Kind of Coping: An Illustrated Look at Life with Anxiety

by Maureen Marzi Wilson

“These comics perfectly capture what it's like to live with anxiety.” —BuzzFeed Maureen “Marzi” Wilson—the popular Instagram cartoonist behind Introvert Doodles—is back with a brand-new collection of hilarious, relatable, and heartwarming doodles about anxiety that show you that you are not alone. If you struggle with anxiety, you may feel like it’s you against the world all the time. Sometimes, your anxiety can be too much to handle all at once—wouldn’t it be nice to have someone around that understood exactly what you were going through? Meet Marzi! She struggles with anxiety just like you. In Kind of Coping, join Marzi as she (kind of) copes with her own anxiety from day to day, finding the humor in her condition with this collection of funny, encouraging, and supportive comics that show you the best you can do sometimes is just kind of cope—and that’s totally OK! Whether it’s a panic attack or an awkward social snafu, Marzi knows what you are going through. With over 150 full-color doodles that deliver hope and inspiration, unconditional support, and big laughs, let Marzi share her journey with you.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mental Health, Nonfiction, Comics, Humor, Self Help, Adult

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Maureen Marzi Wilson is an introvert and a doodler. She likes to share her awkward encounters through comics. She created an Instagram account as a way for her to better understand her introversion. Over time she has learned to love her introversion and she hopes that her book will help the readers realize that they are all lovable too.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars for this great book! Being an introvert with anxiety, I can relate to most of Marzi's illustrations. Loved the doodles and laughs. It's nice to know I'm not alone with these thoughts.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is important. If you suffer from anxiety, this is the perfect book to help you feel like you're not alone. If you know someone who suffers from anxiety, this is the perfect book to illustrate how to begin to understand and support those people.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow the author on Instagram and definitely relate to her. I bought her book to not only remind myself it's okay to have anxiety but to help with friends with some comedic relief when they're struggling. There is even a part about being a friend to someone with anxiety. I found it extremely helpful. One friend in particular tends to message me when she's on the verge of a panic attack and this book gave me some great ideas on what to say to her to help. While reading this book I wanted to send photos of pages to my friends. I should probably help the author out by sending actual copies of the book to my friends.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

*read for free with Kindle Unlimited *

Definitely want a copy for my shelves.
I want to give the author a big hug and some cookies 🍪.

We have different types of anxiety but I still feel seen.. ya know? It's hard to explain to people what it's like fighting your own brain 🧠 and sometimes you don't have the energy to explain.

A good friend told me she knew something was going on with me as a kid but she didn't have the word for it, till she got older. (Maybe it's what helped make me into an empath too? Who knows).

Would recommend this one

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very amusing and relatable, even if my level of anxiety comes nowhere close to the author's. The art and writing of the cartoons are so charming that I didn't even mind the inspirational chapter at the end despite usually avoiding the self-help section.

[Sanaa Hyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is wonderful and sincere and funny and I want to give it to all my friends because like me, they know what anxiety can be like, and this book gets that. Also, this serves as much-needed yet light-hearted education for those blessed enough not to suffer from anxiety. Highly recommend.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so comforting to me. I think I'll return to this in times when I feel alone in my anxiety. Thank you, Marzi!

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun little book. Charming, relatable and laugh out loud funny. Not anxiety inducing at all. Usually books about anxiety give me anxiety and I can't read them.

[S.A. McGarey · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars is not enough! This book perfectly illustrates what having anxiety disorders is like. I wish more people would read this book just to understand what it is like for us. I have anxiety disorders and this book really resonated with me. I could see myself in many of the situations in the book and everything just clicked. If you have anxiety, read this! If you know someone with anxiety, read this so you will know how to help them! Even if you don't have anxiety, but you think it's something that can be easily gotten over, read this, so that it might enlighten you about anxiety and mental illness.

Mental illness is just as real as physical illness, and should be validated as such. This book helped me realize that about myself and helped me see that sometimes all you can do is kind of cope. Sometimes, the best you can do is forgive yourself for the things you couldn't do today, and resolve to try again tomorrow.

Thank you, Marzi, because this book gave me hope that I could be better.

[Sizarifalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“At times, it’s been debilitating. Other times, I feel like it’s well managed. But no matter what, it’s always present to some degree” - page 4

I cried and laughed. Why? Because I am diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and this book trully tells what it feels like to live with GAD.

I would like to thank the author for writing this book! Like she said in the book “...this book will make you feel less alone.”

The reasons I cried were because I saw myself in almost all og the things the author described especially how a person like me would feel like, how some people would respond to me for being extra anxious, how some people would treat me knowing that I have mental health issues and loads more.

The reasons I Iaughed were because the illustrations are so relateable, hoe anxiety is like this greyish near to black big blob hovering and is always by my side before I sleep and right there when I am awake. The illustrations are cute too. It makes this book not a serious read but explains the painful parts of me living with GAD.

This book validates the GAD in me. And this is important for everyone with mental health issues. VALIDATIONS. Many would often say “Just snap out of it” or “It is all in your mind” But it is near to impossible to do both of these because how do I snap out of it if it keeps on playing in my mind and would cause me to just unable to function? Yes it is all in my mind and it sticks in my mind! There is no way to get it out. Stop the Toxic Positivity!

