Aimée over at The Reality of Anxiety copied the following bill of rights from Edmund Bourne’s book The Anxiety & Phobia Work Book. Thank you Aimée.

The book is very good and one I have used as a reference in my counseling work. The bill of rights has helped me think about all of the care that a person needs, especially when growing up, and the reality that a lot of people who grow up in or currently live in dysfunctional homes dodn’t receive what is theirs by right.

I am also working on an assertiveness post that references these rights. Here they are:

· I have the right to ask for what I want.

· I have the right to say no to requests or demands I can’t meet.

· I have the right to express all of my feelings, positive or negative.

· I have the right to change my mind.

· I have the right to make mistakes and not have to be perfect.

· I have the right to follow my own standards and standards.

· I have the right to say no to anything when I feel I am not ready, it is unsafe, or it violates my values.

· I have the right to determine my own priorities.

· I have the right not to be responsible for others’ behavior, actions, feelings, or problems.

· I have the right to expect honesty from others.

· I have the right to be angry at someone I love.

· I have the right to be uniquely myself.

· I have the right to feel scared and say “I’m scared.”

· I have the right to say “I don’t know.”

· I have the right not to give excuses or reasons for my behavior.

· I have the right to make decisions based on my feelings.

· I have the right to my own needs for personal space and time.

· I have the right to be playful and frivolous.

· I have the right to be healthier than those around me.

· I have the right to be in a non abusive environment.

· I have the right to make friends and be comfortable around people.

· I have the right to change and grow.

· I have the right to have my needs and wants respected by others.

· I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

· I have the right to be happy.