Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lisa Beech, Asst. Publicity Director
lbeech@penguinrandomhouse.com /(719) 268-1917
40 Million Americans Suffer from Anxiety and Depression; Popular Mommy Blogger Knows Firsthand the Added Obstacles Women of Faith Face in Coping with Anxiety
“Through the years, I've watched multitudes of parents work through their consuming fears to find a way to live unburdened and free from the weight that once gripped them. What Becky has written in this work is biblically sound, deeply encouraging, and filled with wisdom that will speak to your heart. You can be the mom God wants you to be and the loving, emotionally close mom your kids need. Know that God's heart is toward you as you begin.” – Foreword by Dr. Tim Clinton, President of the American Association of Christian Counselors
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Becky Thompson, bestselling author, blogger, and podcaster with over 1 million Facebook followers on her Midnight Mom Devotional page, encourages Christian women not to be ashamed about their anxiety. In her new book, PEACE: Hope and Healing for the Anxious Momma’s Heart (September 8, WaterBrook), Thompson offers spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and practical steps to lead readers to find hope and healing.
Anxiety disorders are different from daily feelings of nervousness. Rather, anxiety occurs when a person’s fear is not proportional to the situation, and response to that fear impedes everyday life. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States.” Furthermore, women are twice as likely to have anxiety disorders as men.
Thompson has lived with anxiety most of her life and shares personal experiences in this book. The fix, she explains, isn’t just a matter of praying more, telling yourself it’s going to be okay, or having more faith. Instead, one needs to figure out the internal and external factors that are contributing to the disorder. Thompson knows how dark, lonely, and overwhelming the forest of fear can feel for a Christian. But whether a mom has always been afraid or is wondering how she’s gotten to that place, Thompson points the way forward.
In her friendly momma’s voice, Thompson shares:
• It’s OK not to be OK—women do not have to feel shame about their condition
• Those who struggle with anxiety have a problem, but THEY are NOT the problem
• Sensible Stepping Stones (routine, diet, exercise, medical care)
• Miraculous moments are still miracles
• Anxiety does not disqualify you from being a woman full of faith
• How to be a "Trail Angel"—Why women need to walk with other women while still struggling with anxiety and not just when they feel they have conquered it
• We must be as vigilant about protecting our own hearts from fear as we are about
protecting our children from danger
Peace is about knowing the way out rather than knowing how someone got there and about identifying solid places for hearts to find rest and meet with Jesus in the journey. “When we choose to operate from a place of assurance in the power of God rather than from fear of the dangers of the world,” writes Thompson, “we can rest in the peace that comes from the one who created the universe.”
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