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First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A new story about anxiety
Sarah Wilson gravitates to life’s problems, passing on her hard-earned wisdoms to all who want to make life better. Having helped over 1.5m people across the world to quit sugar, in First, we make the beast beautiful she now turns her intense focus and fierce investigatory skills onto the lifetime companion that’s brought her the most pain and become her finest teacher. Anxiety.
Looking at the triggers and treatments, fashions and fads, she reads widely, interviewing fellow sufferers, mental health patients, philosophers, and even the Dalai Lama, processing all she learns through the prism of her own experience. She pulls at the thread of accepted definitions of anxiety, unravelling the notion that it is a disease that must be medicated into submission. Could anxiety be re-sewn, she asks, into a thing of beauty?
There are many books about coping with anxiety. This one encourages the myriad sufferers of the world's most common mental illness to thrive with anxiety, and even to delight in the possibilities it offers for a richer, fuller life.
Practical, poetic, wise and funny, this is a small book with a big heart.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2017
2942 people are currently reading
28555 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,732 reviews
March 21, 2017
Four stars for writing candidly about mental health. Bravo!
1 star for:
- Terrible editing.
- Blanket statements such as 'anxiety makes you fat'.
- Inconsistencies in timelines such as (and I'm paraphrasing) 'I haven't owned a car in 5 years' to 'I spent years researching what car to buy and I bought the most environmentally sound car in the world', 'I live in the city' to 'I am a nomad and have lived in 7 different places in the last year'. Huh? I'm lost.
- The bit about going to Thai massage place over the luxurious day spa as it was more 'authentic' to listen to junkies fighting outside. Cringe.
- The embarrassing privilege checks 'Yeah yeah, the African kids again'. Righto.
- Vague research. Everything from 'A German university study said...' to 'my self-help guru friend said...' (who isn't a qualified psychologist) to 'my really expensive meditation teacher said' to too many quotes from questionable self-help books and then there was some ACTUAL scientific research thrown in. This book would have had more integrity if it either stuck to memoir OR was credibly researched. Better, tougher editing would have helped with this. It felt self-published and read like a hastily written blog post, not a book from a major publisher.
As a public personality who has lived an interesting life on her own terms, I wanted to like Wilson's book. However, I think there is a certain level of responsibility that comes with dishing out advice to vulnerable readers and the standard of writing and research should have been much higher at this point of Wilson's career.
1 star for:
- Terrible editing.
- Blanket statements such as 'anxiety makes you fat'.
- Inconsistencies in timelines such as (and I'm paraphrasing) 'I haven't owned a car in 5 years' to 'I spent years researching what car to buy and I bought the most environmentally sound car in the world', 'I live in the city' to 'I am a nomad and have lived in 7 different places in the last year'. Huh? I'm lost.
- The bit about going to Thai massage place over the luxurious day spa as it was more 'authentic' to listen to junkies fighting outside. Cringe.
- The embarrassing privilege checks 'Yeah yeah, the African kids again'. Righto.
- Vague research. Everything from 'A German university study said...' to 'my self-help guru friend said...' (who isn't a qualified psychologist) to 'my really expensive meditation teacher said' to too many quotes from questionable self-help books and then there was some ACTUAL scientific research thrown in. This book would have had more integrity if it either stuck to memoir OR was credibly researched. Better, tougher editing would have helped with this. It felt self-published and read like a hastily written blog post, not a book from a major publisher.
As a public personality who has lived an interesting life on her own terms, I wanted to like Wilson's book. However, I think there is a certain level of responsibility that comes with dishing out advice to vulnerable readers and the standard of writing and research should have been much higher at this point of Wilson's career.
June 13, 2017
This book isn't for everybody, but it was 100% for me. It seems people didn't like the meandering structure or the conversational style, which is a-ok, obviously. You do you. But I wanted to write a review because I found the book SO beautiful and helpful, and I was sceptical before buying it, so I wanted to speak directly to my fellow sceptics.
I have read many many books on related subjects the last ten years, and I find most have a tiresome "do these 10 simple things and your anxiety will be gone!!! :D :D :D" tone. That tone pisses me off. Nothing is easy with anxiety; nothing is straightforward or simple. I was worried this book would be more of that.
What it is, in fact, is someone grappling with the heartbreaking, lonely, always-difficult daily and lifelong reality of anxiety. Someone fully upfront about the bullshit, the inconsistencies, the lack of logic, the awfulness, but fronting up and doing the work, bit by bit. I hadn't read a book that really got into it all as much as this one did. And yeah, there are science-based tips and advice like the other books, but I appreciated the acknowledgement that most of the stuff you are advised to do is or feels near-impossible when you are anxious. I was grateful to be implored to try, gently, anyway. I also liked the reference to both medical science and spiritual tradition.
Basically, I liked the complexity of her approach. Most books don't deal with the complexity, the interrelatedness of high achieving and anxiety, of body, mind, trauma, disorder, soul, etc. I also think knowing the details and reality of others' experience of this harrowing, incredibly painful, and mostly isolating condition, only helps.
I'm not saying it's a perfect book. Bits seemed a bit far out for me. Other bits were boring. Yet other (tiny) bits didn't seem to track with my understanding of the science. Whatever. I don't think a book needs to be perfect to be wonderful. And this book, for my context and experience, was wonderful.
(For context, to see whether you might have a similar experience of the book to me - I am 29 and I have had anxiety and depression my whole life. I am a lifelong high achiever driven to put work before health, to the point of near suicide on several occasions, and now complete burnout. I revere science but have a bit of faith in what science doesn't know yet. I have been on 12-13 different drugs for my disorders, none of which helped more than their side effects hurt. I'm not on drugs now, and am trying to restructure/redesign my life to allow for my disorders, instead of trying to ignore and suppress them.)
I have read many many books on related subjects the last ten years, and I find most have a tiresome "do these 10 simple things and your anxiety will be gone!!! :D :D :D" tone. That tone pisses me off. Nothing is easy with anxiety; nothing is straightforward or simple. I was worried this book would be more of that.
What it is, in fact, is someone grappling with the heartbreaking, lonely, always-difficult daily and lifelong reality of anxiety. Someone fully upfront about the bullshit, the inconsistencies, the lack of logic, the awfulness, but fronting up and doing the work, bit by bit. I hadn't read a book that really got into it all as much as this one did. And yeah, there are science-based tips and advice like the other books, but I appreciated the acknowledgement that most of the stuff you are advised to do is or feels near-impossible when you are anxious. I was grateful to be implored to try, gently, anyway. I also liked the reference to both medical science and spiritual tradition.
Basically, I liked the complexity of her approach. Most books don't deal with the complexity, the interrelatedness of high achieving and anxiety, of body, mind, trauma, disorder, soul, etc. I also think knowing the details and reality of others' experience of this harrowing, incredibly painful, and mostly isolating condition, only helps.
I'm not saying it's a perfect book. Bits seemed a bit far out for me. Other bits were boring. Yet other (tiny) bits didn't seem to track with my understanding of the science. Whatever. I don't think a book needs to be perfect to be wonderful. And this book, for my context and experience, was wonderful.
(For context, to see whether you might have a similar experience of the book to me - I am 29 and I have had anxiety and depression my whole life. I am a lifelong high achiever driven to put work before health, to the point of near suicide on several occasions, and now complete burnout. I revere science but have a bit of faith in what science doesn't know yet. I have been on 12-13 different drugs for my disorders, none of which helped more than their side effects hurt. I'm not on drugs now, and am trying to restructure/redesign my life to allow for my disorders, instead of trying to ignore and suppress them.)
