by Valery and Paul Lynch

He's Just Not that Into You (casual dating)
It's Called Breaking up Because It's Broken (dating)

Your Money or Your Life (money)
The Millionaire Next Door.(money)

Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

How to Win Friends & Influence People. (Friendship)

The Rules (Not being a doormat when gong out with men)

The Scarsdale Diet (Dieting)

The Flylady book (Sink Reflections) (Housework)

At Last! A Life! by Paul David (anxiety)

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

A Fine Balance

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren (a christian element is included)

The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil Fiore

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stepen R, Covey

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (inspirational auto-biographical account)

Konmari

Shut up, stop whining and get a life by Larry Winget

The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Mari Kondo

What is the Normal by Francesca Martinez

Your Best Year Yet

The Ribbons are for Fearlessness (Inspiration?)

Mindfulness by Mark Williams

How to do Everything and be Happy by Peter Jones

Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

You can Heal Your Life by Louise L Hay

Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

A Woman in Your Own Right Anne Dickson

Slim for Life by Jason Vale

Fat is a Feminist Issue by Susie orbach

Flourishing by Maureen Gaffney (helped poster with gas-lighting and bullying at work)

Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay

The Good Psychopath's Guide to Success

Brian Tracy on u tube

Healing Back Pain by Dr John Sarno

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle,

Your Erroneous zones by Wayne Dyer

The Game of Life and How to Play it by Florence Scovel Shinn. (These last 3 are uploaded on YouTube and free to listen to)

Reinventing Your Life by Jeffrey E. Young and Janet S. Klosko

Loving What Is by Byron Katie

Why Does He Do That? by Lundy Bancorft (Abusive partner)

Great work, KindDogsTail!

Best Year Yet is by Jinny Ditzler

www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Best-Year-Yet-months/dp/0007223226

I love this thread, Flamingo1980 but, oh dear, I have already had to go out and buy the Tidying one and have a feeling any mentioned I have not read myself so far will lurk in my mind until I do. I wonder of other people will feel the same?

I second Dr John Sarno, I also second Louise L Hay, You Can Heal Your Life, and to the person who trashed it up thread, it is a multimillion international seller.

Charles Whitfield - Healing the Child Within - but I am massively codependent

Blimey I knew you lot would come through! Thank you so much for all of your suggestions, I have now ordered eight books from Amazon, should keep me going!

I hope you don't mind me bumping this op, I love self help books and it's great to get new recommendations. Any more?

Anything by Dorothy Rowe, and extraordinarily sympathetic psychologist.

This is wonderful! www.amazon.co.uk/Untethered-Soul-Journey-Beyond-Yourself-ebook/dp/B003TU29WA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1469221881&sr=1-1&keywords=the+untethered+soul

Ive found these 3 books on relationships very helpful.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0722532989/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469297347&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=are+you+the+one+for+me&dpPl=1&dpID=51M9DUCdpqL&ref=plSrch

www.amazon.co.uk/Women-Who-Love-Too-Much/dp/0099474123

www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Men-Love-Bitches-Relationship/dp/1580627560

They all have slightly naff titles but don't let that put you off!

This book on 'non violent communication' is so good I think it should be taught in schools! Fantastic techniques for developing empathy and conflict resolution.

www.amazon.co.uk/Nonviolent-Communication-Language-Marshall-Rosenberg/dp/1892005034

7 Habits of Highly Effective People is brilliant if you want to get more done in your life. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg is a must for any working woman. Level up Your Life by Steve Kamb is supposed to me good if you want a motivational kick, but I've not read it yet.

Hey freakinthemorning! Lundy's book was brilliant, totally agree. First book I have ever read twice.