Don't Tell Me to Relax!: One Teen's Journey to Survive Anxiety and How You Can Too

by Sophie Riegel

“When I was younger, maybe ten or eleven, I started to feel like I was different from everybody else . . . Then I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. And trichotillomania (that’s pulling out your own hair). And then generalized anxiety disorder. And then panic disorder. Since then, I’ve been on a roller coaster, with plenty of ups and downs.”—Sophie Riegel Part one of this book brings you along on Sophie’s personal journey from despair to diagnosis and treatment, and what she experienced along the way. Part two of this book is about you, whether you’re a teenager or someone who lives with or works with teens.

Genres: Nonfiction

195 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2019

Reviews

[Priya Nalkur]

Sophie is an incredible young woman. She writes her story with bravery, kindness, and warmth. The book opened my eyes to the real invisible struggles faced by so many teenagers. Anxiety is hard and we need to talk about it openly. Sophie is blazing a trail for productive, empathetic, and loving dialogue. The parts that made me cry were the tender moments between Sophie and her mom. What a lovely family! Disclosure and bias: Sophie’s mom, Deb, is a dear friend and personal hero of mine. Obviously I ordered a signed copy, expecting that Sophie will one day change the world with her example of strength and heart.

[Kimberley]

If you’re looking for an easy to read personal story of anxiety and OCD, this book will give you that. The author is pretty good at describing her anxiety and the different ways it affected her. Her journey over the years trying to manage her anxiety and keep functioning shows her struggles and some of the ways she found to help her live her life with anxiety as a constant companion.
The second part of the book is supposed to offer help to adolescents and parents going through this, but it’s a pretty thin section. It just gives you a taste of some suggestions but it is by no means a detailed guide. You will need to get professional help or read more books for that.

[Tilia]

Sophie Reigel is a bright, witty teenager who suffers from clinical anxiety and OCD. Her first-person account of her struggles is moving and often even funny, and told in simple, lucid prose. The final chapters are especially helpful, as they are a compendium of what to do and say for someone with these struggles, and what *not* to do or say. This is definitely worth a read for anyone with these issues, or anyone who works with teenagers. It should be in the office of every high school counseling office, and I'll make sure my local high school gets a copy.

[Wendalina]

I would have liked to have read a book like this many moons ago when I was still in school, and wondering why I was in a constant state of worry. Anxiety is a strange ailment -- I spend a lot of time feeling "off" so it's oddly comforting to read others' descriptions of what anxiety feels like.

[Samantha Walsh]

I just loved this book. I thought Sophie’s description of her life was so raw. I appreciate this from a personal and professional lens. She is remarkable!