By the time Nic Lucas was twenty-eight, he was living the perfect life. He had a wonderful relationship with his wife. He was successful, motivated, outgoing, and believed he was living his life's purpose. He had "no sense of vulnerability." Then he experienced his first panic attack, which, he says, was so devastating that it shattered his sense of self. It was a "defining moment," which would send him on a painful journey that would last for years, but would also lead him to freedom. In the days following his first panic attack, Nic sought help from a general practitioner who, he says, gave him the worst two pieces of advice: "Take this drug" and "Counseling is a waste of time." Nic did his homework, discovering that the drug he had been handed could actually cause anxiety and addiction. Next he sought help from a psychiatrist, whose answer was also, "Take this drug." As a health professional himself, Nic was concerned. Were drugs really the answer? What about the different therapies that were being offered from the psychological community? "Weren't there ways to not only manage anxiety but to get rid of it altogether?" Nic began doing in-depth research to find out what occurs in the brain when anxiety takes over, what happens when certain so-called anxiety medications are taken, and what treatments-from meditation to behavioral therapy to Reiki to yoga-really do work. "By 'work, '" Nic says, "I mean that you can live a life without anxiety and without side effects. Drugs may do the trick to resolve your anxiety, but they also may induce emotional or physical symptoms that aren't welcome." As a result of his studies, Nic made the decision to share his research and write about the strategies and techniques that he discovered and successfully used-all of which can be found in his latest books: Anxious but Happy and its companion, From Anxious to Happy: A Manual for Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks. "I'm not claiming," says Nic, "that the strategies I discovered are unique. In fact, most of what I found could be labeled under some formal type of therapy. What I do claim, however, is that the information is authentic. It really worked for me, and there is scientific proof that it has also worked for other people." In Anxious but Happy, anxiety sufferers will find solace, hope, and humor. Most of all, they will learn that it is not only possible to reduce and manage their symptoms but eventually eliminate their panic and anxiety disorders for life.