November 16, 2017
Pro tip: Don’t write a memoir like a self help/motivational book.
The reason: It patronises the reader and makes the author seem entirely entitled and self centred.
Some of the the thoughts and suggestions she gave about managing anxiety were nauseating to someone who has an anxiety disorder. Some suggestions rely on the privilege she has in her life and shouldn’t be toted as necessary salves to anxiety.
If she wanted to write about her anxiety and what she’s finds interesting about the condition, then she should’ve stuck with that instead of heralding her methods as evidence of capability to cope with anxiety.
To be honest, this book made me irritated because it made me feel like I was failing because I can’t manage my life in similar ways to her. This reaction isn’t all me and it was heavily influenced by the way she chose to structure and write this book. She made it seem that if you couldn’t follow her easy to manage suggestions then you aren’t trying hard enough to manage anxiety and you almost deserve your situation.
Not my cup of tea. In all likelihood, this wasn’t written to inspire the chronically anxious, but the middle to high income women straddled with anxiety from everyday life.
The reason: It patronises the reader and makes the author seem entirely entitled and self centred.
Some of the the thoughts and suggestions she gave about managing anxiety were nauseating to someone who has an anxiety disorder. Some suggestions rely on the privilege she has in her life and shouldn’t be toted as necessary salves to anxiety.
If she wanted to write about her anxiety and what she’s finds interesting about the condition, then she should’ve stuck with that instead of heralding her methods as evidence of capability to cope with anxiety.
To be honest, this book made me irritated because it made me feel like I was failing because I can’t manage my life in similar ways to her. This reaction isn’t all me and it was heavily influenced by the way she chose to structure and write this book. She made it seem that if you couldn’t follow her easy to manage suggestions then you aren’t trying hard enough to manage anxiety and you almost deserve your situation.
Not my cup of tea. In all likelihood, this wasn’t written to inspire the chronically anxious, but the middle to high income women straddled with anxiety from everyday life.
August 17, 2024
How do you give zero stars?
This book...I really wanted to love it, there were some great moments and thoughts in it that inspire you to look at your anxiety differently - but mostly this book is flat out irresponsible. The passages about how evil anti depressants are were traumatizing to me and I’m sure to many other people. I’ve had good and bad experiences with different medications but this book made me feel like they had all permanently damaged me and that I couldn’t use them if I needed the help. But then I got to the end..and after all Sarah’s been through and all she takes the reader through, she casually throws it out there that she tried to kill herself, TWICE, while writing the book.
“During this time, I flitted between nine countries, moved house seven times, attempted suicide twice, restructured my business and fell in love with a man...” loc 4943
As if that’s okay?! As if that’s any way to live? I cannot believe I wasted my time trying to take advice on healing from a person who is so clearly continents away from it. After all her research and life experience and bashing on medication I expected to find a better answer here, but all she leaves you with is a message that says ‘medication is bad. Living sick is just living different. And if you have to try to kill yourself sometimes then go ahead.” Sure, compare taking antidepressants to “taking an icepick to the brain” but living suicidal is okay? News flash, people with cancer don’t want chemo or think it’s healthy for them, but it’s the best available weapon they have against the cancer, their best option to get rid of it and survive. Antidepressants are the same. They are not perfect or without side effects but a lot of people rely on them to live, it’s their best available weapon against anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts. Their best weapon against an un-lived life.
This book is a meandering mess. Sure it has inspirational tidbits, but these can be found in many other books, and without the anti-medication rhetoric and Romeo and Juliet levels of romanticizing suicide.
Recommended reading if you are looking for help with anxiety and depression:
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk
How To Do The Work by Dr. Nicole LePera
No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz
Codependent No More by Melody Beattie
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Rules For a Knight by Ethan Hawke
The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
Recommended viewing: How to Change Your Mind (four part series based on a book I have yet to read)
This book...I really wanted to love it, there were some great moments and thoughts in it that inspire you to look at your anxiety differently - but mostly this book is flat out irresponsible. The passages about how evil anti depressants are were traumatizing to me and I’m sure to many other people. I’ve had good and bad experiences with different medications but this book made me feel like they had all permanently damaged me and that I couldn’t use them if I needed the help. But then I got to the end..and after all Sarah’s been through and all she takes the reader through, she casually throws it out there that she tried to kill herself, TWICE, while writing the book.
“During this time, I flitted between nine countries, moved house seven times, attempted suicide twice, restructured my business and fell in love with a man...” loc 4943
As if that’s okay?! As if that’s any way to live? I cannot believe I wasted my time trying to take advice on healing from a person who is so clearly continents away from it. After all her research and life experience and bashing on medication I expected to find a better answer here, but all she leaves you with is a message that says ‘medication is bad. Living sick is just living different. And if you have to try to kill yourself sometimes then go ahead.” Sure, compare taking antidepressants to “taking an icepick to the brain” but living suicidal is okay? News flash, people with cancer don’t want chemo or think it’s healthy for them, but it’s the best available weapon they have against the cancer, their best option to get rid of it and survive. Antidepressants are the same. They are not perfect or without side effects but a lot of people rely on them to live, it’s their best available weapon against anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts. Their best weapon against an un-lived life.
This book is a meandering mess. Sure it has inspirational tidbits, but these can be found in many other books, and without the anti-medication rhetoric and Romeo and Juliet levels of romanticizing suicide.
Recommended reading if you are looking for help with anxiety and depression:
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk
How To Do The Work by Dr. Nicole LePera
No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz
Codependent No More by Melody Beattie
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Rules For a Knight by Ethan Hawke
The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
Recommended viewing: How to Change Your Mind (four part series based on a book I have yet to read)
February 14, 2023
I'm not reviewing this one. A book on anxiety that made me anxious! Not for me.
July 31, 2018
“The Chinese believe that before you can conquer a beast, you must first make it beautiful”
This is the author’s honest and vibrant account of her struggle with anxiety and what she has done to cope or manage it throughout her life. I consider it part-memoir and part self-help book.
I found the book interesting and helpful. In it, Sarah Wilson references books and quotes from other authors such as Matt Haig, Glennon Doyle, Louise Hay , and Eckhart Tolle whose book The Power of Now I’ve read at least three times. She also mentions research and studies about the subject, this I found fascinating, give me interesting facts and figures and I’m hooked.
The author describes the positive effects that meditation, hiking, decluttering, and quitting sugar (among other changes) have had in her life. We’ve heard about these steps from other sources about a thousand times, but when Sarah describes it she does it in a sincere and candid voice which I found compelling.
Overall, I recommend this book.
This is the author’s honest and vibrant account of her struggle with anxiety and what she has done to cope or manage it throughout her life. I consider it part-memoir and part self-help book.
I found the book interesting and helpful. In it, Sarah Wilson references books and quotes from other authors such as Matt Haig, Glennon Doyle, Louise Hay , and Eckhart Tolle whose book The Power of Now I’ve read at least three times. She also mentions research and studies about the subject, this I found fascinating, give me interesting facts and figures and I’m hooked.
The author describes the positive effects that meditation, hiking, decluttering, and quitting sugar (among other changes) have had in her life. We’ve heard about these steps from other sources about a thousand times, but when Sarah describes it she does it in a sincere and candid voice which I found compelling.
Overall, I recommend this book.
