Atlas of the Heart

Brene Brown

This book was suggested to me by Sonal Ullman, a gastroenterologist and life coach of MDs and folks like me. I enjoyed the book from the get go. I opted for the audio book version and am glad I did. Brene Brown, the book’s author is the reader. But she doesn’t seem to be reading. Instead, her delivery is more similar to a conversation or a talk. Dr Brown’s casual but professional style facilitates connection with the 87 emotions that she organizes into logical groups and explains with stories from her research, her life, and examples. And her Southern accent sweetens and softens the occasional emotional depth charge that is triggered by Dr. Brown’s descriptions of the thinking and physical feelings that are our emotions. The sections on anxiety, shame, and grief resonated most strongly with me. I recommend this book for anyone interested in trying to recognize and understand the emotions they experience.

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Postscript

February 2023

I am re-reading parts of the book now and making note of particular passages of interest. At one point early in the book, she mentions a quote that I think is worth noting:

You struggle to surrender because you don’t want to lose control. But you never had control, you had anxiety.

Elizabeth Gilbert

Dr. Brown immediately follows that quote with a discussion of anxiety, fear, and dread. She talks about two ways that people cope with anxiety and fear – worry and avoidance. The take away point she makes is that while worry and avoidance can resolve anxiety and fear in the moment, they can never prevent anxiety and fear from recurring. That notion seems related to exposure therapy in CBT and oral immunotherapy for treatment of food allergies.