Anxiety for Beginners

by Eleanor Morgan

Eleanor Morgan’s first-person account of her own struggles with anxiety was published as part of The VICE Guide to Mental Health and read by five million people across fifteen countries within four days.

Anxiety for Beginners will serve as a guide for those who live with anxiety disorders and those who live with it by proxy. Combining her own experiences, rendered in emotive detail, with extensive research with experts—neurologists, psychiatrists, geneticists and fellow sufferers, many of them with very familiar faces)—Morgan will discover the way to live a life that is not just manageable but enjoyable, by learning to accept anxiety rather than spend years fighting and being ashamed of it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Mental Health, Self Help, Memoir, Health, Audiobook

371 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

Eleanor Morgan has written for a variety of publications including The Guardian, Times, Independent, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, The Believer and others. She also worked as a senior editor at Vice UK. Eleanor is the author of the book Anxiety for Beginners: A Personal Investigation. She is currently training to be a psychologist.

Reviews

[Lucy Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Vitally frank exploration of a condition that is needlessly taboo in our society.

I suffer pretty badly from anxiety. There, I said it. Public confession finally managed, after 20 years or so. As such, it was hardly surprising that I'd go for a book with this sort of title, and I was keen to see what the author had to say on the matter.

I was expecting a fair amount of medical-speak and gobbledygook. What I got instead was a searingly frank account of the author's personal struggles with anxiety, which was so, so relatable. And I want to applaud her for having the balls to address it so honestly and publicly - lord knows I've never been able to!

This book is not only a godsend for those who've ever hidden in a bathroom, suspecting they'll never make it out there alive, because the anxiety is currently tearing them to shreds. It's also an eye-opening read for those who know someone with anxiety, giving them powerful insight into what the condition is actually like.

Morgan also explores other factors associated with anxiety, such as the unfortunate stigmas associated with it, not to mention the lack of proper provision for treating it on the NHS. Though she's careful (and rightly so) not to recommend specific treatments, she outlines all the main possibilities, leaving it with the readers to explore the options themselves. (I personally like the solution of getting a pet- I've recently got a cat, and he's helped enormously, mainly just by perching on my shoulder and purring a lot).

It's wonderful to read a book and think 'yay, I'm not alone'. Thanks Eleanor Morgan! Ps, I believe the author and I went to the same school, if the description of the odious uniform is anything to go by - hopefully this wasn't a contributing factor to our anxiety...

And PPS - nice one for mentioning postpartum psychosis. Such an unacknowledged, yet frightening condition - I had it with my second child and was too afraid to seek help, because I had never heard of such a thing, and merely thought I was going crazy. The world needs far greater recognition for this condition!

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to learn more on this subject owing to someone close suffering from Anxiety and this was one of the titles on the list.

As the title suggests this is an introductory guide to many aspects that leads many worrying with anxiety.
The author does recount her own experiences in raw detail and goes some way into understanding how someone feels when experiencing a panic attack.

I noted that the book was first published in 2016, so in away much of what was included was already familiar too me - which shows as a society that we're are more aware of this topic as discussion is key.

I still gleamed a few interesting pieces of information which hopefully can help in my understanding.
I'm glad that I picked this one as a starting point this felt more like a personal memoir than a helpful guide.

[Adam Waldron · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow sufferer of Depression and at times, extreme Anxiety, I was keen to read this book and it certainly did not disappoint.

But before I get into the book itself , lets deal with the cover. Brilliant. Deliberately. When reading, you can’t help but notice the bright cover bleeding in around the edges. And THAT captures anxiety and depression perfectly. Even on your best day, when you’re on your best game and life is good, you are still aware of those anxious feelings, that cloud creeping in around the edges, always threatening to erupt. Kudos to the author and publisher, for the cover. They’ve nailed it before the reader has even got to the content.

And what content. Although the author’s story is personal to her, anyone who has ever suffered from anxiety, had a panic attack or faced the blackest of days will find much to relate to here. It’s also a good place to start if you want to understand a friend or loved one, how they feel or why they feel the way they do. Morgan explores her early life, traumas and experiences up to present day before switching from her own story to an investigation into the causes, reasons and help available to anxiety sufferers. As a man there was obviously some “womanly” stuff (read Periods) that I clearly couldn’t personally understand but anyone who has ever suffered from a mental illness will be able to relate to the concept of the body’s hormones wrecking havoc on your emotional (and physical) state.