June 8, 2018
(Review copy provided by publisher) FIRST, I'm going to tell you this: this book is NOT for people in crisis and is NOT for people with severe anxiety who are not working with a physician or therapist. It is NOT a recipe for "fixing" anxiety and it's NOT a cure-all (actually, it's not a cure-anything).
I went into this book with a strong affinity for the title and the concept of turning anxiety from an ugly beast into something beautiful, without completely obliterating the beast itself. And I did get that message from Wilson ~ that anxiety can be embraced and is a part of our unique personhood. I appreciate a lot of her thoughts about FOMO/social media/technology/social situations, and can relate so closely with so much of what she writes about isolating oneself in a time of anxiety. The unique style of this book is perfectly matched with the struggles that are described within the book, and the author tells us at the outset that it's not linear or organized. I read it much more as a memoir with some recommendations for things that MIGHT help others than as a self-help book. It is meandering and philosophical and disjointed - much like my brain, in all honesty - and I really enjoyed that it wasn't laid out like a workbook with "here's how to fix yourself". Because that's the whole point - Wilson doesn't think anxiety IS something to be fixed! Her thoughts on meditation and it not needing to be pure or perfect are much appreciated as well.
With all that being said, here is what could be potentially harmful for some readers:
Wilson is very vague about her actual practice at this time regarding medication, but does at many times throughout the book discuss going off meds with no medical oversight, and describes how she lives better unmedicated. While she of course can do whatever she wants with her own body, this book should NOT be taken as medical advice or a recommendation that unmedicated is the preferred state for anyone else. That is between any given person and their medical provider. Luckily she does admit that her stance is controversial and includes John Green's statement about NOT abandoning medication.
Her entire business was (she just shut it down - I think to focus on other things???) completely based on quitting sugar, and she is an adamant and vocal proponent of eliminating sugar from your diet. I won't get into my backstory here, but suffice to say that I don't agree with her on this and chose to completely ignore all references to it throughout the book. However, I'm far enough into my body kindness journey that I am able to do that. If you are at all susceptible to diet culture, this could be harmful to you, so please be cautious.
Wilson is not at all shy about her fear of being fat, and while she does not at all admit to this in the book, my years of reading and work on this issue are telling me that she has an eating/body image disorder, and I deeply hope that she finds peace with herself in her lifetime. If you are vulnerable to messages such as this, and would be negatively impacted by mention of fat-phobia, I would avoid this book.
The reason I settled at 3 stars for this book is because of the raw and open nature of Wilson's story and her willingness to admit just how flawed she is. She isn't presenting this book as a "look, I'm fixed! Here's how I did it!" manual. She's telling things that have worked for HER and offering them up to readers, within the context of her very personal journey. I hope I have given you helpful guidance in whether you should be one of those readers :-)
I went into this book with a strong affinity for the title and the concept of turning anxiety from an ugly beast into something beautiful, without completely obliterating the beast itself. And I did get that message from Wilson ~ that anxiety can be embraced and is a part of our unique personhood. I appreciate a lot of her thoughts about FOMO/social media/technology/social situations, and can relate so closely with so much of what she writes about isolating oneself in a time of anxiety. The unique style of this book is perfectly matched with the struggles that are described within the book, and the author tells us at the outset that it's not linear or organized. I read it much more as a memoir with some recommendations for things that MIGHT help others than as a self-help book. It is meandering and philosophical and disjointed - much like my brain, in all honesty - and I really enjoyed that it wasn't laid out like a workbook with "here's how to fix yourself". Because that's the whole point - Wilson doesn't think anxiety IS something to be fixed! Her thoughts on meditation and it not needing to be pure or perfect are much appreciated as well.
With all that being said, here is what could be potentially harmful for some readers:
Wilson is very vague about her actual practice at this time regarding medication, but does at many times throughout the book discuss going off meds with no medical oversight, and describes how she lives better unmedicated. While she of course can do whatever she wants with her own body, this book should NOT be taken as medical advice or a recommendation that unmedicated is the preferred state for anyone else. That is between any given person and their medical provider. Luckily she does admit that her stance is controversial and includes John Green's statement about NOT abandoning medication.
Her entire business was (she just shut it down - I think to focus on other things???) completely based on quitting sugar, and she is an adamant and vocal proponent of eliminating sugar from your diet. I won't get into my backstory here, but suffice to say that I don't agree with her on this and chose to completely ignore all references to it throughout the book. However, I'm far enough into my body kindness journey that I am able to do that. If you are at all susceptible to diet culture, this could be harmful to you, so please be cautious.
Wilson is not at all shy about her fear of being fat, and while she does not at all admit to this in the book, my years of reading and work on this issue are telling me that she has an eating/body image disorder, and I deeply hope that she finds peace with herself in her lifetime. If you are vulnerable to messages such as this, and would be negatively impacted by mention of fat-phobia, I would avoid this book.
The reason I settled at 3 stars for this book is because of the raw and open nature of Wilson's story and her willingness to admit just how flawed she is. She isn't presenting this book as a "look, I'm fixed! Here's how I did it!" manual. She's telling things that have worked for HER and offering them up to readers, within the context of her very personal journey. I hope I have given you helpful guidance in whether you should be one of those readers :-)
February 10, 2019
“Purposeful, creative, bold, rich, deep things are always beautiful.”
I feel like books covering mental health topics are quite personal - what works for you may not work for another. Luckily this one really worked for me! Wilson is funny and relatable, and she describes anxiety in a way that I truly understood. It’s unapologetically raw and personal, and I was sad to finish it.
It’s written in a very conversational style, the structure is a tad chaotic and repeatedly jumps around to different things but that does appeal to me - as my brain is very much like this! It means that I never got bored. She covers triggers and treatments, as well as her own personal anecdotes and little quotes and tidbits from fellow anxiety sufferers.
However, what I loved most about this book were the parts where Wilson tried to approach anxiety in a positive way, in other words - make the beast beautiful. And she’s right! For all the negativity that anxiety can bring to our lives, it also makes us the people we are. If you simply removed my anxiety from my personality, I would be a very different person. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t receive treatment or counselling if it is impacting your life in a hugely negative way, but there’s something to be said for how anxiety can be beneficial in some ways. For me, it means that I am extremely efficient and organised; time management is my jam, even if it also turns me into a little bit of a control freak.
Near the beginning of the book, Wilson states that this isn’t a self-help book, it’s more an account of her experiences with anxiety. But I would disagree. I found so many tips in here and just being able to relate and agree with her about so many things provided some help in itself.
It’s an awkward one to recommend because reviews seem to be quite mixed. Like a lot of things targeted towards mental health, I think it’s really down to personal preference. And hey, even if you hated it, the book itself is GORGEOUS. 4 stars!
I feel like books covering mental health topics are quite personal - what works for you may not work for another. Luckily this one really worked for me! Wilson is funny and relatable, and she describes anxiety in a way that I truly understood. It’s unapologetically raw and personal, and I was sad to finish it.
It’s written in a very conversational style, the structure is a tad chaotic and repeatedly jumps around to different things but that does appeal to me - as my brain is very much like this! It means that I never got bored. She covers triggers and treatments, as well as her own personal anecdotes and little quotes and tidbits from fellow anxiety sufferers.
