Anxiety: A feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
Today in keeping with the theme of my blog, i am talking about a book i read recently called Anxiety Girl by Lacey London. This is book one in a series of three that follows the journey of Sadie Valentine from her discovery and diagnosis of anxiety and how she deals with that diagnosis. Those of you that know me will know that i have anxiety. Although i have never been formally diagnosed with anxiety, i have been medicated previously, i have always known that ive had it. So what is anxiety? Well there are varying degrees and different types of anxiety.
What are the five major types of anxiety disorders?
The five major types of anxiety disorders are:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it. - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called “rituals,” however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety. - Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress. - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. - Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
Social Phobia, or Social Anxiety Disorder, is an anxiety disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Social phobia can be limited to only one type of situation – such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal situations, or eating or drinking in front of others – or, in its most severe form, may be so broad that a person experiences symptoms almost anytime they are around other people.
I would say that my anxiety is mild and a mixture of GAD, OCD and Social anxiety. Triggers can include and aren’t limited to, meeting new people, my appearance, how people see me, public transport, saying or doing the wrong thing and everyday life can all cause me anxiety. I am not ashamed of my anxiety, it isn’t me it is a part of me and i have had to learn to embrace it. I wear it like a badge of honor. It makes me me.
This book gives a real insight to anxiety, how quickly it can come about and the overwhelming rawness of anxiety. It is also a story of hope and adversity.
Anxiety Girl. Lacey London
Published; 23rd March 2017
Pages; 245
Blurb; Once a normal-ish woman, her mental health wasn’t something that Sadie Valentine ever thought about, but when the three evils, anxiety, panic and depression creep into her life, Sadie wonders if she will ever see the light again…
Loving life in the glitzy village of Alderley Edge, Sadie Valentine thought she had it all.
With her best friend, Aldo, for company, Sadie spends her time sipping bubbles amongst the glitterati in her many local bars and restaurants. However, unbeknown to the outside world, she is slowly falling into a hole.
Keeping her mask in place on a daily basis proves harder than Sadie anticipates and when she is dealt more blows, her positive exterior starts to crumble.
Sadie soon realises that sometimes, it’s not quite as simple as picking yourself up and carrying on.
With Aldo by her side, can Sadie crawl out of the impossibly dark hole and take back control of her life?
Once you have hit rock bottom, there’s only one way to go…
My Review Review
Purchase Link Kindle Paperback
About the Author
Lacey London is the bestselling author of the CLARA ANDREWS series, the ANXIETY GIRL series, and the MOLLIE MCQUEEN series.
Books in the Clara Series: MEET CLARA ANDREWS, CLARA MEETS THE PARENTS, MEET CLARA MORGAN, CLARA AT CHRISTMAS, MEET BABY MORGAN, CLARA IN THE CARIBBEAN, CLARA IN AMERICA, CLARA IN THE MIDDLE, CLARA’S LAST CHRISTMAS and CLARA BOUNCES BACK.
THE LATEST BOOK IN THE CLARA SERIES, CLARA’S GREEK ADVENTURE, IS OUT NOW.
Books in the Anxiety Girl Series: ANXIETY GIRL, ANXIETY GIRL FALLS AGAIN and ANXIETY GIRL BREAKS FREE.
Books in the Mollie McQueen Series: MOLLIE MCQUEEN IS NOT GETTING DIVORCED and MOLLIE MCQUEEN IS NOT HAVING A BABY.
Lacey’s latest novel, MOLLIE MCQUEEN IS NOT HAVING A BABY, is available to order NOW from Amazon Worldwide.
Lacey London lives in Cheshire, England with her husband and their Yorkshire Terrier. When she is not writing, she can usually be found enjoying the countryside or with her nose in a book. Failing that, she is probably sleeping. Lacey loves fairy-tales and hates numbers, except the ones in her bank account.
Lacey can be found on Twitter @thelaceylondon and at http://www.laceylondon.co.uk
CookingTheBooks 
Thank you for the information. I am going to put this on my TBR list as I think it will be helpful and an insightful read. Thank you again. Jen
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Members of my family suffer greatly from anxiety so I need to read this book.
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It’s a great book a real eye opener x
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