At times, when the author described her own anxiety in this book, I could feel myself becoming more anxious too. I found the discussion of academic studies intriguing, although I'll confess much of the information isn't new to me. However, it's always worthwhile to hear the message of healthy eating, sleep, and exercise reinforced in the quest for anxiety management. No magical solution emerges from this book, but it's still good reading for the anxious. ( )

On Edge is a story about Andrea's journey dealing with anxiety and panic disorder, as well as an informative guide for those suffering from similar ailments or just curious people.

I found this book very informative and helpful, as a long time social anxiety sufferer. I'm still learning how to cope with it and this book has given me hope that I can find a balance and learn to live my life the way I want to live it. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with an anxiety disorder or if you know someone with one. ( )

"If you met me, you probably wouldn't even notice my anxiety. When I began telling acquaintances the topic of this book, they almost uniformly said, 'I would never have guess you're anxious.'"

This may be one of the first book reviews I've written, mainly because I am very interested and passionate about this topic. One in three Americans will have an anxiety disorder at some point during their lives. There is currently no "cure."

Although I didn't find myself relating to the specific type of anxiety the author has, I did notice a few similarities that stood out to me. Mental illness is extremely misunderstood in our society and for someone who lives with it everyday, it's nice to see an author explain it in a way that more people may understand.

The quote I started this review with made me think of a conversation I recently had with someone. After explaining anxiety and how to cope with it every single day, they responded with, "Can't you just stop being anxious? Like it's not a real illness, it's just all in your head."

Yes actually, it is all in my head. It's a chemical imbalance that I did not choose to have. It's an illness that I would not wish on my worst enemy. It's something that I have tried to "fix" everyday. This book gave me reassurance that there are other people out there like me and there is hope.

( )

I have never heard of Andrea Petersen and I still didn’t go look for her other works even after reading this. What caught my attention about this book was that it was written by a person with actual anxiety. We live in a time where if something causes anyone severe stress, all of a sudden one can self-diagnose with anxiety problems. Petersen unraveled what it means to have a severe case of anxiety. She breaks down her history from childhood to young adulthood and how she currently faces that obstacle.

While it is not fair to say that everyone has to have an official anxiety diagnosis in order to claim to have anxiety problems (for not everyone can afford to seek medical treatment), it’s also not fair to make everyone bend over backwards because you can’t handle your anxiety problems. Anxiety can and is a debilitating mental illness but it’s also not the end of the world. Petersen is not painting herself as a spokesperson of anxiety but through her words and her actions she shows others that it is possible to have a grasp on the illness and how to manage it. Because in the end, it’s not always possible to “overcome” anxiety like some people think. ( )

One Edge: A Journey through Anxiety by Andrea Peterson is a 2017 Crown publication.

As a long -time sufferer from panic/anxiety disorder, this book truly resonated with me.
This book chronicles the author’s own personal journey with the disorder, but also offers some insight into why people develop anxiety, including a look at her family history and genetics.

Most of the key areas one might expect are covered here, such as treatment, types of anxiety, phobias, isolation, predisposition, symptoms and most importantly, how to cope and live with the disorder without completely withdrawing from the world.

Her personal story is mixed in with medical and scientific facts and research, some of which sailed over my head, although I am interested in the results, it was mind numbing in a few places and I zoned out.

But, for the most part, I understood where the author was coming from and my own behavior mimicked hers on many occasions.

Her story is frank, honest, and practical, and I took inspiration from her as she fights daily with this debilitating disorder and mostly wins out in the end. Fear is the main theme and I completely agree. The anticipation of anxiety is the most difficult part to gain control of.

Overall, I think this is an insightful, knowledgeable look at living with anxiety, that anyone who has been diagnosed with the malady will relate to, sympathize with and learn from. Not only that, if you have a friend or a family member with an anxiety disorder, this book will give you valuable insight and information so you can understand how better to support them.

There is no cure for anxiety, but this book does offer understanding and advice, along with the hope of a medical or scientific breakthrough someday, for future generations. In the meantime, fighting fear and anxiety is a battle we must fight daily with a determination to keep it from affecting or diminishing our quality of life. ( )