This is Your Brain on Anxiety; What Happens and What Helps by Faith G. Harper

This is Your Brain on Anxiety; What Happens and What Helps Reviews

• 
  Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill)

  
  
  
  
  Anxiety is something that most of us are facing due to the pandemic and quarantine. This book helps us to survive the crisis effectively. The author tells us multiple methods to overcome anxiety. She is discussing about acute conditions, panic attacks, and chronic anxiety.
  
  The author describes about the differences between anxiety and fear. She is also enlightening us to distinguish between anxiety and stress.
  
  Something simple like getting some sunlight can help us a lot when we are dealing with anxiety. Ms. Harper mentions the names of some good books and movies that will help people struggling with anxiety at the end of this book.
  
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• 
  Ahmed Kamal

  
  
• 
  Michael

  ..When you look up the word anxiety, you get "the feeling of being anxious".No shit.
  Most people experience anxiety before the age of 21.
  Avoidance does not make it better.
  Talk to people and friends with anxiety..
  
  This is possibly one of the best book I read on anxiety, it was unapologetic and raw. It was so much profanity that made this book so memorable to me. I usually do not like books that are so raw in language if I feel that there is no purpose but this book had a good reason to be! Anxiety is something that you do not put a band aid on when it feels that you just got shot with a pistol.
  
  I dealth with anxiety/stress as well as depression for a number of years. It is something that eats you up alive, it causes you to be indecisive as hell and you question why you are wasting your time to be excited about something only to be disappointed. Gratefully, I overcame depression years ago but anxiety is still a huge issue in my life but it is not as overwhelming with my knowledge of it now and my previous therapy I had with it.
  
  Back to the book, the author did a terrific job pinpointing on what anxiety is and addressed the common perceptions of people that deals with it. It is less scientific but it is more persuasive,I felt like I was a friend to the author agreeing with everything that was being said. I love to hear other stories on it and loved how the author was so plain and straight to the point. I liked the topic of breathing exercises but I know that doesn’t help everyone but it helps for those that want to do it.
  
  Amazing book, it is one of the best books you can ever read or in my case hear on anxiety and how people cope with it.
• 
  Eric

  Faith Harper advertises herself as possessing a PhD. She first ought to learn how to write/speak in mixed company. I never knew it took so many "f" bombs to tell a story about anxiety, along with "b*st*rds" and "sh$t" - not much fund for listening, sorry.
• 
  Tim Littleford

  Had some generally helpful insights and advice for understanding and working through anxiety. Really suffered from the author constantly trying to be funny.
• 
  Claire

  Seemed like an appropriate thing to listen to as we head into another week of lockdown and remote learning. This wasn't anything new, but a concise reminder of what causes anxiety and some practical strategies to combat the incursion of anxiety into our daily lives.
• 
  Kaethe

  Short, zippy explanation of what anxiety is, what to do about it, and even a sample of conversation to have with someone you know who has anxiety. A very good place to start, not the place to go on depth. The informal tone won't work well for everyone, but will work very well for others: one page is probably enough to decide.
  
  Library copy
• 
  LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions)

  In this very short book (63 pages), Faith Harper briefly covers what anxiety is, how to tell if you have it, immediate and long-term methods for dealing with it, and how to help a friend dealing with it. I read it because I have anxiety and have spent most of my life "dealing" with it by either arranging things so that I can avoid my known triggers or somehow powering through the panic. But sometimes my triggers are unavoidable or unpredictable, and sometimes I'm not able to power through.
  
  Since this seems to come up a lot in negative reviews of this book, I feel I should note that Harper's style is very conversational and she uses swear words several times. If you think this would bother you, you should probably avoid this book.
  
  Anyway, I read this from start to finish today. A lot of the tips are the sorts of things you need to try out in the midst of a panic attack or over a long period of time, so it's tough for me to say how helpful they are. However, most of the listed methods for dealing with anxiety seemed simple enough to practice and try, and the book is small enough and skinny enough to fit into a purse or backback for times when you need reminders of the various tips or just reassurance that your anxiety does not make you a complete failure. Many of the tips, like deep breathing and meditation, were the sort of thing you could easily find online, but constant internet access is not guaranteed, and internet searching is not always possible or a good idea depending on the source of your anxiety and/or how anxious you currently feel.
  
  I'm still a bit skeptical about the helpfulness of some of the more immediate tips for dealing with anxiety, but, like I said, they all sounded pretty simple and worth a shot. The ABCDE model for more long-term training seemed much more difficult. How do you deal with D (Dispute) when your fears aren't totally unjustified? I suspect I'll probably have to work on this with a friend or family member, someone who can give me a reality check when necessary or come up with answers I have trouble seeing.
  
  Things that, as far as I can remember, this book doesn't bring up: medication and getting professional help. I suspect this ties in with the author's recognition of the ways a lack of privilege can affect anxiety. Both of those options require things like money, decent insurance, and the right services in your area. Harper mentioned early on that she's a therapist who has worked with clients who have anxiety, so there was at least a background awareness of this option, but the assumption seemed to be that, if you wanted to seek professional help and were able to, you'd already be doing so or would do so when you were ready.
  
  All in all, this seemed like a decent anxiety self-help book. My library due date isn't for a while yet, so I'll keep it and practice some of the tips it talked about. There's also a good chance I'll buy a copy for myself. It really would fit nicely in my purse, and it's cheap.
  
