Below is an excerpt from my book, 7 Steps to Happy, that you can review for writing style and editing purposes.
Introduction
"As we move through life, we are met with all sorts of challenges and obstacles that either make or break us. Unfortunately, it is more common than you could imagine for the latter to happen. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2019) states that about 40 million American adults suffer from an anxiety disorder and about 16.2 million American adults suffer from a depression disorder - that is almost 20% of the adult population in the US. Many of these people are too embarrassed to seek help, are told that their problems are not real, or rely on short-term solutions like drugs.
I’m one of those people. I have experienced anxiety and have had episodes of depressive moods for as long as I can remember. I never sought out help for either until I was well into my adulthood. Even then, I have never seen a therapist and the extent of my help comes from research that I’ve done on my own or the books that I’ve read, like this one. I’ve had so many restless nights and mornings where I couldn’t wake up, so many days where I lived inside my head and operated on autopilot, so much trial and error trying anything and everything to overcome the thoughts that made me feel like they controlled me rather than that I controlled them. I know I’m not alone. I know there is a whole population out there that is stuck somewhere between seeking help and feeling helpless.
This book shares my top seven tips that I have found through my own trial and error. These seven tips help me maintain a positive mindset within my own life which can prevent anxiety and depression episodes. They also help me manage them easier when they do happen. I’ll be giving you facts that I’ve spent hours researching to learn and understand because I think it’s important for you to know that how you’re feeling is real, and that there is a way out of it. I will also be sharing my personal experiences with you and how I’ve applied each tip to those scenarios. Some of these experiences will be tougher than others to share, but if I can help just one person by putting myself out there then it will be worth it, so hopefully that person is you. You are always stronger than you think, remember that."
-Introduction, 7 Steps to Happy, Jazmin Castello
2021