Daniel Smith Monkey Mind Analysis

In the prelude of this humorous and revealing book Monkey Mind, Daniel Smith first opens with the description of his therapist, a man named Brian that fashions his mustaches and beards depending on the plays that he is involved with. As stated by the author: "It was like getting counseling from General Custer" (p.1), yet he was also the best therapist, Daniel had ever encountered in his series of counseling sessions throughout the years he had to deal with his anxiety. Daniel explains his thoughts and current distress, while describing the walk he undertakes to reach his therapist 's office. In what he qualifies as "eight short steps" (p. 3), he creates a scenario in which his anxiety would lead to prostitution:
"I am anxious. The anxiety makes it impossible …show more content…
There he felt his anxiety skyrocket. Overwhelmed by the campus atmosphere, the newly acquired freedom from life and the lack of safe places for privacy, he is prone to yet more panic attacks and anxiety crisis. "Freedom is anxiety 's petri dish. If routine blunts anxiety, freedom incubates it. [...] Freedom says, "You 're on your own. Deal with it."" (Pg. 87), and for a short month, he tried his best to. Daniel would go hide in the library of the campus reading authors that would pike his interest, doing deep breathing exercises to sooth himself. "There are two types of anxiety sufferers: stiflers and chaotics." (Pg.93) Daniel explains. Desperately, trying to be a stiffler, an anxious sufferers that is good at hiding his anxiety, he was rather really expressive and chaotic in regards to his bouts of anxiety. Calling his parents, pleading them to go home using "old anxiety incantation: I I I I I I I." (Pg. 101), he ended up coming to grasp with the idea (and his mother 's diagnosis and advice) that he was suffering from severe anxiety and eventually followed through with a campus therapist, in order to avoid running back