Easy to read, digest and at times, laugh along with, this is the book you need if you want to help someone ‘get it’ or if you just want somebody to relate to. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s a keeper. Go buy it now !

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across 'Anxiety for Beginners' on a library new acquisitions rack. It is one of those books I want to recommend to everyone, because it describes anxiety as I’ve experienced it better than anything else I’ve read, and also want to keep to myself, because discussing it with other people would get Too Real. Like Scott Stossel’s My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind, it deftly balances personal mental health memoir with socio-medical history. When I reviewed Stossel’s excellent book, my only critique was that the gendered aspects of mental illness weren’t discussed. Fortuitously, Morgan’s book is especially strong on this front. She talks about women having higher rates of anxiety in the UK, while men are at greater risk of suicide. Her discussion of treatment options is also much more relevant to the British reader than Stossel’s, as he’s American. He goes into the early history of anxiety in more detail, so Morgan doesn’t need to - she refers to his book several times.

The most memorable parts, though, are her vivid descriptions of anxiety as she has experienced it. What she really gets across, and can be so hard to convey to people who it hasn’t happened to, is that disordered anxiety doesn’t feel like a mental illness. It isn’t just intense worry. It feels resolutely physical, which is one reason it can take so long to realise what's happening. Morgan suffered panic attacks for years before identifying what they were. She talks about how schools should teach some basic mental health material: I definitely agree that people should know the symptoms of panic and anxiety attacks. I also liked her inclusion of interview material to give a range of perspectives, although her own voice is of course strongest. Her discussion of recovery is deeply moving, both pragmatic and hopeful. This is a really good book about a very difficult subject and I do recommend it, even if it hits very close to home.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read this year...*full review coming soon*

[melhara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this book should be renamed to “Anxiety for Women” (there was really only one chapter that touched upon men and their mental health issues).

I originally got this book because I suspected that my friend had anxiety and wanted to read more on the topic so that I can help him and be a more supportive friend. This was not the right book for that (there was only one super short chapter at the end of the book on how to behave around people with anxiety).

Pros:
Anxiety for Beginners offered a few interesting personal anecdotes from the author. Her explanations (in the first few chapters) on what panic attacks and feelings of extreme anxiety feels like for her and for other people that she has reached out to was pretty interesting. I also liked that Eleanor Morgan made sure to include and compare statistics from the US, Canada and UK. There was also a lot of interesting facts and research relating to the history and media portrayal of mental illnesses in general.

Cons:
For the most part, this book was extremely boring (I only read 80% of the book and ended up skimming the last 20%). Also, I felt like this is a book aimed for women living with anxiety. Morgan discusses many topics on what can cause anxiety in people, with much focus on menstruation, pregnancy, and other hormone-related issues. The way this book is written also makes me feel like it’s written for those who have experienced anxiety, depression or some other form of mental illness rather than those who want to learn more on the topic. She writes as though she expects all her readers to know exactly what it feels like to be severely depressed or anxious.

Overall, this was not a book for me or my friend.

[Ellis Poolford-Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I am sure many readers have mentioned in their reviews, I found this book so relative to my own experiences of acute and anxiety and PTSD. I know there are a lot of books out there that have explored this, so so many; but never on such a personal level. The simplistic accounts of the dread of walking to the shop just to buy some frozen peas, or the hauntingly insightful feeling of not being able to move or eat, really made me think, 'oh my goodness, she actually gets "it"'. What pleased me the most about this book is how Morgan doesn't relate to becoming 'better' or 'cured,' but identifies that her mental health is something to manage. I think this is such an important message, as there is so much pressure to become 'well again.' It is okay to have anxiety, or any sort of mental health, good or bad, and although that may sound naive, I truly believe that this book represents that it is okay to have anxious tendencies and thoughts, it does not have to be 'fixed,' but understood and managed.

I would recommend this book to those who have experienced difficult mental health, of course, but even more so, those who have not - or have close friends or loved ones that do suffer. It gives so much insight that is easy to understand and interpret.

[Falynn - the TyGrammarSaurus Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone suffering from anxiety or with a loved one who does.

