First published 2016
Scott Stossel has lived with crippling anxiety since childhood. His panic attacks strike without warning, leaving him sweating and shaking in boardrooms, on airplanes, and at social gatherings. Despite his successful career as a journalist and editor at The Atlantic, Stossel remains prisoner to his own nervous system. He has tried dozens of treatments over the decades, from cognitive behavioral therapy to beta blockers to ancient meditation techniques. Some provide temporary relief, others make things worse. His condition affects his marriage, his parenting, and his professional life in ways both large and small. Through extensive research into the history and science of anxiety, Stossel discovers he shares his affliction with figures ranging from Charles Darwin to Barbra Streisand. The book weaves together personal narrative with medical history, examining how society has understood and treated anxiety across centuries. Stossel's honest account reveals both the debilitating nature of severe anxiety and the possibility of living a meaningful life despite it.
Genres: psychology, mental-health, non-fiction, biography-memoir, health, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, self-discovery
Period: 21st-Century
528 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Booket
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness