Fear Is No Longer My Reality

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 31. JAN. 2005

Thanks to the reality TV show The Bachelorette, Blyth is now known to millions of Americans as a "finalist"-and millions more know him as a guest on Oprah talking about his panic/anxiety disorder. Now he relates in full the story of how his disorder developed and, more importantly, how he overcame it, offering hope and concrete advice to others who suffer from debilitating anxiety. Blyth relates how he, an outgoing and secure boy, was first struck by panic and social anxiety (a crippling fear of being seen and judged by others) while in college, when it caused him to lock himself in his dorm room for a month. "Panic seemed like an insurmountable wall, and I couldn't see any future beyond it," he writes. His book is chock full of comments and advice from experts in social and other anxiety disorders, and Blyth explains various forms of treatment, from medication to therapy and guided imagery, and what worked and didn't work for him. Particularly for young people, who will identify with Blyth, this is a very good starting place to get past that terrifying wall of anxiety.