Read a Novel, Beat Anxiety

by

Tracy Shawn, MA

Author of The Grace of Crows

The anxiety that comes with being human occurs in degrees. Some happy-go-lucky types only have to experience the worry that comes from dealing with real-life events; others suffer from unrelenting dread, no matter what's happening on the outside surface of their lives. But no matter the degree, readers relate to characters in novels with wholly different—and more times than not—much bigger problems and issues than themselves.

One of my intents in writing my debut novel, The Grace of Crows, was to present readers with a heroines journey, which will help them feel less alone in their anxieties and irrational fears, as well as let them know there's hope. Purposely crafting this story as a novel that I would have wanted to read when I had been stuck in the darkest years of my own anxiety, I'm pleased to say that a great number of reviewers on Amazon have shared how they related to the protagonist's struggles and ultimate triumph.  

I've read a great number of helpful nonfiction books on anxiety, but I've always known that reading fiction is also healing. By creating a sense of stepping into a hero/heroines world and taking that journey alongside him or her, a reader can feel a sense of connection and confidence. It is what is referred to as bibliotherapy, a term first coined by Presbyterian minister Samuel M. Crothers in 1916, who combined the Greek words for therapy and books. Bibliotherapy—whether it is given this title or not in practice—has been used by therapists, librarians, and nurses for many years and in many environments (for example, during the First World War, librarians and nurses used reading to encourage both physical and emotional recovery for soldiers).

Now science confirms the healing power of a good novel. In a recent study at Emory University, the lead author and neuroscientist, Professor Gregory Berns is quoted in the university's eScienceCommons blog: "The neural changes that we found associated with physical sensation and movement systems suggest that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist."

It's apparent that researchers and readers are on the same page. So remember that a prescription for your distress may just be an arm's length away — to your bedside table—where that novel is patiently waiting for you to step inside and embark on your own inner journey.

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her educational background includes a master's degree in clinical psychology. Her award-winning novel, The Grace of Crows, is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a "stunning debut novel" by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has also been hailed as an accurate portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder and a healing opportunity to the reader.

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