The author recounts his lifelong battle with anxiety, showing the many manifestations of the disorder as well as the countless treatments that have been developed to counteract it, and provides a history of the efforts of scientists, philosophers, and writers to understand this common form of mental illness. He reports on famous individuals who struggled with anxiety, as well as on the afflicted generations of his own family. This portrait of anxiety reveals the anguish it produces, and describes anxiety's human toll, it's crippling impact, its devasting power to paralyze, while at the same time exploring how those who suffer from it find ways to manage and control it. Here the author guides us across the terrain of an affliction that is pervasive (it is the most common form of officially classified mental illness), yet too often misunderstood. -- From book jacket.

Modernity was supposed to be the period in human history when the fears that pervaded social life in the past could be left behind and human beings could at last take control of their lives and tame the uncontrolled forces of the social and natural worlds. And yet, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, we live again in a time of fear. Whether its the fear of natural disasters, the fear of environmental catastrophes or the fear of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, we live today in a state of constant anxiety about the dangers that could strike unannounced and at any moment. Fear is the name we give to our uncertainty in the face of the dangers that characterize our liquid modern age, to our ignorance of what the threat is and our incapacity to determine what can and can't be done to counter it. This new book by Zygmunt Bauman one of the foremost social thinkers of our time is an inventory of liquid modern fears. It is also an attempt to uncover their common sources, to analyse the obstacles that pile up on the road to their discovery and to examine the ways of putting them out of action or rendering them harmless. Through his brilliant account of the fears and anxieties that weigh on us today, Bauman alerts us to the scale of the task which we shall have to confront through most of the current century if we wish our fellow humans to emerge at its end feeling more secure and self-confident than we feel at its beginning.

"Nervous Ills: Their Cause and Cure" by Boris Sidis explores the nature, origins, and treatment of neuroses. Diving deep into the landscape of mental health, Sidis examines the root causes of nervous disorders, stress, and anxiety. A vital contribution to the field of psychology, this book meticulously investigates the psychopathology of neuroses. Sidis offers insights into understanding and managing these conditions. This exploration of the human psyche provides a valuable resource for those seeking to comprehend the complexities of mental well-being. Originally published during a period of significant growth in the understanding of mental health, this work remains relevant to anyone interested in psychology, self-help, and the historical context of mental healthcare. This book will appeal to those studying the history of psychology, or those experiencing stress or anxiety who wish to learn from treatment methods of the past. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.