Your Worry Makes Sense - Book Launch Saturday 29th March 3-4.30pm

One of our doctors, Martin Brunet, has written a book on anxiety and burnout for a general readership which is due to be published on 21st March and he would love to invite you to his book launch! It is open to all and a free event which will be of interest to anyone who would like to learn more about how anxiety can affect us, how it is entirely logical and never foolish, and how it can be overcome!

Please see the details below about how to reserve your place.

Here is what Martin has to say about why he has written the book:

I came across a fascinating Old English word the other day – ‘uhtcearu’ (oot-key-are-oo) which expresses ‘the sorrow before the dawn’. It is the feeling you get when you lie awake at night in the darkness and worry for the day to come. I imagined an Anglo-Saxon in their wattle and daub hut and felt strangely comforted by this powerful reminder that worry has always been part of being human. The psalmist may say ‘your consolation brought me joy’, but only after declaring that ‘anxiety was great within me’ (Psalm 94 v 19).

And yet, there is no doubt that anxiety is on the increase and that the cares of the 21st century are hard to navigate. Worrying is both natural and bewildering; it can leave us feeling foolish, frustrated and trapped. Instinctively, we often reach for solutions that seem to help in the moment, but often make things worse; real solutions seem harder to grasp, too difficult to comprehend. As a GP, I see this every working day. People say to me, ‘I know it’s foolish but…’ when I know their experience is entirely understandable and not foolish at all; or, ‘I’m not the sort of person who gets depressed,’ while I’m thinking they’re exactly the sort of person who’s at risk of burnout. Helping people to make sense of their worry is a key part of my role, and I love this aspect of my job. In my practice, I can only work with one patient at a time, and yet there are so many people who feel trapped by their anxiety. I wanted to do more, and so I started writing. Four years on and my book, Your Worry Makes Sense, is about to be published!

I am so pleased with the title of the book, because I hope to help people really make sense of their worry and lessen the fear of fear that often keeps us trapped. The book aims to empower readers to retake control and manage their worry. I’ve included a whole section on burnout, as well as chapters on breathing, sleep and both medical and psychological treatments.

The book will be published on 21st March and I’m delighted to be holding a Book Launch at Guildford Baptist Church on Saturday 29th March at 3.30pm. The book launch is free to attend and open to all. I will be taking part in a conversation about mental health (imagine a live podcast!) and will read some key sections from the book to whet your appetite! Hannah Robinson, who did the powerfully witty illustrations for the book, will be joining me to discuss how she brought my ideas to life so effectively and there will be refreshments! I will also be announcing details of a series of evening seminars on anxiety which I will be running at Guildford Baptist Church in June and July.