Written by Dr. Frédéric Fanget
Edited by Catherine Meyer
Art by Pauline Aubry
Published by SelfMadeHero
If you’re a comic book fan, you’re likely to be aware of the fact that in the 1950s psychiatrist Dr. Fredric Wertham was one of the most vocal critics that the medium of comics has ever had.
Wertham’s book, Seduction of the Innocent drew national attention and stirred up PTA parents all across the country.
The good doctor even testified against comics in front of Congress.
It’s generally believed that he meant well, despite going so far as to make up situations to prove his hypothesis that crime comics caused crimes.
Dr. Wertham wasn’t the only psychiatrist to protest comic books, either, but it was he who inspired the image of the anti-comics crusader who just happened to be a psychiatrist.
Dr. Frédéric Fanget, co-author, with Catherine Meyer and illustrator Pauline Aubrey, of the new graphic novel The Anxiety Club is described in the book as “a practicing psychotherapist and a leading expert in treating anxiety. A teacher at the University of Lyon in France, he is also a best‐selling author.” He means well, too, and in fact, Dr. Fanget is of the opinion that the comics form can be used to actually make a difference in readers’ mental health.
This brings us to the book at hand, The Anxiety Club: How to Survive Modern Life. I defy anyone living in today’s world and paying a lick of attention to honestly say that they don’t suffer anxiety, at least at times. Others—myself included—specialize in it. The Anxiety Club is a real self-help book, with real medical information.
The book’s five chapters—each with sub-sections—are “The Faces of Anxiety,” “Some Keys to Understanding,” “Anxiety’s Disaster Cinema,” “The Causes of Anxiety,” and “In Treatment.”
A cartoon version of Dr. Fanget himself is our host, leading us through a basic understanding of various forms and causes of anxiety and then possible steps for treatment of them. All of this is done in an extremely simplified manner, but not in any way dumbing it down. Instead, it just makes it all so much easier for the average person to understand, despite the fact that it’s all been translated from the original French.
I, myself, have long suffered from anxiety and panic attacks. I recognize that they’re what has held me back from being even more successful than I have been in life, work, or even creative endeavors.
As a child, I was both the loudest, most raucous kid, with the biggest laugh, and yet at the same time, I had a crippling shyness that made it difficult for me to interact with new people, or even people that I knew if they were in groups. As an adult, this manifested in a distinct fear of confrontation that often held me back at work.
In recent years, I have developed a type of post-traumatic stress disorder after numerous instances of water invading our house.
Beginning in 2011 we have had not one, not two, but three instances of our basement being flooded with four feet of raw sewage. Between those times, high winds blew off a portion of our roof and water began pouring into our son’s bedroom. Another time, a portion of siding was ripped off in the wind and water began falling down the walls of our kitchen!
Finally, decaying mortar in the bricks of our house allowed one heavy rain to literally cause a severe leak in our first floor living room! These kinds of things can get to you. I used to love rain but now I pull the curtains, put on headphones and sometimes rock back and forth in my chair, just hoping it doesn’t happen again!
I’ve tried anxiety meds and they just made me loopy. I’ve checked out numerous bestselling self-help books and none have really helped me.
Sadly, The Anxiety Club didn’t, either.
That said, I can’t say that it wouldn’t help others. It really has a clever format, it’s extremely informative, in mostly very basic (albeit translated) English, and with very relatable (sadly) characters.
It’s worth a read if you’ve ever had the slightest issues with anxiety…and, as noted, these days, it’s hard to escape it!
Booksteve recommends.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login