It really helped me crystallise my thoughts around how anxiety made me feel and reading about someone else going through similar things to me, made me feel really seen.

It's a mixture of memoir, science and self-help, that sounds like it shouldn't work, yet someone how does, and still keeps a sense of optimism for our future as anxious individuals and for the treatment of anxiety in the future.

Highly, highly recommended.

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good advice but on the whole the book just did not work for me.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this review copy.

As someone who has an anxiety disorder, this book leapt out to me. I’m interested in anything that will keep my anxiety under wraps, or at least just bubbling on the surface. I can’t say that I always follow what these books tell me to do, but they are interesting to read nonetheless.

The author has been dealing with anxiety since she was a teenager. The book covers everything from how anxiety comes about, treatments, living with anxiety and how you can deal with it in the future. There are lots of facts and figures about it also. It’s interesting to read it from the perspective of someone who has lived and is still living with anxiety, rather than written from a professional. You can relate to Eleanor’s story and hopefully by doing this try and relate to your own experiences. It was easy to read and totally understandable. Five stars!

[Natalie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anxiety for beginners is perhaps not the best title for this book.
It was very much a memoir of her time dealing with anxiety and all the research she found to help ease it (anxiety is often a fear of the unknown). Some information is useful and sparks positive ideas. It's nice to hear about someone who has had a similarly hard time (not that I would wish it on anyone). Most of the research was done in the UK, however she often compared/added info about Canada or Canada's equivalent which was helpful.

[Emily Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very insightful account on disordered anxiety. It is written from the authors own personal experiences and it's very well researched with lots of input from experts on neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology and fellow anxiety sufferers.

[modertheresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5. This was interesting but not super groundbreaking for me.

[Nell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, for anyone who hasn't read "Lost Connections" by Johann Hari, this will be an eye opening read. For anyone who has suffered anxiety and/or depression for a long time and is aware of their goings on, it's not so ground breaking. There are a couple of pages I bookmarked because of interesting info, but it was very UK and US based stuff, so wasn't always hugely relevant.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Anxiety For Beginners arrived I had a small chuckle to myself…someone at Emma Draude PR knows me well! I’d actually never heard of this book or knew anything about it until it turned up, unsolicited, last week. Being an anxiety sufferer I was eager to read it straight away; like anyone with anxiety I crave the validity and understanding that a book like this provides. It makes me feel less alone, more normal and, hopefully, gives me a deeper insight into anxiety and how it works.
Anxiety For Beginners is written by Eleanor Morgan who has been dealing with anxiety since she was a teenager. The book covers quite a vast array of topics relating to anxiety; the aetiology, the treatment, the reality of living with anxiety and also how anxiety will manifest in the future and how it will be treated. It contains a lot of research, facts, figures and interviews with leading neuropsychologists and doctors, as well as containing first-hand accounts from sufferers.
I have to say that this is probably one of the most accessible books about anxiety out there; and trust me, I’ve read a lot! Perhaps my past of studying psychology at uni and my keen interest in anxiety meant I found this book a lot easier to understand than the average reader who doesn’t have that background would, but, even then, I do think that everything is written in a way that excludes very few people. I guess my only niggle is that this book may be less appealing to a male audience (sad, as they are the ones that need this most) as it is written from a female perspective and does have lengthy chapters looking at hormones and PMT which probably won’t appeal to a male reader or be particularly helpful. However what do you expect when it’s written from a female viewpoint covering the experience of a woman?!
Some of the figures within the book shocked me. I didn’t realise how many adults are on antidepressants and I certainly didn’t realise anxiety was as prevalent as it is. It worries me so much that one of the most common mental illnesses is so underfunded and overlooked by the government. I fear that anxiety will become the biggest problem in the next generation and I hope that research will continue to find ways to treat and prevent anxiety.
For anyone that suffers from anxiety or for anyone that knows someone who suffers from anxiety, I think you will find this book very helpful. The chapters are clearly marked so it’s definitely the sort of book you could dip in and out of or just read the bits that most appeal to you. And thanks to Eleanor for being so open and honest about her experiences to help others!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor Morgan has shared a lot of information in this book about her personal experiences with anxiety. These personal accounts are supplemented by plenty of information from professionals, and anecdotes from others, e.g. Adele suffering from anxiety to the extent of needing to vomit before going on stage. These anecdotes are likely to help normalise the experiences of anxiety for a lot of people. It is especially helpful that Eleanor has shared so much of her personal experiences, as this really helps the reader to relate and realise that anxiety is a common problem and one that can be managed. There is a wealth of useful information to lead to a better understanding of anxiety, which in turn can help with management of symptoms. A highly recommended read.