However, what I loved most about this book were the parts where Wilson tried to approach anxiety in a positive way, in other words - make the beast beautiful. And she’s right! For all the negativity that anxiety can bring to our lives, it also makes us the people we are. If you simply removed my anxiety from my personality, I would be a very different person. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t receive treatment or counselling if it is impacting your life in a hugely negative way, but there’s something to be said for how anxiety can be beneficial in some ways. For me, it means that I am extremely efficient and organised; time management is my jam, even if it also turns me into a little bit of a control freak.
Near the beginning of the book, Wilson states that this isn’t a self-help book, it’s more an account of her experiences with anxiety. But I would disagree. I found so many tips in here and just being able to relate and agree with her about so many things provided some help in itself.
It’s an awkward one to recommend because reviews seem to be quite mixed. Like a lot of things targeted towards mental health, I think it’s really down to personal preference. And hey, even if you hated it, the book itself is GORGEOUS. 4 stars!
December 25, 2018
There were a few reasons I could not finish this book;
-oof... editing.. where. is. it.
This is beyond conversational style, it’s the same speed as when my mind rambles pre-crisis with 100 thoughts at once. I can respect that she actually has an anxiety disorder but a book still needs direction.
-some information was inaccurate or overgeneralized
-dangerous statements such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is some outdated hippy dippy “just make yourself happy” bullshit therapy that nobody uses anymore? This shows a gross misunderstanding of CBT and how it works. It’s not thought suppression, it is recognizing a thought as a cognitive distortion and acknowledging the true version. Oh and also it is now used by most therapists across the board for all mental illnesses. Because it works.
I have no interest in listening to someone who pushes their personal opinion about solution based therapies who can’t even take the time to research how it works and what happens in session with those techniques.
-oof... editing.. where. is. it.
This is beyond conversational style, it’s the same speed as when my mind rambles pre-crisis with 100 thoughts at once. I can respect that she actually has an anxiety disorder but a book still needs direction.
-some information was inaccurate or overgeneralized
-dangerous statements such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is some outdated hippy dippy “just make yourself happy” bullshit therapy that nobody uses anymore? This shows a gross misunderstanding of CBT and how it works. It’s not thought suppression, it is recognizing a thought as a cognitive distortion and acknowledging the true version. Oh and also it is now used by most therapists across the board for all mental illnesses. Because it works.
I have no interest in listening to someone who pushes their personal opinion about solution based therapies who can’t even take the time to research how it works and what happens in session with those techniques.
September 4, 2018
Stopping at 46%.
This book is giving me anxiety!
I am not sure if this is supposed to be a memoir or a self-help book but it is more like reading self published ramblings with no editor in sight. Time lines were inconsistent and I honestly got nothing out of it besides more anxiety reading about her manic thoughts. Many times in the book she states she is still going through it. So, I am not sure that anything has helped her yet. This is not a personal attack on the author about her life and the way she lives it. I mean, you do you. But why write a book about anxiety with no light at the end of the tunnel for your readers?
This book is giving me anxiety!
I am not sure if this is supposed to be a memoir or a self-help book but it is more like reading self published ramblings with no editor in sight. Time lines were inconsistent and I honestly got nothing out of it besides more anxiety reading about her manic thoughts. Many times in the book she states she is still going through it. So, I am not sure that anything has helped her yet. This is not a personal attack on the author about her life and the way she lives it. I mean, you do you. But why write a book about anxiety with no light at the end of the tunnel for your readers?
May 9, 2022
Author Sarah Wilson shares anecdotes and anxiety-busting methods from her life experience.
"One of the dear, dear things about getting older, is that it does eventually dawn on you that there is no guidebook. One day it suddenly emerges: No one bloody gets it! None of us knows what we're doing. pg 5, ebook
Through her research and personal experiences, Wilson shares the best, and the worst, of the treatments and latest scientific advances. Even though we don't have the treatments for anxiety nailed down yet, it helps to know that sufferers are not alone in their struggles.
"We're told that globally one in thirteen people suffer an anxiety-related illness. Some studies tell us that one in six of us in the West will be afflicted with an anxiety disorder at some stage in our lives, making it the most common officially classified mental illness." pg 14, ebook
I liked Wilson's definition of anxiety: she sees it as a separation of self from something larger and more meaningful. The anxiety makes us reach for this something, but we don't know what we're reaching for and it hurts.
"Anxiety is a disconnection with this Something Else. As I say, the doctors and scientists can call it all kinds of things, but I believe it all comes down to this disconnect." pg 44, ebook
Wilson excels at the physical descriptions of anxiety and bipolar disorder. She captures the raw edges of the experience and how life can feel painful because all the stimulation coming in when you're having a panic attack or a manic episode.
She includes a couple exercises to help bring yourself down when you're experiencing anxiety. But not too many, because: "I don't plan on filling this book with too many exercises that people like me skim over to get to the meaty theory. I'll just include the ones that suit people like you and me." pg 57, ebook
Highly recommended for anxiety sufferers or their loved ones who want to know what it's like to be inside the experience.
"One of the dear, dear things about getting older, is that it does eventually dawn on you that there is no guidebook. One day it suddenly emerges: No one bloody gets it! None of us knows what we're doing. pg 5, ebook
Through her research and personal experiences, Wilson shares the best, and the worst, of the treatments and latest scientific advances. Even though we don't have the treatments for anxiety nailed down yet, it helps to know that sufferers are not alone in their struggles.
"We're told that globally one in thirteen people suffer an anxiety-related illness. Some studies tell us that one in six of us in the West will be afflicted with an anxiety disorder at some stage in our lives, making it the most common officially classified mental illness." pg 14, ebook
I liked Wilson's definition of anxiety: she sees it as a separation of self from something larger and more meaningful. The anxiety makes us reach for this something, but we don't know what we're reaching for and it hurts.
"Anxiety is a disconnection with this Something Else. As I say, the doctors and scientists can call it all kinds of things, but I believe it all comes down to this disconnect." pg 44, ebook
Wilson excels at the physical descriptions of anxiety and bipolar disorder. She captures the raw edges of the experience and how life can feel painful because all the stimulation coming in when you're having a panic attack or a manic episode.
She includes a couple exercises to help bring yourself down when you're experiencing anxiety. But not too many, because: "I don't plan on filling this book with too many exercises that people like me skim over to get to the meaty theory. I'll just include the ones that suit people like you and me." pg 57, ebook
Highly recommended for anxiety sufferers or their loved ones who want to know what it's like to be inside the experience.
June 21, 2018
There were definitely little moments of inspiration for me in this book, but the majority of the book didn’t feel relatable. The format of the book was confusing and felt extremely scattered most of the time.
I found myself getting frustrated hearing stories about how much more anxious Wilson has been her whole life than I have. Maybe it’s my own anxiety but I kept feeling like this was a weird game of Wilson trying to one-up me. I had a difficult time listening to her stories about isolated retreats to various countries to find inner peace and working with all these different gurus and life coaches. Her advice section towards the end was unrealistic as she told the reader to “take a week off work and just sit in a room thinking about how you’re feeling” or “move to somewhere calm like Hawaii”. Sure, I have tons of money to just not go to work for a week or even better, move to the most expensive state in the country just to slow down my anxiety (unless you’re constantly worrying about how you can’t afford to live there). Her most common piece of advice to “give up eating sugar” was the most frustrating because that’s what she has built her career on. It just felt like a ploy to sell even more of her sugarless cookbooks.
I’m honestly not sure how I got through this entire 300 page book. Perhaps it was because I read it over the course of 3 days while I was sick and wasn’t all there? Most of it annoyed me and most of the time I just felt bad for Wilson even though she has had a more adventurous life than me. This review is just gonna make me seem really angry now to goodreads folks.
