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Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. This well-written and well drawn book was very informative. I would recommend it.

A nice introduction, but it lacks nuance. Way too simple for anyone that is already familiar with anxiety, but it might be useful for a first approach

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eCopy of this graphic novel in return for an honest review. I'm not particularly enamoured by this book, which is sad as the concept is something right up my alley. A comic which delves into mental health and anxiety sounds like a brilliant idea, as it could bring awareness to a whole new group of people and help those who would never normally seek access to this information. There is a lot of referenced data, and some clean cut illustrations to add to the information. It would be a very good book to present to someone to educate them about anxiety, whether in relation to the receiver of the book or someone around them. There was a lot of information about anxiety itself in the first half, and information on how to manage symptoms in the second half, both of which were informative and helpful.

However, the way it has been worded is very clinical, and although this may work in some settings it doesn't in a comic format. It makes it feel slightly alienated and aloof instead and meant that I wasn't engrossed, I was just browsing. As another reviewer has mentioned (Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2616607-nikki-the-crazie-betty-v), this comic felt "more like a tri-fold pamphlet from the doctor’s office than a graphic novel" and I definitely agree with this thought. It may be too complex in some places also, there were a few little bits that I struggled with but the rest seemed at level with my previous education on the subject (two years of study at A Level [16 - 18 years old] in psychology), which was fine for me but is not good for a publication which is supposed to help those not familiar with anxiety understand more about the condition.

It is a nice idea, and the information contained within seems to be accurate, well referenced and useful. But, something about it just doesn't hit the mark to be sold as a graphic novel, as it's a little too aloof and technical, would be a good little leaflet to have in a doctors office though.

I'm not sure how well I can review the book since the layout ended up weird on my kindle, but content-wise, I think this is a great book that does a great job in explaining anxiety, both for individuals who don't quite understand what they're going through and the people who have to deal with them.

I am a total psych nerd. I have a degree in it, so I would hope that I enjoy it and want to read more. This book seemed like a perfect book for me. I love graphic novels, I have an anxiety disorder, and I am fascinated by psychological research. How could this book be better for me?

Well that is an easy answer: pretty much in every way. The book had  a lot of interesting references, but then they were breezed over in a way that just made this book read like a Psychology Today article, but less informative. Quoting Ann Hathaway to make a psychological point is not effective. She is not an expert or representative of the population.

The methods of helping to face your anxiety are also either ineffective (for me personally, so I didn't count that against the book) or they are potentially dangerous.  If you are in a panic attack, which the book does discuss, then squatting may not be the best option as the blood is rushing around you body. Standing up after can make you dizzy, unstable, or cause you to faint as the blood has been limited in its movements (I discussed this with my therapist and this was her opinion). The idea of looking around your surroundings for something to focus on that is nice is not effective if you issue is crowds or, in my case, PTSD from violent trauma. While none of this would have lowered the score of the book if the book had focused on general anxiety disorder specifically. The book mentions everything from general anxiety disorder, PTSD, and OCD. None of the methods talked about for handling your anxiety would be recommended from me or my therapist if you have PTSD, OCD, or if you are not seeing a therapist (this is mostly in reference to the forcing yourself to live in the bad thoughts and explore them if they are related to trauma).

So I really wanted to like this book and there were a few passages that I did enjoy, but they didn't go far enough. So if you already have a basic understanding of anxiety, skip this book. If you have anxiety that is from trauma, skip this book. If you are new to anxiety or someone you know has anxiety, then this book might help you learn some quirky and cool things about anxiety.

'Anxiety is Really Strange' by Steve Haines is the second book I've read in this series. I find these an interesting ways of conveying information of the topics.

The book starts with setting out the types of questions it will answer like a definition of anxiety and the differences between cake and bread. Cake and bread differences become important as anxiety is defined and dissected. Along with the illustrations, most pages have footnotes that go into a bit more detail. Coping mechanisms, like grounding, are discussed. At the end of the book there is a list of references used in the book that can be used for further reading.

The first book I read was about trauma and I liked that one a bit more, but this one still offers help for those who suffer from anxiety as well as the folks caring for them. The illustration style fits the book very well. This would be a very good resource.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Singing Dragon, Jessica Kingsely Publishers, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Anxiety is Really Strange. Is it ever! Yet it is also common, with 28.8% of people being seriously affected by an anxiety disorder at some point in their adult lives. Anxiety disorders include Generalised Anxiety Disorder, panic disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), social anxiety and other phobias, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

This graphic novel outlines some possible causes of anxiety, outlines philosophical ideas along with a really interesting experiment dealing with mouse poo (of all things), how the body reacts in anxiety mode and some tools for managing symptoms.

I went into this book thinking it would be a really good introduction to anxiety for someone who’s just been diagnosed and while I still think it will be useful for some people in this situation, there will be others who will be most likely wanting more advice on helpful tools rather than the thoughts of philosophers.

Now, I’m a proud nerd so I enjoyed all of the sciency, philosophical bits and pieces, and I’ve found some studies I’m interested in looking into further. People with a general interest in anxiety should get enough from this graphic novel to come away with a better understanding of the roles the mind and body play in exacerbating and easing anxiety. Hopefully Anxiety is Really Strange will make it into the hands of some friends and family members of those affected by anxiety and will result in greater empathy and better support systems.

Quote that made me chuckle: “Anxiety is a good thing because psychopaths don’t have any.” (page 18). I loved Jon Ronson’s quote. My brain automatically made this into a bizarre TV commercial ... “Got anxiety? Take heart. At least you’re not a psychopath!”

