Coward - Tim Clare

 

I’ve probably spent twice as long reading this book as I normally do. The scientific information was detailed and needed careful reading to assimilate it all. I will admit some of it went over my head and I know that at some point some rereading will be necessary. But in between all the facts and hypotheses is the author’s searingly honest and relatable account of his voyage with anxiety. 

Mental health always seems to be a “touchy“ subject. That’s bewildering because we all have “mental health“ of some kind! It’s a given. It’s not a constant though, throughout our lives we are all at someplace on the spectrum with varying degrees of impact on our daily lives. I think the pandemic scrambled the scale for many people and I think this book is so pertinent and relevant at this time and will resonate with a wide audience who may recognise some symptoms that were not there before. COVID-19 buggered up, not just our lives, but our minds.

Tim’s suffering led him to explore every possible avenue to try and understand his condition and find some alleviation. And so this book is impressively thorough. Whilst the subject matter is serious and anyone who experiences even the mildest of anxiety disorders knows it’s no laughing matter – Mr Clare has injected the book with some wit and humour. I loved some of the chapter headings, “Shift Happens“, “Eat Shit and Diet”! The book takes a journey through current thinking about anxiety disorders, some of the historical treatments that have led to today’s research, potential causes and possible solutions. It’s more than an overview, it’s a comprehensive guide that seeks to inform and educate the layman about a frighteningly common disorder. The book also contains a wealth of useful helpful information and contacts.

It’s not a self-help book and it isn’t advocating some miracle cure to deal with your anxiety but it does tap into one of the most fundamental aspects of understanding anxiety certainly from the sufferer’s point of view citing how ‘your whole model of the world skews around a lopsided set of behaviours.’ Also listening, and how important that is. And how so often in this day and age if you try to talk to someone all they want to do is offer their own anecdotes and experiences when really all you want to do is have someone listen to you without judging or telling you to pull yourself together. I think this book also makes you feel less alone. And that is also something that really helps.

My thanks to Canongate Books for the proof copy of this book.