Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie

 Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       July 15, 2024

 

Author  Dr Toni Lindsay

Distributor:      Exisle Publishing
ISBN:                 9781922539991
Publisher:         Exisle Publishing
Release Date:   July 2024  

Website:    https://exislepublishing.com/product/everything-anxiety-ever-told-you-is-a-lie/ 

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There are a great many books on anxiety published. Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is A Lie is different. The cover and the hardback A4 size format indicate it is aimed at a younger audience. There is no long and tedious introduction, just a statement, “I am about to blow your mind!” The text is large and well-spaced on a white or slightly coloured background.

The first thing we learn is that the brain has about 6,000 thoughts a day. The brain’s main function is to help us problem solve and to keep us safe. When we are feeling overwhelmed, we have more negative thoughts which are less often based in reality.

Often, we don’t recognise this. The author then discusses ancient people who needed their brain to be on alert for danger and survival. We need our brain to be alert for situations that may arise, for crossing the street, and other daily challenges. Anxiety is very hard to keep just for special occasions though.

Dr Lindsay suggests some exercises which may help check our runaway thoughts. She challenges us to visualise our anxiety. Is it a “Person, animal, a shape, a colour or a feeling in your chest?”  Next, she suggests having a game of tug of war with your anxiety, but you let go of the rope and he/it falls on its bum. You wouldn’t need to fight anymore; you could use your energy to do a few things.

The next few chapters are used to identify early warning signs in the body. There are exercises to help with recognising these signs and working with them. Each chapter moves clearly forward to address other issues such as shame, guilt and sadness.

There is so much clever and well targeted advice in this book for young people.  One of the tips is,” Put down your devices, the light and dopamine we get from our screens is like crack for your brains.”

With a positive ending, showing how we mostly do the best we can Dr Lindsay acknowledges that we all have anxiety forever. The goal was always “to work out how you can live your life the way you want.”

Health, Non Fiction