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Alain Braconnier

Major and Minor Types of Anxiety Publication date : October 1, 2002

In varying degrees and under different forms, everyone suffers from anxiety. During the last few years, numerous studies have been undertaken, especially among children, to try to determine where anxiety comes from and when it first appears. Can it be detected in an infant, shortly after birth? What are the respective roles of heredity and environment? Is anxiety related to temperament? Is it a character trait, a personality type, or a disorder?
Alain Braconnier takes the reader on a journey to explore the complexities of anxious personality types. He studies those who suffer from minor as well as serious cases of anxiety, and examines both extroverts (those who are impatient, agitated, irascible, jealous) and introverts (those who are shy, overly sensitive, suspicious, slow, scrupulous).
He shows how everyone must tackle anxiety throughout their lives. Anxiety is a challenge that some people deal with by becoming highly creative, others by becoming influential leaders in their field, and some by adopting a pessimistic view of life.
Finally, the author explains how to influence anxious personality types in a positive manner. And whether their anxiety primarily harms themselves or others, today’s sufferers from anxiety can benefit from psychological assistance and care that are better suited to their specific type of anxiety than was the case twenty years ago.

Alain Braconnier is a medical psychoanalyst. He is the director of a consulting service for adolescents, in Paris. Pervious works published by Editions Odile Jacob include Le sexe des émotions, L’adolescence aux mille visages (co-authored with Daniel Marcelli) and Guide de l’adolescent.