Reviews for A Brief History of Anxiety (Yours and Mine)

The average rating for A Brief History of Anxiety (Yours and Mine) based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-06-23 00:00:00 Harold Simpson This book is indeed brief, but in the best way. She surveys anxiety from a number of different angles, from the excommunication of snails and putting marauding animals on trial in the 1400s (one of my favorite parts of the book) to personality types susceptible to mental disorder and the vagaries of psychiatry. Well worth the read, especially if you battle anxiety - her humor comes through often and at the perfect time. Often I found myself shaking with laughter while yelling (maybe only in my head) "I KNOW JUST WHAT YOU MEAN!!" (Effexor withdrawal: "I missed a single dose and I felt like I was trapped in a disco club on acid with the strobe light at maximum pulse.") She levels a searing critique at psychiatry, and while I'm behind that 100% I would take her experience with drugs with a grain of salt. While I have also had my fair share of HORRENDOUS psychiatrists and horrendous side effects and withdrawal, finding a psychologist I could trust made all the difference. I still struggle with existential (yes, melodramatic) and ethical concerns when it comes to medication but it makes the decision to go back on slightly easier. While my psychiatrist is another story altogether (to the point that I sometimes lie about my condition so she doesn't just hand me an increased dosage), my experience with medication has been much different this time around. On a separate note I'd be happy to discuss it with anyone on a more personal level.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-04-18 00:00:00 Zach Gaertig A compelling memoir of one woman's experience with anxiety, coupled with some sloppy science reportage and superficial (and intermittently inaccurate) history. That said, I think her argument that our experience of anxiety is at least in part a result of hyper-individualism and the loss of a coherent worldview is worth some careful thought.