wp-1605299200249.jpgWelcome to my stop on the The Anxiety Diaries blog tour sponsored by Suzy Approved Book Tours! Thank you to Suzy for the invitation!

About the Book:

What will everybody think?
Two thousand nineteen was the worst year of my life, and I can’t believe I’m sharing this devastating journey with the world. There are moments in life that can make or break us, and that year was mine, shaping me into who I am, for better and worse.
I came close to giving up, I made a near-fatal mistake, and I spent too many moments terrified of my own thoughts.
When I started this experiment, to write every day, I simply thought I would be recording the mundane life of a mother, wife, and struggling writer. And, yes, I considered the fact that my family and friends and anybody else who read this diary—my diary—would have access to my most intimate fears, hopes, thoughts, and maybe even an embarrassing moment or two. But I never predicted that I would be providing a detailed account of my struggle with my mental
health. I had no idea the anxiety that only ever played a minor role in my life would make its debut as the staring antagonist. Or the obsessive thoughts and irrational fears that were always real to me would be given new life on these pages.
But as nightmarish as that ordeal was, allowing readers to have a piece of my soul is even more frightening. Publishing my diary may be the bravest thing I’ve ever done.

This is my story.

I have no regrets.

My Thoughts:

I received the most thoughtful packaging and note from the author. When I posted my bookmail pictures, I also heard from the author. I can easily tell she’s a genuine and kind person, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to share her first book with you.

Anxiety is something that hits close to home for me, and it’s been that way my whole life. My mom loves to tell the story of me as a baby. She could sit me on a blanket in a room filled with antiques, and if she left and came back, I’d be in the same spot. I’ve always rationalized that I was scared to move off that blanket and explore, scared to get in trouble. I remember stomachaches before dance performances and headaches and sleepless nights before big tests. For most of my life, like Dana, anxiety wasn’t something I talked about, and I felt like I had it under control.

The last few years, and most especially the last one, anxiety is a part of my life I can’t ignore any longer.

I’m grateful for the bravery of Dana in sharing her story here on these pages. Her honesty is raw and refreshing. Books like this make us feel seen. While my experience is not the same as Dana’s, I can relate to so much of what she wrote. I’m sure many of us can.

I’m leaving Dana’s story a discovery you have to make for yourself because she deserves to tell it. It’s thoughtful, important, and timely. And inspiring. Thank you, Dana. ❤️

I received a gifted copy.

About the Author:

Allow me to introduce myself,
My name is Dana Muwwakkil, and I am a writer.
Writing is a natural instinct that was inherited to me from my mama.

It is also a therapeutic way for me to process whatever is inside of me that I cannot express any other way.

Writing is my first love.

My identity does not end there. I am

a wife and mother.

an introvert.

a proud black woman.

a lover of dark chocolate and coffee

a poet

a humanitarian

a plant mama

a movie reviewer

a feminist

I am also an adult living with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). When I was given this diagnosis in 2016, I didn’t understand the weight of it. This mental illness has been silently sitting on my shoulder for over ten years but it’s become a major part of my life since the diagnosis, specifically after the birth of my youngest daughter who is almost two.

I spent a lot of time hiding this mental illness from family and friends, but it was such a burden for me. To be honest, I was ashamed of what I was going through. It wasn’t until a friend I went to high school with posted on Facebook about her struggles with postpartum depression, did it occur to me that my peers could and were facing mental health battles of their own. Seeing my friend bravely tell her story inspired me to share mine. Little by little I have been opening up, not only to my family and friends but to the world online, where I’ve been found so much support.

In my book The Anxiety Diaries, I am letting readers into my life as a mother and wife and struggling writer, and my anxiety demands to be dealt with as well, which causes so much stress of my marriage, my self worth and affects my everyday life.

Thank you, for visiting my site and if you are an anxiety sufferer as well, know that you are not alone. If you ever want to chat, drop me a line sometime.

Take care tribe!

Peace &Love

Dana Muwwakkil

Have you read The Anxiety Diaries, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR