In my last post I said I’ll be writing about how media portrayals of psychological problems contribute to misinformation.  That’s still coming.  But I’m taking a slight detour to comment on two first-person accounts of anxiety that stand out because they’re spot on.

Several of my patients told me a recent New York Times piece really resonated with them. The author teaches creative writing, and she describes her myriad fears and phobias with vivid, skin-crawling imagery. She also skillfully injects some wry, self-deprecating humor into a painful subject without turning it into Woody Allenesque schtick. One warning, though. While most of the couple hundred readers who commented identified with the author’s experiences, a few passed judgment on her and some others were just plain wrong in their assessments of how to treat the problem. So as with all internet opinions about mental health issues, please read with a critical eye.

I’ve also discovered a website to recommend. I stumbled upon it during an hour freed up by a last minute cancellation last week when I should have been getting my taxes in order and instead avoided the task by surfing the internet. ( OK, I don’t always practice what I preach.) Daniel Smith, the blogger and author of an upcoming memoir about his anxiety, does a great job of capturing the experience of living with an anxiety disorder. He’s also very funny, which for me is his biggest therapeutic selling point.  Because even though anxiety disorders are no laughing matter, it’s healthy to be able to laugh at yourself from time to time.