A practical and therapeutic guide to managing anxiety, written specifically for those aged 14–25 by a psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with adolescents and young adults.

Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie is aimed at young people who are experiencing anxiety in their everyday lives, across the breadth of the anxiety spectrum. It emphasises that anxiety is completely normal, and something that can be managed by taking the steps that are right for you. The book contains practical, effective activities and exercises that each reader can apply to their own set of circumstances.

Experiencing anxiety can be overwhelming, especially at such a turbulent stage in life. Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie is specifically tailored for the stresses faced by the 14-25 age group, with concise, impactful chapters and strategies that can be realistically applied even in a busy and changeable time of life. Themes include management of uncertainty, values-based living, and identifying meaning and purpose.

Anxiety affects a huge number of people, and it is not something that you have to ignore or push down. This guide is full of expert advice on not just coping with anxiety, but truly managing it, to minimise its symptoms and its effect on your everyday life.

Dr Toni Lindsay is a qualified clinical psychologist who has been working with both adults and adolescents for over 10 years. She works at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in the Oncology and Haematology departments and has a special interest in the care of adolescents and young adults with cancer. She is an AHPRA approved supervisor and works predominately from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy framework. Her first book was titled Cancer, Sex, Drugs and Death (Australian Academic Press, 2017) and focused on the psychological management of young people with cancer. More recent titles include The Cancer Companion and The Certainty Myth, published by Exisle Publishing.

During more than fifteen years spent working clinically with adolescents and young adults (primarily in the health context) Dr Lindsay has developed a unique perspective and understanding of the challenges of managing anxiety. She was inspired to write Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie after hearing from so many of her young cancer patients that there is nothing out there that speaks to them on the subject. She observes, ‘Through my clinical practice with young people, anxiety is showing up more and more frequently. It is now rare that I will meet a young person who has not identified that anxiety has been a concern for them in the past.’

Schooldaymagazine
“This refreshing look explaining anxiety for teens and young adults captures the essence of a younger person’s anxiousness. Using language to appeal to a younger audience in the 14 – 25 year old age group, it gives easy-to-understand examples and metaphors.
Lindsay explains in everyday language situations where anxiety appears and what you can do about it, how to overcome and take control of feelings.” 

Midwest Book Review
“This guide is full of expert advice on not just coping with anxiety, but truly managing it, to minimize its symptoms and its effect on your everyday life. … is impressively informative, exceptionally well presented, and a critically important and timely addition to middle school, high school, community, college/university and professional library Mental Health collections dealing with conditions of depression, anxieties, phobias.”

In The Good Books
“The guide is tailored to the 14-25 year old age bracket, although those experiencing anxiety at any age could benefit from giving it a read too.
As someone who has anxiety, it is always great to see books such as this one being published, as I know that they can really be beneficial.”

Reading Time
“This is a truly remarkable read that I could not put down. Each chapter is like a journey. Analogies lead to logical conclusions and there are exercises to complete which I found mentally rewarding. I revisited this book often and reread passages when I felt anxiety rising. It was empowering owning and naming these emotions. There’s a lot of brilliance and satisfaction in taking control of managing thoughts in a healthier way, without a focus on medication.”

Tomorrow’s Schools, Today NZ
“ contains concise, impactful chapters and strategies that can be realistically applied even in a busy and changeable time of life. From managing uncertainty to identifying purpose, this guide will help young adults minimise anxiety’s impact on their life.”

RNZ Nine To Noon
“With pandemic-and-device stunted social skills and a deep sensitivity to existential threats, today’s young people have it tough when it comes to anxiety, Dr Lindsay tells Kathryn Ryan.”

NZ Book Lovers
“A fascinating and practical guide tailored specifically for young adults aged 14-25. The book’s down-to-earth guide encourages, educates, and empowers young readers, making it a must-have for personal, classroom, or library collections.”

Tots To Teens
“When you’re panicking (or really anxious), writes psychologist Dr Toni Lindsay in the new book Everything Anxiety Ever Told You is a Lie , the best thing we can do is tell our brain that we are okay.”

Just So Stories
“This is such an important book for you to have in your collection, whether personal, classroom or library. Recommend it to your school counsellors and parents via newsletters and certainly promote it to your students.”

Magpies Magazine
“A terrific asset for young people who want to understand the purpose of anxiety and how to respond to feelings of anxiety in healthy ways. There is so much to like about this book, the design of the cover and interior artwork is just right, I felt calmer just reading this book. Dr Lindsay’s presentation of the information is spot-on for tween and teen audiences. With this information there is so much power to control our self-talk and the stories (lies) we tell ourselves about the world.”

Kids’ Book Review
“If you’re a teenager, adult, parent, teacher, or just someone who wants to better understand anxiety, this is a good place to start.”

Blue Wolf Reviews
“There is so much clever and well-targeted advice in this book for young people. One of the tips is,” Put down your devices, the light and dopamine we get from our screens is like crack for your brains.”

Hope FM – Afternoons with Laura Bennett
“Helps all of us, regardless of age, look at the hacks that can call out our anxious minds when they are just getting a bit out of control.”

Kirsty O’Callaghan via LinkedIn
“Dr Lindsay’s book, Everything Anxiety Ever Told You is a Lie, is a user-friendly guide that tackles the pervasive issue of anxiety with a blend of wit, practicality, and empathy.”

Good Reading
“ A practical and therapeutic guide to managing anxiety, written specifically for those aged 14–25 by a psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with adolescents and young adults.”

Library Journal
“An excellent resource for young adults feeling weighed down by adolescence and 21st-century life.”