Welcome to the What I’ve Been Reading series. Note about me: I love to read. Both fiction and non-fiction. Since no one on the planet (probably) has enough time to read all the self-help books out there, I decided to share about what I’m reading to help others decide if it’s something they may be interested in. Enjoy a brief review of the book (my opinion only) and some vague take-aways.

I recently finished Unf*ck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers, by Faith G. Harper. This book was recommended to me by a client who found it incredibly helpful, so I decided to give it a try. My one-sentence review would be: incredibly helpful if you can get past all the curse words.

Seriously… a lot of cursing in this one. Some readers may love it, some may hate it, some may tolerate it. I’m in the tolerate group. It was just a lot of expletives and it got to the point where I sort of rolled my eyes when the author would drop another f-bomb.

BUT cursing aside, this book was great. The author comes across as very genuine (I listened to the audiobook, which helped me come to this conclusion), has a great sense of humor, and definitely worded things in ways that would make sense to readers with no knowledge of the brain and/or psychology. She went in deep to explain what is going on in our brains that causes anxiety and depression. She explains how trauma affects our thought/behavior patterns, and that it all is how our brain is trying to cope. I believe many will find this helpful, as sometimes, especially with anxiety, it helps to just know why we feel/think the way we do.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was that “emotions are supposed to last 90 seconds, but we continue to fuel them with our thoughts”… and “with our behaviors.” Wow. Reading that was like a light-bulb moment for me. How often do we let our thoughts make our moods last for hours… days… even weeks or months?

Another big takeaway was that “rumination is a way of insisting on processing over and over in a nonsensical way. Avoiding is just refusing to acknowledge it at all.” And that both of these are our efforts to take control over our experiences, instead of accepting it, processing it, and moving on. She says, “If I can fixate on it, I can control it from happening again. If I avoid it, I can erase it from existence in the past, present, and future.” I see these patterns so frequently in my clients (and sometimes myself!), and this explanation is a game-changer for me.

The author also discusses some helpful coping techniques… including talking to someone about it. And reminding yourself that you’re in control NOW, even if you weren’t in the past. There were other practical ideas for dealing with emotions included as well.

If you’re dealing with anxiety and/or depression, and you can at least tolerate all the cursing, I highly recommend this book. I’d have something to write with and write on handy, as you are probably going to want to take notes – I took notes in the Notes app on my phone. If you’re currently in therapy, you could also see if your therapist is willing to discuss the concepts in this book – as I therapist, I always am willing if a client wants to discuss something they’ve read.

Lastly, I want to remind readers about access to books at their local libraries. I put this book on hold via my library’s website, and picked it two days later. Many libraries also have a website or mobile app where library patrons are able to borrow ebooks or audiobooks. I was unable to find an audiobook version of this book, but it’s possible my library just doesn’t own rights to one.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I am a licensed independent mental health practitioner and certified professional counselor, but I am not your therapist. The information in this article is for general informational purposes only. This article does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you need specific recommendations based on your individual circumstances, please consult with a mental health practitioner near you.