[Lizzie Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. If you have or know anyone who struggles with anxiety, this honest and wonderfully expressed experience is incredible, and the exploration of what (mental) health and it’s associated stigma means today was so refreshing. This is my first delve into any real science behind anxiety and it has wet my whistle for more (bibliography included!).
Personal highlight was the chapter entirely about dogs.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think is a very necessary book. I admire the fact that such a young woman has bared all and investigated things that are so common yet hardly spoken of in such 'simple detail'.

I wish this book had been around when I was in my early 20's and first suffered anxiety and its sister depression; I am still grateful it exists.

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Recently started posting reviews back on my wordpress, and will post them here too! https://frankiewildish.wordpress.com/)

“In My Age of Anxiety, Stossel cites a quote by the author Angela Carter: ‘Anxiety is the beginning of conscience.’ I’ve thought about it a lot and I think she might be right.”

I chose this header quote from Eleanor Morgan’s ‘personal investigation’ into anxiety firstly because I love Angela Carter and eat up everything she says, and because I, like Morgan, think she is right. A person who holds their conscience dear will probably worry a lot about things which are out of their control. In a cruel twist that epitomises everything an anxiety sufferer doesn’t want, having disordered anxiety can cause you to become quite a difficult person indeed. Excessive care and worry underlies the problem, which then becomes a much larger problem for yourself and others, and an all-consuming vicious circle is born! A little reassurance that this bad feeling might stem from a good place is a small relief. Morgan traces the paths to and from an anxious mind in clear but colourful language, and in great detail for Anxiety For Beginners, making the difficult subject matter an easy and enjoyable read.

Recently I told a colleague about this book, and she repeated the exact thing I’d thought when I first learned about it: “I have anxiety, I’m not a beginner.” !!! I love this title and it’s made me see that we are ALL beginners in the fluid field of mental health. Always, and especially, your own. When you think you’ve mastered your old traits, your anxy brain will throw you a new curveball. Despite quietening some other manifestations I’ve had, the social aspect of anxiety is one I’m far from expert in, despite dealing with this for too long now. No matter how many years in you are – whether you’ve had a decade of therapy or just suffered your first panic attack – I’m confident this book can enlighten you.

A few chapters in, I was sceptical that my experience was too different from Morgan’s, and therefore her investigation might not be helpful to me (which is why I came to this book – a bid to learn something from someone a bit wiser in this muddle than me. Less of a beginner. That title is clever trickery.) Then she dedicated a chapter to explaining ‘flavour’.

“The way each person experiences anxiety can vary enormously. Not only do each of us have our own different constellation of symptoms, we all have a unique pattern of issues that we develop anxiety about. What may be stressful to one person may barely cause another to bat an eyelid.”

At this point I dropped my fears that what was coming did not apply to me. New terms like this that Morgan coins/uses were really helpful to me in broadening my scope of what I think mental illness is and how it works. As I said, the tremendous detail in this book covered everything I wanted to know, and what I didn’t know I wanted to know. Chapters interlinking different mental illnesses, in particular OCD, were so helpful in understanding that your personal ‘constellation’ of symptoms might reach across the tenuous borders of other mental health conditions. For instance, Morgan’s examination of OCD in terms of intrusive thoughts and not the stereotypical ‘fear of germs’ was a real eye-opener into my own ‘flavour’.

Somewhere in this book (which I should have made a note of because now I can’t find it) Morgan writes something along the lines of, or maybe exactly, “People with anxiety are preoccupied with time.” This statement flashed a lightbulb in my brain. I am OBSESSED with time, or more specifically, thinking I have none. Upon this realisation I’ve now begun making myself an itinerary for my days, and even timed myself doing things, so that I’d never tell myself “I have no time to do that thing” because I have 5 hours until I have to be at work. Massive nonsense. Now I fit so much more into my day without imagining that hours are tiny, rigid and limiting. Next up on the fix-list will be extending this mindset to a larger timescale. No more “there is no point getting a new job where I might be happier because I plan to move in x number of months.” NOOOO. Make changes for the better of NOW, not according to flimsy and vague ideas. Do one thing and then figure out the next. Do not refuse to do things now because another thing just MIGHT happen later.

