Anxiety: A Very Short Talk from Oxford 008

When does anxiety become a disorder?

Like joy, sadness, or anger, anxiety is a fundamental emotion, a core part of what it means to be human. If you were asked to recall the last time you felt anxious, undoubtedly, you wouldn't have to look too far back. However, more severe forms of anxiety are also the most common type of mental illness, affecting millions of people worldwide at any given time.

This book begins by defining anxiety, then focuses on four main theoretical perspectives of anxiety: psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological. It considers how our genes and life experiences influence our susceptibility to anxiety, and features interviews with individuals who share their anxiety experiences in their careers, explaining how they combat anxiety. The latter half of the book introduces six major anxiety disorders: phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Anxiety is absolutely normal and fascinatingly complex. It is also the focus of much cutting-edge psychological research and clinical practice today. This is not just an authoritative guide on the nature of anxiety, but an introductory primer that will lead you to understand this most universal and important human emotion.

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Only when we understand depression as a pain, superstition as a feeling of being loved and socially supported, and medication as a reflection of our underlying anxieties, can we truly grasp the social roots of the six major anxieties of the 21st century within a highly atomized social structure, and build a healing culture suitable for every community and individual. — Chao En-Chieh