While books about anxiety are useful I believe there’s really no substitute for getting professional help. Anxiety can be extraordinarily daunting to deal with by yourself and a doctor and/or therapist who can provide much needed support and tools can make the world of difference to your quality of life.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Singing Dragon, an imprint of Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

The more we learn about anxiety, the more we can hold space for those that experience it in very vast and diverse ways. Through the powerful engrossing means of a graphic novel, anxiety is explained and given a deeper sense of understanding.

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Singing Dragon for providing me a copy of “Anxiety is Really Strange” by Steve Haines in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun and informative book. It gives a high level overview as to what anxiety is, the symptoms causing it, researches done in the area, followed by the methods to overcome and control it. All of these areas are described in a graphic novel manner with cute illustrations.

I consider myself as someone who gets highly anxious at times and tends to react rather than act during tough situations. Not my best trait, I admit, but this book really made me feel positive after finishing it. I found the whole section of nature vs nurture particularly fascinating. It is the age old question which we ask of ‘is someone born a hero or is it an attribute they acquire?’ The author has provided facts and listed experiments done by various researchers to support both sides, but I personally feel that our environment and other external factors adapt us to who we are.

Anyway, I digress. The main reason I liked this book was because it is told in a simple and concise manner with the information organized perfectly. I am not a researcher or a scientist who is going to take a 500+ page information book on anxiety and read about its cause and effect. Providing a “dummy” version of the same in a graphic novel format is a very creative way of sharing the same views to everyone.

Another reason I enjoyed the book was because it covers various forms of anxiety, such as the one that a person would face after encountering physical abuse, or someone who is stressed at home or in the workplace. The author also provides various pointers to overcome each of them specifically. Some of the notes are very simple yet effective, and one of<a class="ZN047aczs q0aTILx4T" title="Click to Continue &gt; by Advertise" href="#61046065"> my favorite<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" /></a> ones is the below phrase:

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I also loved the selection of color palette used for the visuals. They are not glaring to the eye, but at the same time make the messages stand out, and give the simple illustrations a vibrant spark.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is because at times it got too descriptive for me to understand, especially the part about existentialists (my new word for the day) and how they studied behavior during the Second World War. However, for the most part, it is useful for a layman like myself to learn about the symptoms of anxiety and how to overcome it.

I hope the author decides to release these kind of books for other symptoms such as depression, anger etc.

Comprehensive graphic novel that explains what anxiety is, how it manifests, and how we can cope. The one thing you need to bear in mind is that it's format makes it confusing at times. Nonetheless, it is an interesting read.

This is a very detailed and well researched exploration of anxiety. There a large amount of information and facts. It is beautifully
Illustrated and annotated. It can be a little overwhelming at points. Overall, it’s a great book for those with anxiety or relatives of those with anxiety who want to understand a bit more about it, how it affects the body and what can be done to lessen it.

I liked the book and found it enjoyable. The statistics and factual information were really interesting and I loved learning the science based information.

I loved this look into anxiety about the causes and understanding of the affliction. I felt it left you with some tools into what to do next and was well worth reading.
It wasn't to difficult to read in heaviness but it didn't make it to simple that it risked being boring.
It hit the nail right on the head.

I was given a ARC of this book to review. I did actually learn some helpful tips to combat anxiety in this book. I love that it mentioned several ways to calm yourself with scientific studies backing the information given, I had no idea pressing your feet into the floor could be used as a grounding technique.I only wish the visuals were better so someone who doesn't quite understand anxiety could better relate. It seemed like examples could have been used to help further understanding.I did enjoy this book. It has an encouraging message and great tips that I would recommend to friends.

Anxiety <i><b>is</b></i> really strange!

This book is so amazingly simple - it is really good at distilling these complicated ideas down to their basics and making them easy to understand. I’m really impressed. Especially as someone who struggles with anxiety.

I know there’s an interaction between physiological and the psychological - but some of the stuff in here is eye-opening and fascinating.

Interesting discussions on Kierkegaard and Simone de Beauvoir!

I had no idea existential philosophy had so much to say about anxiety.

And listen to this quote from Maya Angelou!

<i>History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.</i>

What a quote for our times!

And this gets into framing - an interesting political thing I’ve been studying right now - about how we “frame” a message or idea. We can make it sound bad or good, based on the way we talk about it. The same is true of our experiences.

As short as this book is - it even gives tools to help with anxiety.

Highly, highly, highly recommended - for it’s practicality, simpleness, usefulness. If you don’t deal with anxiety issues, it will help you understand the people in your life that deal with them. And if you do? Some excellent info to understand it better, and some great tools to deal with it.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

I think this book will translate much better as a physical product rather than an ebook. That being said - I enjoyed the artwork and the book contained a lot of information about anxiety. As an anxiety sufferer myself, I can appreciate the power having this information gives you. It is a pleasant reminder that feeling anxious isn’t your fault and is a rouge physical and mental rection to misinterpreted fear. I wish I had been handed this book in my teens when I was first diagnosed with anxiety. Hopefully this book can empower mire anxiety sufferers and allow them to understand what their body is doing! I also liked the quotes from well known people, letting the reader know that they arent alone with their anxiety. Overall an important book and one that should hopefully help a lot of people!

This is a good way to explain anxiety for a middle school/high school reading level. It's easy enough where most everyone can learn, but doesn't dumb it down too much for you. I didn't like the added paragraphs at the bottom. I found them boring and just started skipping over them.

I think this book is stranger than anxiety is. I can’t say I garnered any new information from this, and felt that it read more like a tri-fold pamphlet from the doctor’s office than a graphic novel. I would dare to say that if you are looking to get information on anxiety, you could find everything for free online that’s in this book. I also don’t feel like the graphics did anything for the story, and rather just allowed for a higher page count.

Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Really brilliant comprehensive guide to understanding anxiety and learning little coping strategies to help not feel too overwhelmed. Will be recommending this to a lot of people!