Exposure: Confronting Anxiety

Abstract

Anxiety disorders, like many invisible illnesses, can ravage the internal lives of people who seem “normal,” who appear to function well in their lives and in society. In “Exposure: Confronting Anxiety,” Amanda G. Brandt dives beneath the surface of normal to explore what it means to have a life ruled by anxiety in a society that measures success in wins and the appearance of perfection. Through conversations with anxiety sufferers and mental health professionals, Brandt explores the roles of the individual, therapists, and society in understanding anxiety and what it means to be normal. In her own quest to free herself from the restrictions of anxiety, Brandt undertakes a series of exposures. Perhaps confronting her anxieties can reshape her relationships with her brain and with the world around her.