Attacking Anxiety: From Panicked and Depressed to Alive and Free by Shawn Johnson Book Review

He begins the book by sharing how he was driving on the expressway when he suffered from a panic attack. He was on the phone to his wife, Jill and they have been married for over 20 years. He had three children and he was the pastor of a large church, Red Rocks. He told his wife that he didn’t think he would be able to make it home. He was feeling very claustrophobic and his chest was tightening. His mind was going blurry and he felt like he needed to escape. He felt like this was the very end and he thought he would be forever in pain. He remembers pulling over and screaming and sobbing. His wife come with two of his friends and he told them that he quit and that he didn’t want to be a pastor anymore. They took him home and he was still shaking and he made them removed his guns from the house. He couldn’t trust himself. He needed a miracle from God. In the book, he went into details about how he was able to find freedom. He sought help from one of his pastor friends and he spend two weeks with different health professionals and then 7 weeks in counseling. He reminded readers that they aren’t crazy, alone, and that this will end. He touched on a little about how his father left town when he discovered he was going to become a dad. He never has met him. His mother had a heroin addiction and he was left on a stranger’s doorsteps with a note and a number to call. She was preparing to jump off a bridge but when she did, she survived with just a few broken bones. He shared how at 24 years old he tried to kill himself because he was struggling with depression. God was with him throughout all of these events. In the book, he will guide readers on how to deal with anxiety and what has worked for him.  

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is struggling with depression and anxiety. This book was really inspiring and contained tons of helpful suggestions. I immensely liked how he stated 20 Bible verses about who God is in every situation. These enclosed that we are loved, valued, accepted, more than a conqueror, just to name a few. These are great reminders meant to be studied. God’s word can help you get through it. I also enjoyed the discussions on weapons to use against the fight and how critical it is to use worship and prayer. I liked the topic of forgiveness and how we can heal and make the choice to forgive. I also liked the story about Brian and his wedding to Kelly and this would have been the smallest wedding he has ever officiated. At the time, he was busy playing the comparison game against other pastors and almost missed this opportunity. God used this story to change his life and readers will be shocked to hear Kelly’s story. This book is probably one of the best books I have read on the topic of anxiety and depression. The author’s story is very inspiring and will help readers in their battle. 

 

 

 

“I received this book free from Thomas Nelson for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Attacking-Anxiety-Panicked-Depressed-Alive-ebook/dp/B09831LKM1