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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In his self-help book Deleting Anxiety: Why Your Anxiety Is Lying to You and How to Push Back by Brian J. Fernandez, LMFT, anxiety is described as a survival alarm, misapplied in settings where it is wholly unnecessary. Fernandez explains how the brain converts the possibility of issues into certainty, then triggers a heightened form of bodily defense before conscious thought even emerges. Fernandez traces this sequence from threat detection through physical symptoms that narrow attention, then reinforce avoidance. He tells us that threat reappraisal is a cognitive action that revises perceived danger through observable evidence. This shift restores evaluative reasoning, where activation declines despite circumstances remaining unchanged. Through repeated use of his method, neural pathways reshape through neuroplastic change, weakening automatic responses across time.
Brian J. Fernandez’s Deleting Anxiety is a self-help guide that reframes fear responses through neuroscience, cognitive skill building, and behavioral application for readers. As someone who is frequently plagued with anxiety, it is an issue that has easily disrupted periods of work and even relationships. Fernandez does a great job of explaining the biology behind fear, which I found particularly helpful in understanding how this operates in this overstimulated digital age. His writing style is really comfortable and accessible, and includes wonderful practical applications readers can use immediately. As someone who has spent plenty of nights in bed, replaying conversations from decades ago in my mind and still feeling embarrassment and anxiety over them, Fernandez's method of practicing threat reappraisal during a racing thought at night is perfect. Overall, this is an excellent read. Very highly recommended.