This book is recommended for everyone. People who are anxious 24/7, if you want to understand or get a few ideas on how anxiety is like to some people, those who are close with someone who has anxiety ...

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! It's only 5 days into 2019 and I can already confirm that this will be on my Favorite Books of 2019 list! Marzi's book made me feel understood and seen and I alternated between laughing and crying at the cartoons. They are great to share with other people, so I can use them as a way to connect with my husband, family, and friends to help them understand what I'm experiencing. If you struggle with anxiety then this book will lift you up and help you feel a little bit better!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I always forget how alone and isolated anxiety can make me feel until I read a book where someone else is experiencing the same things, sensations and feelings. This was comforting as a person with severe anxiety and would be great reading for anyone looking to know more about anxiety in general.

[Mctime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I needed to read. She captures the feelings of anxiety perfectly, and it was great to read about another person with both generalized anxiety and social anxiety. Makes me feel less alone in my problems, and I related to a lot of what she said without feeling judged ☺️

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gift from a dear friend with whom I have anxiety in common. It's nice to read something that makes you feel less alone and more 'heard'. Illustrations are so cute and the writing is very real and often poignant.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi yes if all my loved ones could please read this that'd be swell THANKS ♥️

[Savanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who had to practice their meal order at a restaurant 10 times before the waiter came over!!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really relatable

[Megan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been there done that. Glad to see my feelings and thoughts in a comic form.

[Avanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think I’m the intended audience here. I suspect that’s 1 of 2 groups of people — those who feel and react the same way and feel seen... and those who never have these thoughts and find them fascinating. I’m not in either of those groups... I have a lot of those thoughts, but they don’t rule my life... so I feel neither seen nor fascinated. For me, I just felt like I was reading someone’s diary.. with lots of pictures. ... and I’ve never been one to read someone’s diary. So it just fell kinda flat for me. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[Aiza Idris (biblio_mom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

review in writing coming soon! (watch it on my booktube channel : biblio mom)

[Laina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and found it very relatable, easy to understand, and very accurate. I would recommend it as a great resource for parents who have children (at least over 8 years old) who are struggling with anxiety or are struggling to understand it. It's also the perfect book for anyone who is trying to understand what a loved one is going through when they suffer from anxiety.

[Misti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cartoonist looks at life from the perspective of an anxious introvert.

I thought I would love this more than I did, but I discovered that reading about anxiety makes me feel more anxious. Still, YMMV, so if you enjoy this sort of book and the drawing style appeals to you, give it a try!

[Christine Salek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one thing I have EVER been confident in is my ability to destroy at anxiety bingo.

[Ruby Scupp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Pages:

Things That Make Me Feel Melancholy
- Being up high & watching people scurry below
- Facebook memories
- Geese flying in formation
- Handmade items at thrift shops
- The dusky blue hour after a winter sunset
- The taste of lemon pie
- Packing clothes at the end of a season
- The far-off sound of a train whistle
- The song "Fields of Gold"
- The ticking of a clock in a silent room
- Streets shiny with rain
- A single sock with a hole
- Windy days
- Melting candle wax
- The scent of moss
- Reaching the last page in a notebook

Things I Did As a Kid
(That I Ought to Start Doing Again)
- Write silly notes to my friends.
- Proudly hang my work on the fridge.
- Take a nap on the clean laundry pile.
- Spend all my change on gumballs and toys from the quarter machines.
- Take a bubble bath with My Little Ponies
- Wear part of last year's Halloween costume for no reason.
- Climb a tree.
- Make something cool from cardboard boxes.
- Ask for a lollipop at the bank.
- Fly a kite.
- Feel proud of myself.

Reasons to Keep Going
- the perfect tips on a new box of crayons
- a plant you grew, blooming
- confused-looking puppies
- clean sheets
- finding a tiny version of something
- putting on warm socks after your feet have been cold & wet
- staring up at the clouds
- the smell of books
- feeding the ducks
- that first sip of coffee in the morning
- the slurp-pop sound of your fave lipgloss
- a pet rat holding Cinnamon French Toast cereal
- twinkle lights
- a freshly sharpened pencil
- watching a dog daydream ... tiny muffled barks & feet twitches
- when the grass sparkles with early morning dew
- too-big sweaters
- finishing a crossword puzzle
- getting a package with lots of bubble wrap
- cookies - always cookies
- constellations
- a sunshine-warmed towel after swimming
- cat purrs
- stretchy pants
- the waddle of a pudgy pug

[katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved everything about this book. I read for free with kindle unlimited but I need to have this on a hard copy. Describes everyday situations and struggles with anxiety perfectly. Highly recommend to anyone who can relate or wants to learn more about coping with anxiety!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never related to any books before more than this one. <3

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of cute art, but moreover, lots of encouragement within. A good addition to the ever-growing GAD/social anxiety cartoon bookshelf.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Good description of living with anxiety

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel seen for the first time ever. I swear this book could have been written by me. Not only does the cartoon girl look like me, I identified strongly with nearly every word on every page. Is it too soon to say I love you, Marzi?

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!