53 pages • 1 hour read
Judson BrewerA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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In Unwinding Anxiety, Dr. Judson Brewer makes a compelling argument that mindfulness is more than a trend—it’s an ideal treatment for many mental health problems, from depression to anxiety and addictions. Brewer considers anxiety and depression to be closely related mental conditions because of the way they both rely on rumination. He explains, “[D]epressed individuals seem to be so good at perseverative thinking habit loops that two-thirds of them also meet the psychiatric diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders. This commonality between depression and anxiety is an example of perseverative thinking” (88). Some people seek medication to help them cope with their anxiety and depression, and while the author does not discourage this approach, he points to evidence that suggests that mindfulness may be more effective than antidepressants.
In support of Brewer’s prioritization of mindfulness over medication, the author claims that, statistically, if slightly over five people take an antidepressant, only one of them will experience an effect. In contrast, only an average of 1.6 people need to use mindfulness for it to have an effect on one person. Brewer points to the encouraging results of his own study, explaining, “After two months of using the Unwinding Anxiety app, people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder showed a 63 percent reduction in anxiety” (46). This evidence helps Brewer persuade the reader of mindfulness’s legitimacy and efficacy in treating serious mental health issues.
Brewer also believes that cultivating awareness through mindfulness is the best way to achieve lasting results in undoing the negative habits that are so often intertwined with ongoing depression or anxiety. He refers to evidence from his own lab that mindfulness tools helped smokers reduce their cravings and decrease their cigarette use. Brewer reports that smokers experienced “brain changes” as they used mindfulness to overcome their cravings (148). Similarly, overeaters enjoyed a 40% decrease in cravings using the same mindfulness tool.
The author explains that these successes can be attributed to one simple thing: awareness. He explains, “But one thing is pretty clear from all of the math and measurement: paying attention is really important if you want to change a habit” (148).
Moreover, Brewer extols the pragmatic advantages of mindfulness, especially in comparison to other treatment methods, citing its low cost and universal accessibility. Unlike other treatment options, Brewer suggests anyone can use mindfulness to identify their habit loops, writing, “It doesn’t take a lot of time or an appointment with a psychiatrist or psychoanalyst. It just takes awareness (which is free)” (77).
Brewer’s detailed and evidence-based discussion on mindfulness and mental health helps the reader understand its potential in treating a variety of challenges, and how it could apply to their own life.
In Unwinding Anxiety, the author uses his training as a psychiatrist to explain the neuroscience of anxiety, showing how different brain regions either fuel addictive behavior or help us to mitigate it. Throughout his work, he provides a basic overview of certain brain regions and then characterizes them as either helpful or hurtful to our habit loop goals. For instance, he portrays the brain’s older system as incredibly powerful, often overriding our relatively new, and more rational, prefrontal cortex. He explains, “The primary neural structures which have been shown to be associated with cognitive control (for example, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) are the first structures to go offline when faced with triggers such as stress” (161). Brewer’s many scientific explanations help the reader understand the significance of the clinical evidence he presents regarding anxiety and addiction.
For instance, Brewer provides the reader with some context on the Default Mode Network (DMN) of their brains, with special attention to its Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC). He writes, “The DMN gets activated when our mind is wandering, thinking about things in the past or future, caught in repetitive thought patterns such as rumination, anxiety, or other strong emotional states, and when we’re craving various substances” (86). The author summarizes the role of the PCC, painting a clear picture of how it plays a large role in supporting addictive behavior. He writes:
For example, the PCC lights up with cocaine cues (e.g., a picture of a few lines of cocaine on a mirror) in cocaine-addicted individuals, with smoking cues (e.g., a picture of someone smoking) in nicotine-addicted individuals, and with gambling cues (e.g., a picture of someone playing roulette) in individuals addicted to gambling (86).
Brewer then builds on his reader’s new understanding of the PCC by pointing to data from his own studies that demonstrate how mindfulness is an effective way to quiet down this more problematic brain region. Brewer additionally claims that his mindfulness app “Craving to Quit” helped people decrease their smoking cravings by reducing the activity in their brains’ Posterior Cingulate Cortices.
By establishing an understanding of basic brain science and using it to illuminate scientific evidence for mindfulness, Brewer adds to his authority on his topic. The author’s explanations and evidence provide the reader with valuable insight into how their brains are informing their behavior and bolster the reader’s confidence that these mindfulness tools can have a real effect on the workings of one’s mind.
In Unwinding Anxiety, the author does not portray people with anxiety as hapless victims, or even patients with permanent diagnoses. Instead, the author suggests that they are their own greatest ally in their journey to healing and that they can take great strides simply by living with awareness. Dr. Brewer develops this idea as he argues that by gaining knowledge of their own brain functions and habit loops, the reader can become empowered to heal themselves of their own chronic moods and habitual behaviors.
Brewer establishes his theme by presenting everyone’s mental health as fluid and changeable. According to him, people should resist overidentifying with particular diagnoses, which can imply that they cannot change their minds and behaviors. Moreover, he portrays mental health diagnoses as quite subjective, writing, “What flips the switch from everyday anxiety to ‘disorder’ is somewhat in the eye of the diagnostician” (6). Indeed, psychiatrists are expected to use their own judgment to determine if a patient’s behavior or anxiety is “clearly excessive” (6). He jokes, “Maybe I slept through the medical school lecture on how to determine exactly when worry moves from insufficiently to clearly excessive…” (6). By undermining the diagnostic process for the “lengthy list of anxiety disorders” that psychiatrists have at their disposal, the author encourages the reader to not see themselves as permanently “disordered,” but rather like a violin that needs a small tune-up. Brewer points to the ubiquity of anxiety and its related problems, claiming that a diagnosis of anxiety is akin to a diagnosis of “being human” (6).
This compassionate and down-to-earth approach earns Brewer the reader’s trust and interest as he makes the case for how they can help themselves reach their goals. Brewer warns against negative self-talk, which suggests that change is impossible and failure is catastrophic. He explains, “Fixed mindset individuals dread failure because it is a negative statement about their basic abilities and a reminder of their inherent limitations” (130). He urges the reader to instead adopt a “growth mindset” in which they believe they are capable of learning and change—not just in spite of failure but because of it. He explains, “On the other hand, growth- mindset individuals don’t mind or fear failure as much because they realize their performance can be improved; indeed, learning comes from failure” (130). These insights encourage the reader to approach their own issues as problems that can be solved with their own effort and positivity.