As well as flavour and time, Morgan dedicates in-depth sections into the relationship between anxiety and food (and vice versa), social anxiety (BLUSHING!!!), hormones (particularly interesting if you have a menstrual cycle), and looooaaaads more, in which you’ll come to understand that this isn’t all in your mind at all. It’s a full body experience. It affects your body and your body affects it. There’s inextricable links whereby addressing a bodily issue you might have could very well alleviate some anxiety. And maybe that getting help for your mind could help your body in ways you didn’t expect. Morgan also goes to lengths to break down stigma around and assure readers that both talking therapy and medication are okay to do, and that one way could work for you which may not for another person. Your flavour, your remedy.

Now, let’s talk about the cover (my edition is the luminous orange/cracked egg). I have two points. First is the neon orange. People think of mental health issues as dark cloud, grey day, black and white torrential rainstorm diseases. They do indeed cast fog over your vision and dull your brain functions, but for me they also cause vivid technicolour dreams and flashing red, yellow, blue panic. Plus, Morgan’s colourful use of frank, exact and funny language sheds bright light over facets of mental health that sufferers themselves might before have felt in the dark about. Secondly, I shitting love the egg. In my first ever, earliest experience of anxiety, I expressly remember writing a blog note on Bebo, saying something along the lines of “it feels as if my brain’s been smashed to pieces and I can’t find all the bits”. (If only Bebo weren’t wiped from the internet; I’d love to go back and find it.) But how beautifully Morgan’s cracked egg illustrates this for me. It does feel like something in your brain and your personality has irreparably changed shape. Putting a smashed egg back together would be a tiresome, thankless and pointless process. But never mind – there should be a brand new fluffy yellow chick of joy inside when it’s over. A new thing with a new purpose emerges from the shell! Or if not, there’s a nice protein rich fried egg for your breakfast to make you stronger! I love a good analogy and this simple, hugely effective cover provides me with many. 10/10.

I wholeheartedly recommend this pleasure to read and amazing insight to anyone who suffers their own flavour of anxiety (which is SO MANY PEOPLE – so many more than you think – none of us are alone), or maybe even more importantly, anyone who loves anyone who does. I’ve never forayed into ‘self-help’ reading before, (a classification I hope the author won’t mind – it has helped me and I’m confident that writing it helped her) but now I can’t wait to find another. If you have any recommendations for something similar to this please let me know!

[Josefine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have anxiety. And I think this is important to state when writing this review, for depending on whether you yourself have anxiety, know someone who has it or just want to know more about it, you will understand this book differently.
I suffer from GAD and (as is described in this book) "pure O" OCD. This means I worry a lot about everyday things and have intrusive thoughts though without the compulsive behavior problems. It started roughly around two years ago, 1/3 of the way through High School (in Denmark), though I suspect it has been building up a long time beforehand. It came out of nowhere like a terrible wave of dread. I still remember that night clear as day. I remember the entire summer. I thought I was going insane and was looking up all kinds of crap online. Or, mostly crap. Because then I stumbled onto the term "Anxiety disorder".
To all who suffer from anxiety - this book gets you. Or at least it got me. For while my anxiety has never been so terrible as that of Eleanor Morgan, she is so very good at getting out the message that each anxiety is different from person to person. I was and still am very lucky to have a caring family who will always support me. But it's still tough, because they just don't Get It. Nobody really Gets It. Maybe they will begin to, if I recommend them this book.

