The Narrowing: A journey through anxiety and the body

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'A powerful reframing of anxiety' Anna Mathur

'A transformative and compassionate exploration of anxiety' Galit Atlas, Ph.D. author of Emotional Inheritance

An exploration of the connection between anxiety and the body by a clinical psychologist, drawing from the latest research as well as historical and cultural insights through time, arguing that only through understanding anxiety's role in our lives can we transform it into resilience.

Almost all of us are intimately familiar with anxiety, and with its increasing hold on our minds, our hopes and plans, and our bodies. But how well do we really understand it, and what can we do to transform it into something new - into resilience, or courage, or creativity

In this extraordinary book, Dr. Alexandra Shaker, a clinical psychologist, takes us on a journey through the body-from brain to blood to heart to guts - to examine the connections between our emotional, psychological, and physical lives. She unravels what the body can teach us about anxiety, and what we can learn from our long cultural history of the anxious impulse.

Melding psychology, neuroscience, history, and literature, she considers why - despite all the checklists and therapies and scientific advancements - we are still struggling to outrun our oldest terrors, and how a new approach accepting anxiety as part of the human condition can help build resilience.

Reviews

A powerful reframing of anxiety * Anna Mathur *
The Narrowing is a compassionate and accessible exploration of anxiety, illuminating how the body's threat responses can be gently reoriented toward safety and resilience. Consistent with the Polyvagal Theory, Alexandra Shaker empowers readers to understand anxiety as a dynamic, physiological process, fostering self-awareness, healing, and growth. * Stephen Porges *
The Narrowing is a transformative and compassionate exploration of anxiety. Integrating rigorous science with therapeutic insights, Eggers demystifies the intricate workings of anxiety, offering readers new perspectives on their mental landscape. For those ready to reclaim their calm, The Narrowing is an intelligent guide to a life of resilience. * Galit Atlas, Ph.D. author of Emotional Inheritance, faculty NYU Postdoctoral Program for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. *
Dr. Alexandra Shaker speaks directly to our internal struggles and gives language to the paradoxes of our ever-growing anxieties in a time where we 'know' so much more than we ever did. She reminds us that while anxiety can feel incredibly personal and of the moment, it is also a historical struggle that is part of the fabric of humanity. This is a must-read for anyone interested in better understanding themselves and the challenges that we all face. * Lia Okun, PhD *

Shaker masterfully weaves her own lived experience with a wide range of cutting-edge research to tell a story that is undeniably familiar yet also refreshingly unique. She normalizes anxiety as being fundamentally human, emphasizing the way it manifests both cognitively and physically, guiding us system by system. She highlights the ever-present nature of anxiety through the centuries, in art, in narrative, and in myth. Simultaneously, the narrative serves as a call to action - a recognition that, though anxiety is ubiquitous and can be enigmatic, it is not unmitigable. With an evocative title and powerful prose, this book is a must read for anyone who has or knows someone who has dealt with anxiety.

* Aimee Milliken, PhD, RN, HEC-C Associate Professor of the Practice Connell School of Nursing Boston College *
The Narrowing is a must read for anyone who has experienced anxiety, which is to say all of us! Dr Shaker expertly strikes the difficult balance of synthesizing research based information and illustrating with a relatable personal narrative. Her voice is a call forward; a much needed integration of the body to how we conceptualize and approach anxiety. * Meredith Carlisle, LCSW *

Author Bio

Dr. Alexandra Shaker is a clinical psychologist with a background across inpatient and outpatient treatment settings. She has worked with individuals who suffer from a range of mental illnesses including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. Dr. Shaker received her PhD in clinical psychology from the New School, and she conducted her doctoral research at the prestigious Brief Psychotherapy Research Program. She completed her clinical training at Columbia University Medical Center / New York Presbyterian Hospital and went on to secure a postdoctoral fellowship at The Motherhood Center of New York.