Book Review: This Is Your Brain On Anxiety: What Happens And What Helps

I feel like everyone I know is suffering from a certain amount of anxiety these days. The country has turned ugly, with school shootings and Nazi rallies and those in power acting like whiny little children, and a heartless narcissist pretending to be president at the center of it. And for those who suffer from anxiety normally, this stressful time makes it almost impossible to function. Our bodies feel ready to explode at any given moment. We can all use a little relief, which I fear won’t truly come until Trump, Pence and the rest are safely six feet beneath us. But wishing for that somehow makes me even more anxious. Fortunately, there are other possibilities for providing us some help. Faith G. Harper begins her new book, This Is Your Brain On Anxiety: What Happens And What Helps, by telling us, “When you struggle with anxiety, the most empowering thing in the world is realizing that you aren’t weak, broken, or batshit crazy” (p. 4). A good start, eh?

It’s a short book, written in a very casual (almost too casual), straightforward and friendly manner. This book wants you to like it, trying to sound like a friend or chum, even using phrases like “hella fucking radical” (p. 11), which makes me think it’s aimed at teenagers and people in their very early twenties, but then also the word “grok,” a term created by novelist Robert A. Heinlein, and one with which young folks may be unfamiliar. At any rate, there is plenty of useful information contained in this thin tome. Faith G. Harper defines anxiety as “a state of full body disequilibrium at a level of intensity that demands immediate attention and corrective action on your part” (p. 14). She describes the differences between fear and anxiety: “Fear is specific… Anxiety is different. With anxiety, you don’t know what the fuck to do, because it’s all internal. There is no specific threat” (p. 13). No specific threat is it, all right. These days, are many (too many) vague threats or possible threats. Will Donald Trump ignite a world war? Will his moronic followers really try to create a civil war, as they have indicated? But most of us are not reacting to a specific threat (though, obviously, some people are). Harper also differentiates between anxiety and depression, saying that anxiety “is fundamentally different from depression, which is essentially a wired response of learned helplessness” (p. 17).

Harper provides some methods for dealing with anxiety, including the creation of so-called “coping cards.” “Coping statements are pretty much as simple as they sound: Mantras or reminders that help you manage your anxiety and stay in control of your body” (p. 29). The example she gives is “This will only last a minute,” certainly a good reminder, and something that might actually help a good deal. She also advises people to ride the wave. “Avoidance is what makes it worse. Try setting aside 5 minutes to sit with the anxiety you’re feeling instead of fighting back. It won’t last forever” (p. 30). The book includes a helpful relaxation exercise, one that we used to do in acting classes. And regarding meditation, Harper gives us this useful tip: “Treat your bodily reactions like any other random thought. Itching is common. If you catch yourself itching, label it thinking three times before succumbing to the urge to scratch” (p. 47).

It is somewhat difficult for me to take this book too seriously, however, when it uses non-words, like “interwebz” (p. 20) and “non-sketch” (p. 26) and “convos” (p. 29) and “legit” (p. 31 and p. 32) and “neg” (p. 35) and “bestie” (p. 45) and “pedi” (p. 49) and “fuckitude” (p. 51). And Harper also confuses “lay” and “lie,” writing “laying down” (p. 46) instead of the correct “lying down.” But, as I said, the book does contain useful, helpful information, and we should accept help wherever we can get it. And it’s good to know, as Harper tells us: “Your brain is busting its ass to protect you and keep you safe. It’s just gone off the rails out-of-control in trying to figure out what to protect you from” (p. 57).

This Is Your Brain On Anxiety: What Happens And What Helps was published on March 13, 2018 through Microcosm Publishing.