I resonate with a lot of this. Great article, Daniel. Advice does come at us from all sides, from the friends to therapists to wellness industry buffs and scientists. Sometimes we have to find what works for us personally, and I believe you’ve identified that well for some specific case examples.

Psychiatrist Peter Kramer identified at the beginning of his book, Against Depression, that his previous book, Listening to Prozac, led to many of his readers becoming firm believers in the use of Prozac in their own lives or steering clear against it and SSRIs in general. I believe that any apologetic book about faith is tailored that way, individually, to the reader too, to have the reader become more on board with Christianity or steer clear of it as a whole.

Addressing our anxiety is something I see as the mental health equivalent of prayer. Talking to it and acknowledging its presence is the first step to ameliorating it.

Thank you for this.

Ryan