'Age of Anxiety' a timely book in midst of pandemic

What does it mean when someone says they have anxiety? "I'm stressed and nervous all the time, do I have anxiety"? "Will I ever get better?" Is this the "Age of Anxiety?"

How can it not be the age of anxiety when so many millions of us feel that persistent combination of heart palpitations, impending doom, dread, even lack of control, as one of our contributors describes it. The question is, what can we do about it?

Through this book we will learn how to distinguish between anxiety as "an attack of the nerves" or something that will come and go, and Anxiety as a disorder, which will need treatment, including possibly therapy or medication. The conversations are even more pertinent given the global COVID-19 pandemic, prolonged periods of social isolation and an increased focus on mental health and wellness.

Co-authored by writer Amrita Tripathi and clinical psychologist Kamna Chhibber, "Age of Anxiety" (Simon & Schuster India) features a foreword by leading psychiatrist Dr Achal Bhagat, and stories and interviews centred around lived experiences.

Skip the pop psychology here as we learn from people coping with anxiety disorders, sharing from their journey to healing, explaining exactly what would have helped them along the way, as they seek to bust common myths and misconceptions. There is also advice and insight from mental health professionals in India, drawing on their own expertise to share information that can help us move the needle on conversations which make a difference.

Amrita Tripathi is a writer and former news anchor, with 18 years of experience in journalism, spanning print, broadcast, and digital media. She is the author of four books, including the novels "Broken News" and "The Sibius Knot", which explore various facets of modern life and the fragility of relationships. Tripathi is the co-author of "Real Stories of Dealing with Depression" along with Arpita Anand, and "Young Mental Health", with Meera Haran Alva the first two titles in the Mindscape series published by Simon & Schuster India. Tripathi is also the founder-editor of The Health Collective, a site dedicated to raising awareness on mental health and illness in India, and presently works in the field of social media.

She hosts a series of conversations with people working in the field of mental health, online on Health Collective Talks and is working on a forthcoming title on suicide prevention in India, along with psychiatrists Dr Soumitra Pathare and Dr Abhijit Nadkarni, to be published by Simon & Schuster India. She can be reached @amritat or @healthcollectif on Twitter.

Kamna Chhibber is Head (Mental Health) at the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Healthcare. She is a trained therapist working with children, adolescents and adults. She is passionate about working in the space of child-adolescent mental health, relationships, trauma and abuse. She designs and creates programmes for implementation in schools, corporate organizations and NGO's that are directed towards enhancing mental health and well-being. (IANS)

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