I want to share something I discovered in here with you. Morgan is telling us about Sam and his first panic attack.
"Sam had heard about panic attacks before, but didn't associate anything he knew with how he was feeling in the car park. 'This was like I was physically ill,' he says. 'I didn't hyperventilate or feel my heart going or anything; it was all temperature, head and stomach.'"
All my life, I've had an upset stomach (just like the author herself and many other sufferes of anxiety have), especially after eating a large meal at dinnertime. Then one night, when I was about ten, it got bad. I was cold sweating, puls racing, feeling so ill I cried all night. I've had them since, many times. One or two times seriously considering calling an ambulance or running my head into a wall for some sort of release. The doctors always told me nothing was wrong with me. Never before, until I read this book, that specific page, did I consider these panic attacks. I always thought they would be physically painful, like a headache or a bruise, not "just" an indisposition. I felt like crying when reading is. I felt like I had an answer to something that has been and still is a terrible weight in my life.
I recommend this book to all, but especially to you who have trouble and need help. Admitting, after the longest summer in my entire life, that I needed to talk to someone, was the best thing I ever did.

[Basmah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I rarely leave a book unfinished, but this was one I genuinely could not continue.

She talked about how hunger impacts decisions and judicial rulings in Israeli courts? She praises herself on doing research but didn’t get the memo for the immoral group of individuals just made me drop that book. Doesn’t matter if they’re hungry or what part of the day it is they’re inhumane.

On another note, while the author emphasizes that anxiety is a unique experience for each individual, the book leans so heavily into her personal story that it reads more like a memoir than an informative or well-structured exploration of anxiety. Her account of medical trauma, such as her appendix rupture, is presented as a central factor in her anxiety, which may be valid for her, but it’s framed in a way that feels narrow and unintentionally dismissive of those who experience anxiety without a single defining external trigger. As someone who takes the subject seriously, I found this frustrating rather than enlightening.

The book attempts to reference scientific concepts — such as the link between gut health, hunger, and anxiety — but does so without clearly crediting sources. For readers who value research and evidence, this weakens the credibility of the information. Ironically, the connection between sustenance and psychological state has been acknowledged in various knowledge traditions for centuries, including the Qur’anic verse: “Who has fed them against hunger and secured them from fear” (Quraysh 106:4), which highlights the relationship between physical security and emotional well-being. Seeing modern claims presented without proper sourcing made the discussion feel incomplete.

Additionally, some comparisons made in the book — particularly around decision-making and moral judgment under conditions like hunger — felt poorly handled and insensitive, which made parts of the reading experience uncomfortable rather than insightful. Overall, the book came across as disorganized, overly personal, and insufficiently researched. It did not meet my expectations for a work addressing such an important and complex topic.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one can deny the amount of hard research that clearly went into this book and I really appreciate all of the research that Morgan did to write it.
The book is split into four parts. I knew when I picked it up that it was a personal investigation but for me personally I found the first part of the book very hard to read. This is the part where Morgan talks about her own experience of anxiety and for me it was too much only an enabler. Every time I came across something she got anxious about or some aspect of her anxiety that I don't experience I started worrying about whether I should worry about those things. As an anxious person it gave me too many ideas on how to be more anxious. Hence why the first part of the book took me a long time and a couple of attempts to read.
I have to be honest and say I don't remember much about reading part two but I found part three where Morgan talks about why anxiety happens really helpful and informative about what might be going on in my brain and body when I experience anxiety. It was packed full of helpful information hence my I started off my saying how much I appreciate all the research that went into this book.
Part four is equally helpful if you're thinking about seeking treatment as it gives you a good basis to go off and do some of your own research and talk to a professional about what you think might work for you.

[Michael Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across Eleanor Morgan’s Anxiety for Beginners by chance and purchased a copy with the hope that it could give me more insight into what those who are struggling with anxiety are going through. In this respect this book definitely delivers. The personal, unpretentious and deeply honest account of Morgan’s own struggle was hard to read but incredibly eye-opening. The book highlights the constant ruminating and physicality of anxiety - something that affected me deeply given those close to me who are struggling with anxiety. The remainder of the book tries to understand what anxiety is, what its potential causes could be and what we can do about it.

I was most interested in the latter part of the book because of its discussion of potential ways to address anxiety. As anyone who has close friends and family who struggle with anxiety can tell you, it’s the feeling of helplessness that is the most unsettling and frustrating part of anxiety. Seeing a loved one suffer needlessly is excruciating. Unfortunately, the book was a little light on this element.