Oh well, if anything, this book just made me crave reading a fictional book again.
I found myself getting frustrated hearing stories about how much more anxious Wilson has been her whole life than I have. Maybe it’s my own anxiety but I kept feeling like this was a weird game of Wilson trying to one-up me. I had a difficult time listening to her stories about isolated retreats to various countries to find inner peace and working with all these different gurus and life coaches. Her advice section towards the end was unrealistic as she told the reader to “take a week off work and just sit in a room thinking about how you’re feeling” or “move to somewhere calm like Hawaii”. Sure, I have tons of money to just not go to work for a week or even better, move to the most expensive state in the country just to slow down my anxiety (unless you’re constantly worrying about how you can’t afford to live there). Her most common piece of advice to “give up eating sugar” was the most frustrating because that’s what she has built her career on. It just felt like a ploy to sell even more of her sugarless cookbooks.
I’m honestly not sure how I got through this entire 300 page book. Perhaps it was because I read it over the course of 3 days while I was sick and wasn’t all there? Most of it annoyed me and most of the time I just felt bad for Wilson even though she has had a more adventurous life than me. This review is just gonna make me seem really angry now to goodreads folks.
Oh well, if anything, this book just made me crave reading a fictional book again.
May 8, 2017
I loved this book. The inconsistency, the raw honesty and the unapologetic nakedness of the author was beautiful. It reads much like an anxious persons mind - some facts may not add up, backtracking, random side notes popped in. It felt like much being in my own brain, as if sometimes I was reading my own thoughts. I would not say this is a self help book, just a recap of the struggles of one person who recalls their own attempts to calm their life, and bring meaning.
October 5, 2020
I am a big fan of the divisive act that is known as the “hate read”: going into a book knowing you’re probably going to hate it, and reading it anyway. When I came into a copy of this book I thought I was going to find some perverse pleasure in seeing Sarah Wilson do to mental health what she did to nutrition (ie fuck it up with a lack of qualification), but I didn’t. This book is deeply problematic and it made me more anxious reading it.
Despite being full of enough disclaimers and references to cover everyone involved legally, I think this is still a pretty risky read. Wilson’s premise of “my many significant mental health diagnoses all just boil down to anxiety!”, never really defining what “anxiety” is, claiming that maladaptive coping strategies are actually okay (my bulimia helps me manage my anxiety!) and that people are over medicated and should not take medication (except for when they need to, but then stop, and then start again when inevitably have a mental health flare up) is convoluted and misguided at best, and damaging at worst.
There’s a chaotic energy that I find unnerving. It’s almost as though...Someone who is not medicated for their bipolar has written this book?! Macmillan, stop enabling this woman.
Despite being full of enough disclaimers and references to cover everyone involved legally, I think this is still a pretty risky read. Wilson’s premise of “my many significant mental health diagnoses all just boil down to anxiety!”, never really defining what “anxiety” is, claiming that maladaptive coping strategies are actually okay (my bulimia helps me manage my anxiety!) and that people are over medicated and should not take medication (except for when they need to, but then stop, and then start again when inevitably have a mental health flare up) is convoluted and misguided at best, and damaging at worst.
There’s a chaotic energy that I find unnerving. It’s almost as though...Someone who is not medicated for their bipolar has written this book?! Macmillan, stop enabling this woman.
September 12, 2018
Sarah Wilson is an Australian journalist and lifestyle guru famous for her book I Quit Sugar. This is a memoir-in-bits of her life with bipolar disorder and anxiety, with lots of references to other writers and strategies for things that might help. The title comes from a Chinese proverb: you have to know and appreciate what you’re fighting before you have a hope of overcoming it. I didn’t much like the structure – 137 fairly short sections; it just feels like a failure to come up with a successful narrative line. There’s also a lot of name-dropping: the first sentence starts “The first time I met His Holiness The Dalai Lama…”!
Favorite lines: “One of the dear, dear things about getting older is that it does eventually dawn on you that there is no guidebook. One day it suddenly emerges: No one bloody gets it! None of us knows what we’re doing.”
Favorite lines: “One of the dear, dear things about getting older is that it does eventually dawn on you that there is no guidebook. One day it suddenly emerges: No one bloody gets it! None of us knows what we’re doing.”
October 23, 2019
This thing is a messy hunk of garbage. It made me very angry. I am not finishing it.
September 9, 2021
Sarah Wilson shared her journey with anxiety throughout the years. I felt so sorry for her that she had to go through all of that. She mentioned loads and loads of other book references and quotes of famous Authors. It was nice but the book kind of lost its authenticity. Also, the writing style is a bit too casual for a published book. As every chapter is a big meshed-up concoction of her thoughts.
March 31, 2023
2,5⭐️ Nieko knygoje naudingo nesužinojau, nes visus dalykus iki šiol žinojau. Visoje knygoje autorė kalba apie savo ligą, beveik nieko naudingo neparašė.
May 5, 2017
Terrible.
Everyone knows that anxiety is craeted through/by childhood trauma.
Not sure how Sarah, with financial and professional status, has not dealt with her trauma properly.
It's clear at the very end of the book it's a trauma relating to her mother.
Lots of mistakes and errors.
Misleading - lots of timeline errors... she has a car, is a nomad, doesn't drive, drives a car, doesn't own anything.
At least she was honest about her 'instagram perfect' Europe trip being a disaster.
Confused... whats true and what's not?!
Great she is starting a conversation but being a 'victim' and making being a 'victim' glamorous isn't helpful to others who doen't have access to appropriate care.
Everyone knows that anxiety is craeted through/by childhood trauma.
Not sure how Sarah, with financial and professional status, has not dealt with her trauma properly.
It's clear at the very end of the book it's a trauma relating to her mother.
Lots of mistakes and errors.
Misleading - lots of timeline errors... she has a car, is a nomad, doesn't drive, drives a car, doesn't own anything.
At least she was honest about her 'instagram perfect' Europe trip being a disaster.
Confused... whats true and what's not?!
Great she is starting a conversation but being a 'victim' and making being a 'victim' glamorous isn't helpful to others who doen't have access to appropriate care.
March 21, 2018
A little too scattered to serve me, either as a reader or as an anxious person. Setting it down at the halfway mark.
March 26, 2018
I have two kinds of slumps.
1. I cannot focus, I cannot think, I cannot read.
2. I devour books in hopes of feeling something (often joined by varying cups and flavours of tea).
Today has been a number 2 kind of day where I managed to read almost all of Wilson's First, We Make the Beast Beautiful (FWMtBB). I first came across this book in a generic shop, not one for books, probably Kmart, and found myself in love with the cover. The next thing, was the fact that the book focused on anxiety, and heck man, if you've met me you know that that is around 89% of my personality.
This book is a combination of self-help and memoir as TV personality and author, Sarah Wilson relives her own struggles with anxiety. Unfortunately, whilst we share a first name, Sarah and I do not share a large portion of our anxiety and how we manage it.