  (Original review posted on
  A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
• 
  Babet

  Toegankelijk.
• 
  Cameron Taney

  Listened to this book this morning since the audiobook was only an hour. There were some helpful tips but the author tried so hard to be relatable it was distracting and cringey. I think if you know nothing at all about anxiety this is a good start but it wasn’t anything new. Also, what is the literal point of dropping f bombs every few sentences? Like just tell me how my brain works, don’t cuss me out
• 
  Parker Sofia

  Very quick read, which is both has positives and negatives. With its length, there’s enough material to be informative to readers, whether or not they experience anxiety. I was hoping for more, but I can’t fault the book for that. Thankfully the author has more than one book on the subject so I’m curious to read more from her.
• 
  Daria

  It was short and sweet. More of an intro to anxiety and how to cope with things but I've read more detailed books that provide more insight into anxiety and why it happens.
  I would recommend to someone who thinks they have anxiety or know someone who does.
• 
  Kristen

  I really enjoyed this all to short blurb on anxiety. I though it was written in a colloquial and humorous manner. Beware profanity for those bothered by such things. Also note the research on those who use moderate profanity, even in professional settings. The times, they are a-changing.
• 
  Lothe

  “Anxiety is a motherfucker” I don’t need a book 📖 that is going to be all sorts of medical jargon and makes me feel like an idiot — speak to me in plain language. Also enjoy the lists of books and movies at the end.
• 
  ?

  she thought she ate but its not even worthy of 1 star
• 
  Sanar Othman

  Briefly explaining the mechanisms of anxiety and offers some “cure” as in meditation, exercise and some other socializing skills and techniques if I may say.
• 
  Halee

  Quick helpful read with easy to use tips on how to control your anxiety!
• 
  Kristina B.

  This was a good & quick read with some helpful coping skills. I enjoyed the insights to how the stigma around thought/emotions has changed over time, “sitting” with your anxiety, giving it a name, and some ways to be a better friend. I don’t know why there was so much swearing but overall, interesting!
• 
  Fidelis Eka Satriastanti

  This book is so whatever I need to understand what the fuck is going on with me.
  
  Flashback 2 years ago, my mother wen back and forth to the hospital for what it appeared to be either high blood sugar (she's diabetic) to low salt. Long story short, me being her impromptu caregiver had made my world turned upside down. I was diagnosed with fatique.
  
  The doctor was not a psychiatrist but she was right. I am still dealing with fatique, when relapsed or me stressing out, I just couldn't get up from bed. I would feel tired all times.
  
  Other thing that I had adopted : anxiety attack.
  
  After my mother got released from the hospital, I was forcing myself to work tho I didnt know that I was tired as fuck. I have met, unfortunately, people that were not in good ways for my mental health, and ended up giving me panic attacks.
  
  One time, I was so triggered by these people, I was almost losing it when in a book store. Lost of breathes, nearly fainted if I hadnt hold on the railing, and thought that my heart would literally exploded. I wasnt aware that it was panic attack, tho I felt that it was so weird to feel this way, cos I have never felt that way before.
  
  Second episode, it was the hospital. Tbh, the mention of hospital, mom, and that insurance, oftentimes, send me into short of breaths....
  
  This was anxiety attack cos upon hearing the news, I was literally motionless in bed. As if something heavy pinned me down or like trying to drag me into the depth of Earth.
  
  I couldn't remember how to breathe... I opened my moutg cos I didnt breathe from my nose. I was in that state of demobilize for quite a while before I texted my friend and told her what happen to me.
  
  It was like I got stuck in rubble of buildings but my fingers can still type. Only after few minutes that I can walk, tho I couldnt feel the floor and grab cold water and just breathe a bit.
  
  That was the first and I seriously fucking hope the last attack. Cos, it scared the shits out of me. I was one with self-control but post-hospitals and caregiving, I usually have this uncontrollable panicking or just so so anxious. I was thinking of 'that was the end for me.'
  
  That time I ended up learning more about mental health and illness. I sought help, tho a year after that attack. I tried to seek the same help, but the doctor ghosted me :(
  
  Okay, that's long story not so short 😝
  
  Back to the book. I fucking need it!!! It feels like a therapy session 😅 Only the doctor cursed a lot.
  
  It's thin book but it just cut to the chase and give you tips and why we have anxiety. It sorta sums up those thick pyschilogy books!
  
  And, the writing style is also different, apart from the cursings, it's just really simple sentences ensuring readers understand without being lectures with difficult medical terms.
  
  I really recommend this to those who wants to know anxiety 101 with less jargons and those who wants to head-on with anxiety cos it gives lots of tips.
  
  Hope you enjoy it and happy reading, good people!
  
• 
  Richard Cardenas

  Loved how quick this read was. It’s written in a casual way that helps the reader absorb more of what they are reading. It gives a lot of helpful tips and ways to understand anxiety. I think giving it multiple reads will help discover a bit more and the length helps with the re-readable factor.
• 
  Miri Niedrauer

  This is without doubt, the cringiest book I've ever read.The author drops cuss words constantly, for no other reason than shock value.
  
  What helps? "Just breath."
  
  Gee thanks, I definitely needed someone with 4 advanced degrees to figure that one out.
• 
  Jasmyn

  I listened to this, and being only an hour long, it was really more akin to a podcast!
  
  It had a few interesting tidbits and tools, but I was hoping for bit more science.
• 
  Kati

  SO GOOD.
• 
  Bhairvi Bhardwaj

  Helpful for those who suffer from anxiety.
  Short read yet a lot learning.
• 
  Rose

  Short, sweet, accessible, no-nonsense. This is a great book to introduce any person to how anxiety works in the brain and ways to help cope with it.
• 
  Micki

  It felt as if Amy Poehler’s character in “Mean Girls” tried to like, write a totally hip psychology book
• 
  Fabiola Garcia

  I liked the audiobook. It made me laugh