Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief

Anxiety disorders are on the rise; many people are looking for resources to help them cope with anxiety, yet most people aren’t aware that unresolved grief is a primary underpinning—or that the two are related at all. In her therapy practice and in her own life, Claire Bidwell Smith discovered the connections between anxiety and grief. Now, backed by research, case studies, and interviews, Bidwell Smith breaks down the physiology of anxiety, giving readers a concrete foundation of understanding in order to help them heal the anxiety caused by loss. Taking a big step beyond Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ widely accepted five stages, Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief explains the intimate connection between death and grief and how they specifically cause anxiety—unpacking everything from our age-old fears about mortality to the bare vulnerability a loss can make us feel.

With concrete tools and coping strategies for panic attacks, getting a handle on anxious thoughts, and more, Bidwell Smith bridges these two emotions in a way that is deeply empathetic and eminently practical.

Author Biography

Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC, is a therapist specializing in grief and the author of two books of nonfiction. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The New School University and a master’s degree from Antioch University. Claire lives with her family in South Carolina.