purplelalaland 's review for:

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Story About Anxiety by Sarah Wilson

3.5

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

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Everyone's anxiety manifests differently, so I expected mileage to vary. I didn't think this book would 100% match the experience of my loved one, but I read the book with the intention of getting a better understanding of what anxiety might look like for others and any strategies that might be helpful. For the parts that didn't 100% align, I found the book to be a bit slow. Upon finishing the book, I realized that majority of the strategies that were suggested to manage anxiety were the exact same strategies that are recommended for anyone feeling an overwhelming amount of negative emotions (i.e., frustration, worry, sadness). I also found it very validating to hear that the onus really is on the anxious person to figure out how loved ones can support. It is not our responsibility to help manage someone else's anxiety.

Overall, I felt this was a helpful book to read on my journey to understanding anxiety better.