The biggest struggle that I found in reading this was that Wilson appears to come from a significantly different life to me. With the ability to travel internationally easily, and live out a seemingly minimalistic lifestyle and jump from health professional to health professional - I felt on the outside of Wilson's advice. This was a common theme with phrases like "get rid of your car" (90) and the stressing of meditation. I felt consistently that Wilson did not understand that, in regards to a phrase like "get rid of your car," as a means of promoting walking, limits the ability for some people to be able to earn money, to transport themselves safely and effectively. Further, the minimalist lifestyle was bothersome. Having struggled with this concept in the past, (there was an article on a TV channel recently where two men spoke about their experiences and their six figure salaries) I wasn't a fan reading about Wilson's ability to drop possessions. I felt as though she did not understand that whilst, yes, consumerism is negative, the ability to life without objects because you have the wealth to afford certain experiences or walks of life, retracted from the need for people to earn money in order to put food on their tables (if you're involved in capitalism even though you critique capitalism, it's an endless cycle idk how to explain it) and buy things that may mimic or even bring genuine happiness that isn't affordable on a wage less than six figures. Whilst I come from a low-middle socioeconomic status, Wilson's frequent references to celebrities she'd met, and countries she'd been to highlighted to me that any middle class that she'd belonged to once no longer existed. I struggle significantly to relate to individuals who use their economic situation to benefit themselves and not those around them.
There was also a lot of things I struggled with in terms of the structuring of the book itself. Don't get me wrong I loved that this listed things in numbers, counting things is such an anxious perk of mine and the ironic comments on the side or generic side notes were really great. But there were a reasonable number of grammatical discrepancies, changes in tense.
Also, similar to the name-dropping, were the mentions of people such as Lena Dunham. This is something I didn't appreciate.
Now, regardless of all the issues that I had with this book, there were definitely a number of things that I did enjoy. Sometimes quotes really stood out to me like: "How do I know what to think until I see what I say?" - E.M. Forster (95). Equally there were some experiences that I identified myself with strongly, like Weekend Panic where you feel the need to occupy yourself on weekends. This is one of my worst anxiety traits, the need to keep consistently busy, which has lead me to work more weekends in order to reduce my days off (simultaneously causing me stress when I am unable to take some time to breathe, but hey, anxiety).
I also related strongly to a quote on 276, "I generally find that anxious people spend a lot of their lives trying to have fun doing stuff other people find enjoyable." This is another thing that I am a firm follower in, and reading it will hopefully make me choose my own plans, no matter how small they are.
This book I found incredibly confusing, hard to choose a side of whether I liked it or not, whether I found it helpful or not. Which I think is very aligned with the themes of anxiety addressed within its hardback cover. However, given I'm in a pretty bad slump, it hasn't brought me out of it, nor has it submerged me further, I think I need to respect that sometimes things just "are." Sometimes there cannot be a time without depression or anxiety, and like Hugh Mackay is quoted within the book, I find myself wanting to also replace the word happiness with "wholeness."
Regardless of the shared experiences, FWMtBB did not make me feel whole. In fact it made me feel nothing. Perhaps one day I will read the book again, not because I am attracted by its brilliant cover design, but because I find my views align closer with Wilson's. Perhaps one day, it will help me out of a slump.
1. I cannot focus, I cannot think, I cannot read.
2. I devour books in hopes of feeling something (often joined by varying cups and flavours of tea).
Today has been a number 2 kind of day where I managed to read almost all of Wilson's First, We Make the Beast Beautiful (FWMtBB). I first came across this book in a generic shop, not one for books, probably Kmart, and found myself in love with the cover. The next thing, was the fact that the book focused on anxiety, and heck man, if you've met me you know that that is around 89% of my personality.
This book is a combination of self-help and memoir as TV personality and author, Sarah Wilson relives her own struggles with anxiety. Unfortunately, whilst we share a first name, Sarah and I do not share a large portion of our anxiety and how we manage it.
The biggest struggle that I found in reading this was that Wilson appears to come from a significantly different life to me. With the ability to travel internationally easily, and live out a seemingly minimalistic lifestyle and jump from health professional to health professional - I felt on the outside of Wilson's advice. This was a common theme with phrases like "get rid of your car" (90) and the stressing of meditation. I felt consistently that Wilson did not understand that, in regards to a phrase like "get rid of your car," as a means of promoting walking, limits the ability for some people to be able to earn money, to transport themselves safely and effectively. Further, the minimalist lifestyle was bothersome. Having struggled with this concept in the past, (there was an article on a TV channel recently where two men spoke about their experiences and their six figure salaries) I wasn't a fan reading about Wilson's ability to drop possessions. I felt as though she did not understand that whilst, yes, consumerism is negative, the ability to life without objects because you have the wealth to afford certain experiences or walks of life, retracted from the need for people to earn money in order to put food on their tables (if you're involved in capitalism even though you critique capitalism, it's an endless cycle idk how to explain it) and buy things that may mimic or even bring genuine happiness that isn't affordable on a wage less than six figures. Whilst I come from a low-middle socioeconomic status, Wilson's frequent references to celebrities she'd met, and countries she'd been to highlighted to me that any middle class that she'd belonged to once no longer existed. I struggle significantly to relate to individuals who use their economic situation to benefit themselves and not those around them.
There was also a lot of things I struggled with in terms of the structuring of the book itself. Don't get me wrong I loved that this listed things in numbers, counting things is such an anxious perk of mine and the ironic comments on the side or generic side notes were really great. But there were a reasonable number of grammatical discrepancies, changes in tense.
Also, similar to the name-dropping, were the mentions of people such as Lena Dunham. This is something I didn't appreciate.
Now, regardless of all the issues that I had with this book, there were definitely a number of things that I did enjoy. Sometimes quotes really stood out to me like: "How do I know what to think until I see what I say?" - E.M. Forster (95). Equally there were some experiences that I identified myself with strongly, like Weekend Panic where you feel the need to occupy yourself on weekends. This is one of my worst anxiety traits, the need to keep consistently busy, which has lead me to work more weekends in order to reduce my days off (simultaneously causing me stress when I am unable to take some time to breathe, but hey, anxiety).
I also related strongly to a quote on 276, "I generally find that anxious people spend a lot of their lives trying to have fun doing stuff other people find enjoyable." This is another thing that I am a firm follower in, and reading it will hopefully make me choose my own plans, no matter how small they are.
This book I found incredibly confusing, hard to choose a side of whether I liked it or not, whether I found it helpful or not. Which I think is very aligned with the themes of anxiety addressed within its hardback cover. However, given I'm in a pretty bad slump, it hasn't brought me out of it, nor has it submerged me further, I think I need to respect that sometimes things just "are." Sometimes there cannot be a time without depression or anxiety, and like Hugh Mackay is quoted within the book, I find myself wanting to also replace the word happiness with "wholeness."
Regardless of the shared experiences, FWMtBB did not make me feel whole. In fact it made me feel nothing. Perhaps one day I will read the book again, not because I am attracted by its brilliant cover design, but because I find my views align closer with Wilson's. Perhaps one day, it will help me out of a slump.
December 23, 2020
You know how you book into a hotel and that night you can't sleep, because of the hum of the air conditioning, or maybe it's the loud construction noise coming right through the window? what do you do? Change rooms? Well author, Sarah Wilson has techniques that helps us with certain anxiety, how to cope with it, how to "sit with it".... what is anxiety? It something that drives people, that highly intelligent people suffer from, like Einstein and even there are different types of anxiety. A spiral anxiety and even anxiety that goes full blown out and beyond panic attacks and then there are the milder types with the OCD.
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I have listened to a few audio books, but none that really had grabbed my attention as much, or for as long as this one. The more I kept going deeper into this audio, the more interesting it became. This author, who "takes off her mask" is a total wreck. I questioned halfway through, how 🤷♀️ how did she get through all these life incidents and still remain in one piece? ..... the answer is clear, and stated above ... anxious people drives themselves "get things done" "organise things".
