Book Description
Find freedom in an age of anxiety.
Let’s face it: we are afraid. Our world is riddled with fear-inducing headlines, financial meltdowns, family crises, and phobias of every stripe. No wonder the New York Times now reports one in ten Americans is now taking antidepressant or anxiety medication. So how do we cope or even succeed in a world spinning out of control? As someone who has battled panic attacks and anxiety most of his life, Lance Hahn can relate.
In How to Live in Fear, Lance tackles the pervasive problem of fear and panic head-on by inviting readers into his world. In this genuine and practical book, he invites readers into the life of a pastor living with anxiety disorder. Through humorous personal stories—like losing it on an airplane or collapsing onstage as he is about to preach—Lance will win over readers with his transparency. He will also share the remedies that have helped him recover and overcome throughout the years.
How to Live in Fear is a public intervention of sorts. We need to talk about this issue, especially the church-at-large. Millions of people suffer from anxiety disorders, and the church has done little to make them feel normal. Many Christians now take medication privately but keep it a secret under the shame of being viewed as a failure. Lance willingly bares his soul in order to get the conversation started. He firmly believes the church should not only recognize the issue, but also help believers reconcile the guilt of being a Christian while dealing with dread and anxiety
Filled with practical tips and advice, and full of relevant scriptures, How to Live in Fear gives readers the tools to relax in the face of fear—real or imagined. Lance will show readers that while he may still encounter bouts of panic, he has never let his disorder stop him from living a full life.
MY REVIEW:
5 stars. I absolutely LOVE that in the introduction the author says he is a Christian, and identifies anxiety as a medical disorder, and freely admits that he suffers from it. Medical disorder, mental health disorder – whatever! Call it what you will, but it is real. I heard a preacher once who stood in the pulpit and started off by apologizing to “all the mental health professionals who might be in the crowd listening” and went on to say that none of us (I am one of those mental health professionals that he apparently thinks are useless) would need a job if “everyone would just get right with the Lord”. That’s right. Sadly, teachings such as this are not uncommon, which do nothing to bring people into the Church, and only serve to further hurt and confuse people who are already suffering. So, thank you, Lance Hahn. The world needs more people who freely recognize that disorders such as this do, in fact, exist, and who will stand up and tell their story.
I typically do not like “self-help” books, especially in the category of mental health, from non-professionals in the field, because often they really don’t know what they’re talking about and are not experts on the subject. I would prefer that authors write these books as MEMOIRS instead, because really that’s what it is. Instead of telling others what they should do, just share with others how you did it and let that be the take-away. However, Lance Hahn did an excellent job of sharing his story and not getting too much into areas outside of his expertise and trying to tell people what they should do or pretending to be an expert where he isn’t. I got way more from the book, though, when he shared his story than I did when he tried to go “clinical” and give advice to others about what to do. Leave that up to the ones who really are the professionals and went to school for it. There are too many people out there trying to pretend to be the experts. I’m giving this as general advice to authors more than to this book specifically, because Lance actually danced that border but didn’t cross it too bad. Like he says in the book at one point, though, oftentimes the ones who are the “experts” and went to school aren’t the ones who actually suffer from the disorder, and he clearly does, so he brings to the table his real life experiences, which makes this book definitely worth the read.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
Find freedom in an age of anxiety.
Let’s face it: we are afraid. Our world is riddled with fear-inducing headlines, financial meltdowns, family crises, and phobias of every stripe. No wonder the New York Times now reports one in ten Americans is now taking antidepressant or anxiety medication. So how do we cope or even succeed in a world spinning out of control? As someone who has battled panic attacks and anxiety most of his life, Lance Hahn can relate.
In How to Live in Fear, Lance tackles the pervasive problem of fear and panic head-on by inviting readers into his world. In this genuine and practical book, he invites readers into the life of a pastor living with anxiety disorder. Through humorous personal stories—like losing it on an airplane or collapsing onstage as he is about to preach—Lance will win over readers with his transparency. He will also share the remedies that have helped him recover and overcome throughout the years.
How to Live in Fear is a public intervention of sorts. We need to talk about this issue, especially the church-at-large. Millions of people suffer from anxiety disorders, and the church has done little to make them feel normal. Many Christians now take medication privately but keep it a secret under the shame of being viewed as a failure. Lance willingly bares his soul in order to get the conversation started. He firmly believes the church should not only recognize the issue, but also help believers reconcile the guilt of being a Christian while dealing with dread and anxiety
Filled with practical tips and advice, and full of relevant scriptures, How to Live in Fear gives readers the tools to relax in the face of fear—real or imagined. Lance will show readers that while he may still encounter bouts of panic, he has never let his disorder stop him from living a full life.
MY REVIEW:
5 stars. I absolutely LOVE that in the introduction the author says he is a Christian, and identifies anxiety as a medical disorder, and freely admits that he suffers from it. Medical disorder, mental health disorder – whatever! Call it what you will, but it is real. I heard a preacher once who stood in the pulpit and started off by apologizing to “all the mental health professionals who might be in the crowd listening” and went on to say that none of us (I am one of those mental health professionals that he apparently thinks are useless) would need a job if “everyone would just get right with the Lord”. That’s right. Sadly, teachings such as this are not uncommon, which do nothing to bring people into the Church, and only serve to further hurt and confuse people who are already suffering. So, thank you, Lance Hahn. The world needs more people who freely recognize that disorders such as this do, in fact, exist, and who will stand up and tell their story.
I typically do not like “self-help” books, especially in the category of mental health, from non-professionals in the field, because often they really don’t know what they’re talking about and are not experts on the subject. I would prefer that authors write these books as MEMOIRS instead, because really that’s what it is. Instead of telling others what they should do, just share with others how you did it and let that be the take-away. However, Lance Hahn did an excellent job of sharing his story and not getting too much into areas outside of his expertise and trying to tell people what they should do or pretending to be an expert where he isn’t. I got way more from the book, though, when he shared his story than I did when he tried to go “clinical” and give advice to others about what to do. Leave that up to the ones who really are the professionals and went to school for it. There are too many people out there trying to pretend to be the experts. I’m giving this as general advice to authors more than to this book specifically, because Lance actually danced that border but didn’t cross it too bad. Like he says in the book at one point, though, oftentimes the ones who are the “experts” and went to school aren’t the ones who actually suffer from the disorder, and he clearly does, so he brings to the table his real life experiences, which makes this book definitely worth the read.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
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