Morgan’s writing style is accessible and unpretentious. She manages to make sure there are a couple of strategically placed laughs to relieve the tension. Overall, this book is useful for its empathetic account of anxiety, but is what the name suggests: a beginner’s guide.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went in search of a book on anxiety not because I suffer with it but because I wanted to try to gain some understanding of and empathy for those I know who do. It stunned me that, whilst I know that people struggle, they literally struggle for inexplicable reasons every day. From that perspective I learnt a lot. However, the personal journey element of the book was brief and by a third of the way through there were huge portions of it dedicated to listing drugs, a left wing agenda which implied that we would all be just fine if it wasn’t for the Conservative party and a few judgemental comments about people who have set out to highlight mental health issues as if they were less entitled to it because of their established platforms. There is 1.5 pages on how to help people with anxiety. Overall I struggled through the second half. If Eleanor writes another book dedicated to her personal experiences I will grab a copy immediately.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great balance of anecdotes about living with anxiety and useful facts that explain the how's, why's, what's of it. I appreciated her willingness to divulge some of the more embarrassing aspects of how it affects her, and the humour she uses to tell us. Really puts my recent meltdown to Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe' on the radio into perspective. I also appreciated her reassurance through personal experience and science that medication shouldn't be so feared or stigmatized. It was also nice to hear about how her family and partner deal with it, as that's often a forgotten aspect of the disorder but so essential to functioning with anxiety. I wish she had explored this a bit further and offered some concrete suggestions or resources that she felt best helped those closest to her understand the disorder from an external perspective.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book doesn't offer any firm answers about anxiety (for either its causes or its treatments), but it does provide insight into what it's like to live with anxiety. As I do have anxiety, I found this very refreshing. Sometimes, you just want to read something by someone who understands what it's like to have consistently fretful thoughts.

As a result, knowing that Morgan has been there and bought the proverbial T-shirt, I'm much more willing to try some of things she suggests (and it is only suggestions) than perhaps I would be if a psychologist had suggested them. Yes a psychologist probably would be better informed about anxiety but, unless they had it themselves, they perhaps wouldn't "get it" in quite the same way that Morgan does.

[OldBird · Rating 4 out of 5]

A frank and sometimes quite brutally honest account of anxiety told from both a personal perspective and reporting around the issues of living with and treating mental health problems. Morgan writes in a very open, accessible way. There is some medical speak, but none of it overwhelming. The only complexities are the systems themselves regarding the diagnosis criteria and treatments (or lack of) in the current climate. There are stories to break your heart mixed with statistics to make your blood boil.

I would recommend it to anyone looking to really understand what it is to live with anxiety and/or depression. It's not a book of answers, but it does shed light on what has shamefully only recently become such a hot topic.

[marmalade · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was liberating to hear a first hand account of the struggle with anxiety from an educated, functioning, articulate writer. She bravely spoke out about many personal issues. I asked my husband to listen to this audiobook. After the death of my mum back in December, my anxiety spiralled. I felt this book spoke on a personal level about the daily struggle, or non struggle (depending on the day) people with anxiety have. And the massive ‘overthinking’ battle they contend with. It’s also helped me to identify when I am truly having an anxious episode and why, rather than just freaking out for no apparent reason.

[Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don’t write book reviews, but I think that this one really deserves it. As a person that lives with anxiety and sometimes copes with the side effects that come from a condition like this, this book has given me a new perspective, a kind and understanding one, mostly with myself. And most importantly, the feeling that if you live with anxiety, depression or other mental health issues, you aren’t alone.
I would recommend everybody to read this, because it is an enriching and illustrative way to begin to understand that mental health is key to live in a peaceful way.
Thank you Eleanor Morgan, it was beautiful to live your anxiety the same as I do mine.

[trijnewijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

We begonnen naar dit audioboek te luisteren voor de dochter, en hopelijk iets meer begrip voor haar van de zoon. We haakten als gezin af na enkele hoofdstukken omdat het begin iets te veel gebaseerd is op de persoonlijke ervaringen van de schrijfster en het te hard gericht was op volwassenen. Ik luisterde alleen verder en ben blij dat ik dat deed. Er zitten goede stukken in het boek, insteken en alternatieve manieren van kijken die ik kan (proberen te) gebruiken om de dochter te ondersteunen. Ik stak er iets minder uit op dan gehoopt, maar dat ligt eerder aan het feit dat ik me al jaren verdiep in het onderwerp dan aan het boek zelf.