Ford, Emily, with Michael R. Liebowitz, MD and Linda Wasmer Andrews. What you must think of me; a firsthand account of one teenager's experience with social anxiety disorder

Kliatt, Jan, 2008 by Nola Theiss

FORD, Emily, with Michael R. Liebowitz, MD and Linda Wasmer Andrews. What you must think of me; a firsthand account of one teenager's experience with social anxiety disorder. Oxford Univ. Press. 152p. notes. bibliog, index, c2007. 978-0-19-531303-1. $9.95. JSA

This book will be an invaluable addition to middle and high school libraries and to guidance counselors' collections of reference books. Emily Ford suffered from Social Anxiety Disorder throughout her adolescence and early adulthood. She vividly recounts how the disease affected her ability to deal with the "normal" stress of peer relationships, academic expectations, home life and all the other everyday stress-producing aspects of growing up. As a young teacher herself and with the help of a medical professional and science writer, she is able to tell her story in a way young people will relate to, and also uses charts and sidebars to explain the medical and psychological aspects of the disease. She clearly distinguishes between shyness and this disorder. She returns to her old high school to ask her teachers and staff who knew her to relate how they viewed her and compares that to the way she felt she was being perceived to show the disconnect many sufferers of this disorder feel. She concludes the book with frequently asked questions and a list of resources: organizations and websites as well as an extensive bibliography, glossary and index. Students, parents and professionals who may have contact with sufferers of this disorder will find this book extremely helpful. Nola Theiss, Sanibel, FL