This was actually a highly interesting, but yet for me, a calming audiobook at a time when high stress is normally the case .... at Christmas time, when most people are running around I just sat quietly for a change, relaxed and just listened, giggling and laughing at the high wit that needs be, in a book like this. The author does touch briefly on other things, like sugar, and how this effects the body and mind, but the majority was about plain old anxiety.
I highly recommend you listen to the audiobook of this, or book for that matter, its extremely interesting, facinating, entertaining and it kept me captivated for hours. Read by the author herself. Duration time 9 hrs 7 mins.
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This was free through my library and listened by Bolinda Borrow Box, my libraries recommended listening app.
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5 star rating
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Genre - Non-fiction - Wellbeing - Self Help - Autobiography - Australian - Health
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I have listened to a few audio books, but none that really had grabbed my attention as much, or for as long as this one. The more I kept going deeper into this audio, the more interesting it became. This author, who "takes off her mask" is a total wreck. I questioned halfway through, how 🤷♀️ how did she get through all these life incidents and still remain in one piece? ..... the answer is clear, and stated above ... anxious people drives themselves "get things done" "organise things".
This was actually a highly interesting, but yet for me, a calming audiobook at a time when high stress is normally the case .... at Christmas time, when most people are running around I just sat quietly for a change, relaxed and just listened, giggling and laughing at the high wit that needs be, in a book like this. The author does touch briefly on other things, like sugar, and how this effects the body and mind, but the majority was about plain old anxiety.
I highly recommend you listen to the audiobook of this, or book for that matter, its extremely interesting, facinating, entertaining and it kept me captivated for hours. Read by the author herself. Duration time 9 hrs 7 mins.
.
This was free through my library and listened by Bolinda Borrow Box, my libraries recommended listening app.
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5 star rating
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Genre - Non-fiction - Wellbeing - Self Help - Autobiography - Australian - Health
July 12, 2019
I don't often write reviews, but I feel passionate about mental health as both an anxiety sufferer and a therapist working in the field. I want to write a thorough review for anyone who wants to read this book, so that they can decide if this would be helpful or harmful to them.
On the positive side I loved the name and the concept of 'making the beast beautiful'. A lot of research and therapeutic approaches like positive psychology support this idea of moving from 'diagnosis' to 'compassion and acceptance'. I've found a softening towards myself and in my clients when using this approach.
I have a big ethical problem with the book in many ways:
1. Writing a book about anxiety and positioning it as a 'new story about anxiety', when she self-reports suffering from bipolar disorder, cites many manic episodes, depressive episodes, suicidal ideation and attempts, as well as what sounds like possible personality disorder and eating disorder traits. This is NOT ONLY a book about anxiety and might leave many anxiety sufferers feeling more confused and overwhelmed. I would rather have her positioned it as a memoir on living with mental illness or the story of her own life navigating her mental health.
2. I have a huge problem with the cutting out of an entire food group, and THEN using it as an example of self-compassion. Real research is being done on disordered eating and cutting out any food group is not advised and definitely a risk factor for those who might suffer from eating disorders. There is no disclaimer or explanation around this.
3. There is no resource list. She mentions vague "research', books here and there, but fails to provide us with a resource list to follow up. This is not acceptable when one writes about a mental illness and especially when there are controversial subjects and practices addressed. One needs to be ethical in your approach and empower the reader to do follow up research and access resources. There is also no list on her website (or at least not easily accessible as I couldn't find it) as she promises at the end of the book.
Other than the ethical problems above I enjoyed some of the reading. She mentions some techniques and ways of thinking that are really helpful. Again, a resource list would have been wonderful for people who want to know more about it. What I didn't enjoy was her writing style and inserting random stories about herself or 'some friend' who did this or that. It felt disjointed and again, more memoir-like than really wanting to assist people with their anxiety or telling 'a new story'. For me it was frustrating to read and took away from the points she did make very well.
The name dropping was so frustrating. Oprah, Brene Brown, Gabrielle Bernstein etc get to have their names in the book, but then she refers to "some guy" who uses the analogy of walking on custard. His name is Neil Hughes, he has a lovely TED talk and he wrote a book called "Walking on Custard and the meaning of life: a Guide for Anxious Humans". Surely she could have included that?
Last point, some editing would have gone a long, long way. So many extra words, unneeded opinions without proper explanation or backing up of facts, no resources, chronological jumping, ideas not forming coherent groups... Sigh. If the book was edited properly I might have given it 3 starts
Overall for me a really disappointing and frustrating read, not least because one needs to use your position of power and privilege ethically and add to the conversation in a way that helps and empowers, not leave the reader feeling confused and unable to access more about the ideas mentioned.
On the positive side I loved the name and the concept of 'making the beast beautiful'. A lot of research and therapeutic approaches like positive psychology support this idea of moving from 'diagnosis' to 'compassion and acceptance'. I've found a softening towards myself and in my clients when using this approach.
I have a big ethical problem with the book in many ways:
1. Writing a book about anxiety and positioning it as a 'new story about anxiety', when she self-reports suffering from bipolar disorder, cites many manic episodes, depressive episodes, suicidal ideation and attempts, as well as what sounds like possible personality disorder and eating disorder traits. This is NOT ONLY a book about anxiety and might leave many anxiety sufferers feeling more confused and overwhelmed. I would rather have her positioned it as a memoir on living with mental illness or the story of her own life navigating her mental health.
2. I have a huge problem with the cutting out of an entire food group, and THEN using it as an example of self-compassion. Real research is being done on disordered eating and cutting out any food group is not advised and definitely a risk factor for those who might suffer from eating disorders. There is no disclaimer or explanation around this.
3. There is no resource list. She mentions vague "research', books here and there, but fails to provide us with a resource list to follow up. This is not acceptable when one writes about a mental illness and especially when there are controversial subjects and practices addressed. One needs to be ethical in your approach and empower the reader to do follow up research and access resources. There is also no list on her website (or at least not easily accessible as I couldn't find it) as she promises at the end of the book.
Other than the ethical problems above I enjoyed some of the reading. She mentions some techniques and ways of thinking that are really helpful. Again, a resource list would have been wonderful for people who want to know more about it. What I didn't enjoy was her writing style and inserting random stories about herself or 'some friend' who did this or that. It felt disjointed and again, more memoir-like than really wanting to assist people with their anxiety or telling 'a new story'. For me it was frustrating to read and took away from the points she did make very well.
The name dropping was so frustrating. Oprah, Brene Brown, Gabrielle Bernstein etc get to have their names in the book, but then she refers to "some guy" who uses the analogy of walking on custard. His name is Neil Hughes, he has a lovely TED talk and he wrote a book called "Walking on Custard and the meaning of life: a Guide for Anxious Humans". Surely she could have included that?
Last point, some editing would have gone a long, long way. So many extra words, unneeded opinions without proper explanation or backing up of facts, no resources, chronological jumping, ideas not forming coherent groups... Sigh. If the book was edited properly I might have given it 3 starts
Overall for me a really disappointing and frustrating read, not least because one needs to use your position of power and privilege ethically and add to the conversation in a way that helps and empowers, not leave the reader feeling confused and unable to access more about the ideas mentioned.
