Bibliograph

On edge, a journey through anxiety, Andrea Petersen

Type

Label

On edge, a journey through anxiety, Andrea Petersen

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-290) and index

resource.biographical

autobiography

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

On edge

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

956960274

Responsibility statement

Andrea Petersen

Sub title

a journey through anxiety

Summary

A racing heart. Difficulty breathing. Overwhelming dread. Andrea Petersen was first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at the age of twenty, but she later realized that she had been experiencing panic attacks since childhood. With time her symptoms multiplied. She agonized over every odd physical sensation. She developed fears of driving on highways, going to movie theaters, even licking envelopes. Although having a name for her condition was an enormous relief, it was only the beginning of a journey to understand and master it -- one that took her from psychiatrists' offices to yoga retreats to the Appalachian Trail. Woven into Petersen's personal story is a look at the biology of anxiety and the research that might point the way to new treatments. She compares psychoactive drugs to non-drug treatments, including biofeedback and CBT. Along the way she surveys the sometimes bizarre treatments for anxiety of past eras. She also explores the role that genetics plays in mental illness, visiting top neuroscientists and tracing her family history -- from her grandmother, who, plagued by paranoia, once tried to burn down her own house, to her young daughter in whom Petersen sees shades of herself. And she describes research that could point the way to new treatments -- from fMRI neurofeedback to the use of ketamine (also known as the street drug Special K). One in three Americans will have an anxiety disorder at some point during their lives

Table Of Contents

The anticipation of pain: Defining anxiety -- Scary clowns and the end of days: Anxiety in childhood -- My grandmother's madness: The genetics of anxiety -- From CBT to karaoke: Nondrug therapies for anxiety -- May cause dizziness: Medications for anxiety -- Cold calls, airplanes, and indecision: Anxiety at work and on the road -- The isolation chamber: Anxiety in love and friendship -- Worries about my daughter: The education of an anxious parent -- Staying grounded: Learning to live with anxiety

Classification