A book to Read: My Age of Anxiety

My Age of Anxiety: Fear. Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind

One book to read if you want to know more about anxiety is Scott Stossel’s My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind.

I liked this book because it is real, sad, funny, and insightful. This book is in part a personal account of how Stossel has suffered from anxiety, different treatments he tried, and how is continuing to work through that. The book is also a meticulously researched exploration of the different aspects of anxiety including the history of definitions, medications, and approaches. It is stock full of information and contains fantastic research and quotes.

One of the overarching questions Stossel asks is whether anxiety is caused by nature or nurture. Is anxiety biological, genetic, and intergenerational? Or is anxiety learned, imbibed, a result of existential concerns? Do not expect answers or certainty, the book is an exploration of different ideas and possibilities rather than providing any exact answers or directions.

I know how frustrating the lack of certainty can be for those who suffer from anxiety. However, the book shows that no body knows exactly what is anxiety, and yet somehow by knowing more about the history, how the experience of anxiety changed when the diagnosis changed, how society and politics play a role in both how we see anxiety and treatments, can help us live with the uncertainty.

Reference: Scott Stossel, My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind, 2013, Vintage Books. Link to buy the book.

If you suffer from anxiety and want to know more about it, and to how to better cope and live with it, and tunnel your way through it, contact us to book an appointment.