14 books on anxiety that portray the complexity of the psychological

Anxiety is a disorder that affects most people today. To better understand the subject, experts have written several books, both academic and literary, that punctuate the debate. If you are looking to learn more about the subject, check out 14 book recommendations on anxiety below and get reading!

1. The glass bell jar

“A bell jar” is an emblematic novel of American literature. Written by Sylvia Plath in 1963, the work is the only novel published by the author, who committed suicide the following year. The book has a poetic prose and follows the trajectory of the young Esther Greenwood, who has her life transformed by an opportunity to work at a fashion magazine in New York, developing, throughout the narrative, severe anxiety and depression. It is a portrait of how the disease can affect young people, as well as the psychiatric treatments of the time. It is worth a careful reading, because it is sensitive and cruel at the same time.

2. Diaries of Sylvia Plath: 1950-1962

The author who started journaling at age eleven never stopped. In “Diaries of Sylvia Plath”, we can follow the entire development of the author as a writer, poet and scholar. In addition, we have access to the intimate of a very talented writer who suffered from anxiety attacks and went through depression. The compilation of diaries was published in 2017 and follows 12 years of the writer’s life. There are almost 800 thought-provoking pages that go behind the scenes of his artistic production, his relationships and personal insecurities.

3. My year of rest and relaxation

A beautiful young woman, a dream job, a large inheritance, all in New York. The big twist is that Ottessa Moshfegh’s protagonist hibernates for a year. It could be a gap year, but it’s a year supported by psychiatric medications. Published in 2020 by the publisher However, another one of the books on anxiety portrays the feeling of emptiness through language considered comic or acid.

4. Days of abandonment

“Dias de abandonment” was published in 2002. It is the third novel by the mysterious writer Elena Ferrante. Another of the books on anxiety tells the story of Olga, a 38-year-old wife and mother, abandoned by her husband without further explanation. It follows, then, the protagonist’s journey through a situation of anguish and rejection. It is one of the most famous books of recent Italian literature!

5. One Two

The debut novel by Brazilian journalist Eliane Brum is impressive. Written in 2014, “Uma Duas” tells the story of the relationship between Laura and Maria Lúcia, daughter and mother. Amid the traumas that each one carries, it is another one of the books on anxiety that uses harsh language about psychological disorders and their consequences in the future relationships of these two women.

6. Die, love

The mismatch between expectation and reality in motherhood is presented in this book. Argentinian writer Ariana Harwicz explores the devastating effects of depression and anxiety on the life of a woman who has just become a mother but has become lost in her constant unhappiness and is on the verge of a breakdown. It is considered one of the “courageous” books on anxiety for dealing with such sensitive topics in an honest way.

7. Maybe you should talk to someone

Lori Gottlieb takes a leap of courage when she writes the book “Maybe you should talk to someone”, published in 2020. In the face of everyday events, everyone experiences conflicting situations and suffering that lead them to seek help from a professional. For a therapist, this is no different. And perhaps this is the book’s great differential, as it shows the fragility that we all have, including psychology professionals.

8. The air I lack

Luiz Schwarcz is the author of the book “O ar que me fala”, released in 2021. In the book, Schwarcz reports and rescues, in a sensitive way, the family’s memories. The past revolves around his father’s escape and grandfather’s death in the concentration camps of World War II, while the author’s present portrays the consequences. It’s another one of the autobiographical anxiety books by someone who has had to live with the pain, the depression of that loss, and the psychological upheavals that came with it.

9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

In the book “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”, published in 2006, Jonathan Safran Foer tells the story of Oskar, a 9-year-old boy, full of quirks and who is faced with the death of his father, one of the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center. In addition, the book stands out for its aesthetics as well, full of typed pages, letters, diaries and photos from collections. To deal with pain and grief, Oskar delves into a world of imagination and tries to endure what is cruelest in life.

10. The advantages of being invisible

In “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, a book written by Stephen Chbosky and published in 1999, we have the story of Charlie, a teenager who suffers from depression. Through letters, the protagonist tells the dilemmas, conflicts, pains and adventures he goes through in his life. The character takes us on a very intimate journey of how anxiety and depression can affect a teenager’s life. Charlie’s story is one of honesty, as it reveals what the reality is like for someone who needs it, but doesn’t know how to ask for help. He is intimate, true and very sensitive.

11. Normal people

One of the bestsellers of 2020 is the book about anxiety “Normal people”, written by Irish Salley Rooney. The novel tells the story of meetings and disagreements between Connell and Marianne, two young people who have been dating in secret since high school and have the terrible habit of not exposing their true feelings. Therefore, they deal with their insecurities as anxiously as possible, anticipating tragedies that would never exist if they talked. It is a very beautiful novel and very close to the reality of young people!

12. Empty glass

In her 2021 work “Cup empty”, Natália Timermam explores the feeling of abandonment in current times. In the story, Timermam presents the protagonist Mirela who, after meeting Pedro on one of these dating apps, suffers from ghosting, that is, she was left without ever knowing the real reason. The climax of this novel is how Mirela fills voids never explained, remembering moments, looking for reasons. Years later, Mirela meets Pedro again and, from there, the character makes a new journey to the feelings of pain and disturbance.

13. Diary of an anxious woman or how I stopped sabotaging myself

In an honest and comic way, Beth Evans, author of one of the anxiety books “Diary of an anxious woman or how I stopped sabotaging myself”, published in 2018, addresses the dilemmas and challenges of reaching adulthood. With irreverence, the author writes about her own stories and portrays issues involving anxiety and depression. And more than portraying stories that involve anguish, Beth seeks to welcome and pass the message that we are not always well, and that is normal.

14. In amazing places

Published in 2015, Jennifer Niven’s “Across Amazing Places” portrays the teenage universe and how guilt, depression and suicide are recurring themes. After losing her sister in an accident, the character Violet Markey starts to live with the feeling of guilt for surviving. Theodore Finch, who attends the same school as Violet, is considered a freak and is constantly humiliated. Sharing problems, the two young people connect while doing a school project. Gradually, the pain they carry ends up becoming the strength needed to continue.

The topic is much explored in the literature, and this list will help and inspire you to read more about the subject, in a light way. If you want to continue on similar topics, this article about self-help books can inspire you even more!