This whole idea of “curing” your anxiety so that you never have to feel it again—which plenty of books out there claim to do, preying on your vulnerability—only serves to make you feel worse in the long run.

DISCLAIMER 1: The first and perhaps most important point you can take from the following 250 or so pages is that I am not in any way, shape or form a healthcare professional. I don’t have a degree in psychology or any qualifications that would otherwise allow me to make specific recommendations to you on how to deal with the veritable sh*t show that is your current experience of anxiety.

However, now that you’ve bothered to pick up this book, here’s what I can offer: experience and empathy (as well as a whole lotta research).