Soothe Your Nerves : The Black Woman's Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Fear
Author: Angela Neal-Barnett
List Price: $12.00
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ISBN: 0743225384
Publisher: Fireside (02 September, 2003)
Sales Rank: 609,810
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 4 out of 5
an important book
I've struggled with depression and anxiety for years and felt guilty about it because black women are taught that such things only happen to weak people or to whites. This old folk tale has ruined countless lives and came close to killing me. And then I found this book. It was the first inkling that my problems didn't stem from weakness or lack of character but was a genuine illness. I've since got up the courage to see a therapist and I'm doing better than I ever have before and it all started because I happened to see this book on the library shelf.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Fills a needed void
As an African American female and a doctoral student in psychology who specializes in research and treatment of anxiety disorders, I personally and professionally recommend this book to all readers who think they may suffer from "bad nerves." It is difficult to discuss anxiety disorders in a community as easily "spooked" by talk of mental health concerns as ours is, but Dr. Barnett manages to pull it off. My only slight criticism is that Dr. Barnett seems to often make the assumption that all of her readers are not only Christian, but Southern Baptist. Other than that, this is a very much needed addition to the popular literature on anxiety in African Americans, and I hope that individuals who could benefit from this book will pick it up.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Must-Have on Black Women's Book Shelves
As a black woman who has suffered from "bad nerves," Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett's book "Soothe Your Nerves" was a welcomed and much-needed work in my life. Everyone has heard of the SUPER WOMAN, those women who can be mother and worker and homemaker and lover, and whatever other titles there are to staple onto her. This super woman icon is even more prevalent in the black community, and when you have a culture that for the most part, would rather work out their problems themselves instead of seek outside help, it's not hard to see why thousands of black women suffer from anxiety disorders.What Neal-Barnett does in "Soothe Your Nerves" is first reassure women by letting them know that they are not weak because they need help, and then she explains reasons why black women-historically-have not sought outside help for their problems. From there, Neal-Barnett offers a variety of methods for women to utilize in order to begin the healing process and embark on reclaiming their lives. Outside of the great information that Neal-Barnett provides in the book, what I loved most about it is that I finally 'felt' that I was not alone, that there are others, like me, who need guidance, who need to be reassured that there is nothing wrong with them, that these problems can be removed. Neal-Barnett's book, I believe, can be used as a bridge to spark discussion and bring forth community among black women so we can create support systems and give the help that so many sisters need.
Shon Bacon
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