Your Worry Makes Sense

Your Worry Makes Sense is a book by Dr Martin Brunet, a NHS General Practitioner (GP), exploring mental health, but primarily anxiety and the complexity that it is. I was originally suggested this book by a client who was finding it interesting and helpful, and as is often the case, I was so happy to receive this book suggestion.

I have had plenty of frustration with my local doctor, or GP, and I know this isn't a situation unique to my experience. So reading a book by a GP where they talk about their own experiences and share their knowledge honestly was both refreshing and very humanising. To have it acknowledged that something like anxiety is not only hard to approach a GP with, but also something that can often be undervalued or overlooked, is excellent to hear from a GP. So to hear Dr Marin Brunet talk about their own experiences, and their work with patients on the real and impactful experience that anxiety brings was inspiring.

This book explores what feels like all facets of anxiety, and then some that you probably didn't think about when hearing the word anxiety. However, it takes the conversation a step further and explores what can help, from tips you can implement yourself, psychoeducation, and even discussing therapeutic and medication interventions. It is this step further that I find most helpful about this book, and will make it a book I will be recommending to people, as Dr Martin Brunet talks with the reader in a friendly, non-condescending way, acknowledging the difficulties that trying to get a grasp on anxiety can bring.

As somebody who works a lot with neurodivergent people, I was initially a bit concerned when reading the chapter that focused on strategies to manage anxiety. This was because a lot of the focus seemed to be aimed at CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), and I know that traditional CBT can clash with a neurodivergent brain, often causing more issues than it helps. To my surprise, this was not only acknowledged, but suggestions were made on types of therapies to search for instead if CBT doesn't work for you. As somebody who reads with diversity in mind when it comes to books like this, it was refreshing to see the inclusion.

All in all, Your Worry Makes Sense gets a worthy inclusion in my list of books I will suggest to people. Whilst it is unlikely to change your life, it will likely make a difference in a meaningful way. So if you have a little or a lot of anxiety, then give it a go.