“A useful work… The insight alone, linking anxiety to grief, is worth the price of admission. If Smith’s ideas of ‘resilient grieving’ help even one reader cope with the trauma and fearful thoughts of anxiety, she will have done a great service.”
—Kirkus Reviews
This groundbreaking book explores the little-known yet critical connections between anxiety and grief, with practical strategies for healing, following the renowned Kübler-Ross stages model
Anxiety disorders are on the rise; many people are looking for resources to help them cope with anxiety, yet most people aren’t aware that unresolved grief is a primary underpinning–or that the two are related at all. In my own therapy practice and life, I’ve discovered the connections between anxiety and grief. In my upcoming book, backed by research, case studies, and interviews, I break down the physiology of anxiety, giving readers a concrete foundation of understanding in order to help them heal the anxiety caused by loss. Taking a big step beyond Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ widely accepted five stages, Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief explains the intimate connection between death and grief and how they specifically cause anxiety–unpacking everything from our age-old fears about mortality to the bare vulnerability a loss can make us feel.
With concrete tools and coping strategies for panic attacks, getting a handle on anxious thoughts, and more, Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief bridges these two emotions in a way that is deeply empathetic and eminently practical.
“Claire Bidwell Smith has brought light to one of life’s most difficult and dark periods. She helps us understand grief better and ourselves in the process, all the while guiding us like an old friend.”
— Dr. BJ Miller, UCSF palliative care physician
“Both soothing and informative.”
— The New York Times
“I created this 50-page workbook as a gift to all of my readers. It goes hand in hand with each chapter and helps you apply the concepts and tools to your unique situation.” – Claire Bidwell Smith
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Anxiety: the missing stage of grief
“The world of grief—rote with repeated thoughts over what happened, what might have been, and what might be—provides the perfect breeding ground for anxiety. In pinpointing the connections between the two, Claire Bidwell Smith is the warm and wise friend guiding you toward deeper control over your thoughts, instead of your thoughts wielding control over you.”
— Rebecca Soffer, coauthor of Modern Loss: Candid Conversation about Grief. Beginners Welcome
“Claire Bidwell Smith’s Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief sheds light on a largely hidden dimension of what many grieving people experience: anxiety. Through her own personal experience of loss as well as expertise as a therapist and grief counselor, this book is written with compassion and insight. By naming the experience, she gives readers power. Bidwell Smith’s book will be the missing link in understanding and eventual mastery for the many facing common feelings of uneasiness and fear following a loss.”
— Shoshana Ungerleider, Physician & Founder, End Well
“In Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief, Claire Bidwell Smith has found yet another way to powerfully illuminate and deepen our understanding of what it means to grieve. Drawing upon her personal experience with deep loss as well as her many years of working as a grief counselor, Bidwell Smith offers fresh insight into the connection between grief and anxiety. Bidwell Smith’s profound compassion for those who’ve experienced loss has already helped so many people. This trailblazing book will help many more.”
— Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild
“Claire Bidwell Smith lifts up and sheds light on an aspect of grief that too often lurks just below the surface: anxiety. Bidwell Smith draws on the knowledge of numerous experts, shares the experiences of her clients, and offers simple yet powerful exercises for the reader to try. But the voice that will comfort, encourage, and ultimately empower the reader is Bidwell Smith herself. This book is a balm to the souls of those who worry and grieve, and never quite understood the connection.”
— Kerry Egan, author of ON LIVING