Kat Kinsman is a food writer so I’ve been familiar with her work and connected with her on social media for years so I was excited that she had a book coming out. It isn’t food related (although she does explain how she got various food writing related jobs) but you know I love a memoir especially ones about mental health.

Hi, Anxiety was well-written and well-paced, something I appreciate in a memoir. It is in roughly chronological order even though it was broken up into essays organized by her particular anxieties like dancing, getting her haircut and having children. I couldn’t always relate to her intense anxiety as I would say my personal anxieties are on the lower scale and not debilitating as hers are at times.

She has had a rough time of things, a truly evil childhood “friend” tormented her relentlessly, she had a long term boyfriend who turned out to have lied about his name, marital status and even the city he lived in. She worked through the break up by becoming  Mistress Cherry, a dominatrix, which I think wins as the most unusual alternative to therapy. She came out the other side and ended up with a rabbit (which she relates to because they are prey animals and thus always anxious) and a husband who not only accepts her anxieties (which are quite intense) but embraces them and two dogs. Even though it wasn’t a self-help book, it really was inspiring to see how even though she has to deal with all this and some physical/digestive issues she really flourished in her career (mostly by faking it until you make it) and ended up with a really great husband and life. I also appreciated that she is also someone who chooses to be childfree after reading a bunch of books about mothers and motherhood lately.