Little Panic

Little Panic is a memoir chronicling Amanda Stern's experience growing up with undiagnosed panic disorder in 1970s and 80s Greenwich Village. The narrative follows her journey from childhood through early adulthood as she navigates school, family relationships, and daily life while grappling with intense anxiety and fear. Through a mix of memory, medical records, and psychological evaluations, Stern reconstructs her struggles with a condition that neither she nor the adults in her life understood. The book details her numerous encounters with doctors, specialists, and school administrators who misinterpreted or dismissed her symptoms. Stern alternates between past and present perspectives, contrasting her childhood experiences with her adult understanding of panic disorder. Her account of growing up in a rapidly changing New York City provides context for her personal story, incorporating the cultural and social landscape of the era. The memoir examines broader questions about the relationship between identity and mental health, and the impact of receiving a diagnosis after years of uncertainty. By focusing on her formative years, Stern illustrates how early experiences with anxiety can shape a person's development and worldview.

Readers describe Little Panic as an intimate look at growing up with undiagnosed anxiety in 1970s-80s New York City. The raw honesty and detailed descriptions of panic attacks resonate with many who have experienced anxiety. Readers appreciated: - The unique writing style that shifts between child and adult perspectives - Detailed portrayal of how anxiety physically and mentally feels - Integration of psychological test results and medical records Common criticisms: - Repetitive passages and scenes - Length could have been shorter - Some found the childhood sections overdetailed Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (150+ ratings) Notable reader comments: "Reading this felt like someone finally put my exact experiences into words" - Goodreads reviewer "The format is innovative but the pacing drags in places" - Amazon reviewer "Her description of constant catastrophic thinking hit home" - Barnes & Noble reviewer

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🔹 Author Amanda Stern lived undiagnosed with panic disorder for 25 years before receiving proper treatment, which inspired her to write this memoir of growing up with anxiety in 1970s and '80s New York City. 🔹 The book weaves together actual psychological evaluations from Stern's childhood with her personal memories, creating a unique narrative structure that mirrors the fragmented nature of anxiety. 🔹 Stern grew up in the same Greenwich Village building as Gilda Radner, and the legendary comedian's presence features in her memories of childhood. 🔹 The author incorporates research about how the brain processes fear and anxiety throughout the memoir, making it both a personal story and an educational resource about mental health. 🔹 The book's title, "Little Panic," comes from what Stern called her anxiety as a child, believing it was a separate entity from herself that would eventually go away when she grew up.