December 1, 2018
I really struggled to get through this book. It took me forever to read and I honestly had to push myself to finish it. In fact, I would say that other than a few pieces of wise information, this book made my anxiety worse than actually helped it.
First of all, the astounding place of privilege this book comes from. Wow. At one point the author literally says that she never worries about money. And then has an anecdote about how $10,000 magically appeared when she needed because she forgot about it... Okay, great, must be nice? She then goes on to mention the various ashrams and spas she's been to, to help manage her anxiety. Taking months or a year off of work to go live somewhere on her own...
Then, the best example of her privilege of it all, she talks about a time she was without any documentation and literally stole food and snuck into hostels to stay for free. Of course, this is a white woman we are talking about, so of course no serious repercussions happened other than she finally learned how to "sit with herself." Uh, okay?
It felt like there was less of an actual book about what she knew and experienced, than just a very long list of other books, quotes, references, studies never linked, generalizations, and story after story after story. The fact that the book was broken up into numbered passages made it even worse. Every time I saw a new numbered passage, I would immediately groan, knowing it would start with something like, "M friend Allison and I were sitting at a cafe and she said...." blah blah blah ancient wisdom.
I didn't click or connect with the author well, her tone was all over the place. I felt like I was reading the author's fast-paced inner monologue, like we were going down a steep hill in a bicycle with no brakes.
I'd say skip this book and just read the highlighted notes.
First of all, the astounding place of privilege this book comes from. Wow. At one point the author literally says that she never worries about money. And then has an anecdote about how $10,000 magically appeared when she needed because she forgot about it... Okay, great, must be nice? She then goes on to mention the various ashrams and spas she's been to, to help manage her anxiety. Taking months or a year off of work to go live somewhere on her own...
Then, the best example of her privilege of it all, she talks about a time she was without any documentation and literally stole food and snuck into hostels to stay for free. Of course, this is a white woman we are talking about, so of course no serious repercussions happened other than she finally learned how to "sit with herself." Uh, okay?
It felt like there was less of an actual book about what she knew and experienced, than just a very long list of other books, quotes, references, studies never linked, generalizations, and story after story after story. The fact that the book was broken up into numbered passages made it even worse. Every time I saw a new numbered passage, I would immediately groan, knowing it would start with something like, "M friend Allison and I were sitting at a cafe and she said...." blah blah blah ancient wisdom.
I didn't click or connect with the author well, her tone was all over the place. I felt like I was reading the author's fast-paced inner monologue, like we were going down a steep hill in a bicycle with no brakes.
I'd say skip this book and just read the highlighted notes.
March 29, 2025
This is more of a 'I've been there' type of book, more of a memoire actually offering first hand experience for enduring anxiety as an integral part of your life, if you're looking for a thesis or a self help book for anxiety then this is not the book for you.
The author takes us on a journey through her mind and her life, sharing her journey through living with anxiety, among other disorders, and how she was able to keep it together.
MiM
The author takes us on a journey through her mind and her life, sharing her journey through living with anxiety, among other disorders, and how she was able to keep it together.
MiM
September 27, 2019
Nerimstančios autorės nerami knyga apie nerimą. Patiko skyrius apie pasirinkimus. Šventa tiesa, kad kuo daugiau laisvės, tuo daugiau nerimo.
April 25, 2020
An amazing book for people who struggle with anxiety, confusion, and existential curiosity (and pretty much as an inevitable consequence, existential angst).
We all struggle in these ways. If we don’t, we aren’t listening. I love how Sarah views anxiety in this way. I love how Sarah normalises anxious feelings and is brave enough to shine a light on her struggles in order to help us feel like we are not alone. What an amazing human.
In this book, Sarah suggests that perhaps anxiety is not something to be gotten rid of or destroyed, but rather something which acts as a personal compass or traffic-light system warning us when we’re acting in a way unaligned with our values. She suggests that if we pay attention and listen to its pleas, our anxiety may be the very thing which brings us closer to finding meaning and fulfilment and in our lives.
Perhaps it’s not about striving to free ourselves from anxiety, it’s learning to stop ourselves from fleeing from it: learning to stop ourselves from distractions and constantly searching outside of ourselves on a never-ending quest for something to fulfil us or make our restlessness go away. Perhaps, instead, we should just sit still, resist the urge to flee, and listen. Only then can we get closer to ourselves.
I feel blessed to have encountered such a life-changing book on the library shelves by chance and would recommend this book to everyone going through similar struggles of anxiety, indecisiveness and perfectionism.
It feels like falling into a beanbag and receiving a big bear hug from a friend to finally hear someone who gets it, and who can honestly, without shame, say “I know...” and truly mean it.
We all struggle in these ways. If we don’t, we aren’t listening. I love how Sarah views anxiety in this way. I love how Sarah normalises anxious feelings and is brave enough to shine a light on her struggles in order to help us feel like we are not alone. What an amazing human.
In this book, Sarah suggests that perhaps anxiety is not something to be gotten rid of or destroyed, but rather something which acts as a personal compass or traffic-light system warning us when we’re acting in a way unaligned with our values. She suggests that if we pay attention and listen to its pleas, our anxiety may be the very thing which brings us closer to finding meaning and fulfilment and in our lives.
Perhaps it’s not about striving to free ourselves from anxiety, it’s learning to stop ourselves from fleeing from it: learning to stop ourselves from distractions and constantly searching outside of ourselves on a never-ending quest for something to fulfil us or make our restlessness go away. Perhaps, instead, we should just sit still, resist the urge to flee, and listen. Only then can we get closer to ourselves.
I feel blessed to have encountered such a life-changing book on the library shelves by chance and would recommend this book to everyone going through similar struggles of anxiety, indecisiveness and perfectionism.
It feels like falling into a beanbag and receiving a big bear hug from a friend to finally hear someone who gets it, and who can honestly, without shame, say “I know...” and truly mean it.
October 15, 2018
I need time to mull this over.
First of all, I was sent this by the publishers. No expectations at all on their behalf.
Secondly, I’m battling severe anxiety right now. It might not be the best time to read this.
Despite my second point, one thing is clear: this book needed to be two. A more scientific approach and the second being a memoir. The cross between the two was hard to follow.
Page 19, where the author mentions the potential for Anxiety to be made up? Things like that really impact the books power. It’s like baking a cake and throwing in salt here and there instead of sugar. It’s confusing.
As I said, I need more time to review this. Thank you.
First of all, I was sent this by the publishers. No expectations at all on their behalf.
Secondly, I’m battling severe anxiety right now. It might not be the best time to read this.
Despite my second point, one thing is clear: this book needed to be two. A more scientific approach and the second being a memoir. The cross between the two was hard to follow.
Page 19, where the author mentions the potential for Anxiety to be made up? Things like that really impact the books power. It’s like baking a cake and throwing in salt here and there instead of sugar. It’s confusing.
As I said, I need more time to review this. Thank you.
January 1, 2019
This was an insightful and moving account about anxiety from a woman whose mental health she has to fight for every single day. I'm in awe of Sarah Wilson and her life-affirming journey and honest portrayal of what it is like to have a panoply of illnesses to deal with. The author points out that her book does not provide solutions nor clear remedies for anxiety - however - through her open minded and passionate account of her search for one, she has opened my eyes to what it is like to be brave as well as make use of whatever tools there are to make the most of life despite the fact that her anxiety will always be there - a beast made beautiful thanks to her courage and determination.
September 13, 2017
Both intoxicatingly relatable and completely foreign. A must read.
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