The Age of Anxiety

Most people lose a night of sleep from time to time, worrying about something - work, money, family, health, what have you. Then there are those who go beyond the occasional bout of worry - those whose lives are defined by anxiety, who avoid social situations and who can’t stop their minds from constantly imagining the worst case scenario.

A few people, like Woody Allen, can turn constant anxiety into a career in comedy, but most people who suffer anxiety aren’t so lucky. It can be debilitating and isolating. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety is the most common mental illness in America. That’s why researchers are trying to get a better understanding of the anxious mind.

Reporter Robin Marantz Henig wrote about those efforts for The New York Time Magazines, and she joins us with more on what she learned.

The New York Times Magazine: "Understanding the Anxious Mind"

(Photo by Taaalia via Flickr/Creative Commons)