My Age of Anxiety

Scott looks like someone who has everything together: a strong marriage, two children, and professional success. But underneath, he’s been living with relentless anxiety since early childhood—an anxiety that has shaped his body, his relationships, and his ability to move through ordinary life without fear.

This summary follows Scott’s search for clarity and relief, weaving personal experience with research on the brain, modern life, therapy approaches, medication, and the lasting impact of childhood and genetics. Along the way, it offers a steady, compassionate reminder: anxiety is real, complex, and common—and with the right supports, it can be understood, managed, and even channeled into strength.

• Anyone living with anxiety or phobias who wants to feel less alone—and more hopeful about understanding what’s happening inside them
• Listeners who are curious about why anxiety seems more widespread today, and how biology, culture, and personal history all play a role
• Friends, partners, parents, or coworkers who want a more compassionate, informed way to relate to someone struggling with anxiety

Scott is presented here as a writer and magazine leader who has lived with severe anxiety since early childhood. Across decades of therapy, medication, and self-study, he combines personal experience with scientific and psychological perspectives to better understand what anxiety is, why it persists, and how it can be lived with more wisely.