During Mental Health Awareness Month, author and licensed professional counselor Catherine DiNuzzo focuses on the issue of anxiety, a challenge which she calls a “unique hurdle for our time.” In her book, The Catholic Guide Through Anxiety, she helps Catholics find a response to this prevalent mental health issue, rooted in both biology and a deeper understanding of the human person.
“I’m not enough”
Earlier this month, Pope Leo XIV met with college students, encouraging them to resist the lie that they have to earn God’s love.
“Everyone goes through difficult times; for some, however, it may feel as though they never end,” he said. He continued:
Today, this is increasingly due to the pressure of expectations and the burden of performance. It is the pervasive lie of a distorted system, which reduces people to numbers, exacerbating competitiveness and leaving us caught in spirals of anxiety. It is precisely this spiritual malaise felt by many young people that reminds us that we are not the sum of what we have, nor a random collection of matter in a silent cosmos. We are a desire, not an algorithm!
DiNuzzo echoes Pope Leo’s sentiments, emphasizing that anxiety is often rooted in the thought “I’m not enough.” She explains the relationship between this often pervasive thought and our biological response to danger – and just what God has to do with it all.
“The initial feelings of anxiety are entirely biological,” DiNuzzo explains. “This is the brain processing danger and producing hormones that increase your heart rate and respiration while decreasing digestion – all signs of the 'fight, flight, or freeze' response. This response is a gift from God intended to keep us safe.”
“However, the struggle begins when we view this biological response as a threat rather than a tool for safety. Instead of working through the anxiety, we exacerbate it. This is what I call the 'hamster wheel.' When we first notice that biological response, we have a choice: We can work to make ourselves feel safe, or we can succumb to the feeling that 'I am not enough.'”
Choosing safety
For Catholics struggling with the hamster wheel of anxiety, DiNuzzo’s book and accompanying workbook are an accessible entry point toward understanding anxiety and growing in our ability to manage it.
Best read from start to finish, the book breaks down the science of anxiety in a way that is easy to understand and internalize. Complemented with passages from Scripture, the book intertwines knowledge of biology and spirituality, communicating that each person is truly valued by God.
The book is also designed as an ongoing practical resource, with a dozen strategies to respond to anxiety.
During moments of "brain fog" caused by anxiety, it can be difficult to remember which strategies to use, so having the book on hand as a quick reminder is very helpful. There are also lots of great quotes from the saints, and numerous prayers throughout to help calm anxiety and to draw us closer to the Lord.
With the foundation from the book laid, there is also a workbook where readers can start (or continue) their personal journey of overcoming anxiety with prompts, journals, prayers and exercises.
Anxiety in the modern age
DiNuzzo explains that she chose to tackle the topic of anxiety because she believes it is “the cornerstone of many other health struggles.” Once someone understands anxiety, they have “a better foundation for addressing other challenges.”
The books, she emphasizes, are certainly for people struggling with anxiety, but also for people who love someone with this challenge. In addition, she hopes that this will be a resource for priests who wish to provide resources.
She adds that modern society is especially plagued with anxiety:
Modern life often feeds off anxiety, specifically "clickbait" culture and the constant 24/7 news cycle. Unlike in the past, when news was limited to a brief local broadcast, we now have every global hardship present on our phones every 10 seconds. Furthermore, since the pandemic, our "animal brains" have learned that the unthinkable is possible. This causes the brain to constantly anticipate and prepare for impossible scenarios, which further fuels anxiety.
Trust in Jesus
Part of the motivation behind these books, DiNuzzo says, is the myth that the Church doesn’t have any role in responding to struggles such as anxiety. She believes, however, that it is precisely through understanding Who made us and where our value lies that we can deal with anxiety in a healthy way.
“By understanding both the biological and spiritual dimensions of anxiety, we can move from worry to trust, and from overwhelm to rest in the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” she said.
