Smith’s memoir, Monkey Mind, dives into the heart of his anxiety problems, stemming back from his earliest memories and experiences. His mother, suffering from crippling anxiety herself, amusingly becomes a therapist who brings her work home where Daniel listens to her sessions through the vents. He recalls his mother blaming herself for everything, but doesn’t give her all the blame; besides genetic influence, Daniel also admits and divulges details to that awkward first sexual encounter with Esther, a curvy co-worker, and another random woman who Esther met at a bar. This situation, instead of being a teenage boy’s dream, ends with disastrous and embarrassing results for Daniel.
More humorous and embarrassing scenes are included within; I love the one particular scene of how Smith ingeniously solves his problem of constant sweating. (so funny!)
Contrasting passages are abundant within the book – there are scenes so funny that I can’t help but laugh out loud; but, at times moments so sad and depressing because I know this is much more detrimental than the author makes it seem. Smith also included factual tidbits that are actually quite interesting; he notes certain performers that suffer from extreme anxiety and explicates on the struggles they regularly face.
As humans, we all suffer from stress and anxiety to a certain degree, and this was an eye-opening book that I read with much enthusiasm. But Daniel Smith’s personal narrative is a human admission to how anxiety can put us in a chokehold and take over our lives yet also reminds us that we must move forward– with a few laughs along the way.
*For more information about the author Daniel Smith and his book, please check out his website “The Monkey Mind Chronicles.”