An Introduction to Watching Worry

Introducing the Mental Health Book Author: Katie Waechter

Guy Dawson: Welcome everyone. My name is Guy Dawson, I am the managing member of Classy Communications, a full-service public relations and marketing company, and I have the distinct pleasure to be interviewing a good friend of mine today. Her name is Katie Waechter and she is a mental health book author, and she and I are actually working together on this incredible platform that we want to talk to you all about today. Welcome, Katie. 

Katie Waechter: Hi, thank you for having me. I am excited to be here. 

Guy: I had mentioned to everyone that you are an author. Will you tell us a little bit about the book that you’re working on? 

Katie: Sure yeah, the book is titled "Watching Worry," and it’s all about anxiety and how we treat anxiety. So it really goes into what anxiety is, what the different types of anxiety are, and what the research really says in regards to treatment and what’s most effective. So I really want it to be a resource for adults who have anxiety and maybe just aren’t sure the best way to manage it. 

Guy: I know that mental health issues are a hot topic nowadays. What was it that made you decide that you actually want to write a mental health book about it? 

Katie: So anxiety is something hits real close to home for me. Mental health, in general, has always been a subject I’m passionate about. But anxiety, in particular, is something that I’ve suffered from for most of my life. So I know what it’s like to have anxiety. I know what it’s like to go to therapy.  And I think that makes me really well qualified and really excited to dive into the research and to write the book.

Guy: Just a minute ago, you were talking about your own experiences with anxiety throughout your life. I guess in a way it would kind of therapeutic this whole process of studying all the research and then ultimately writing the book about it. 

Katie: Right, absolutely. The process has been amazing so far and to really just get into the research and see, you know, what it says, and what’s most effective. Instead of paying attention to the nonsense that we hear and we are not sure if its best for us. This mental health book is really going to break it all down so it definitely has been a therapeutic process. 

Guy: Aside from the fact that you’ve experienced anxiety, why did you choose anxiety? I guess there are a lot of aspects of mental health that you could have chosen. Why specifically anxiety?

Katie: So, anxiety is the first of what I would like to be a book series and anxiety is the subject I’m hitting first because its the one that hits closest to home for me. I know what it’s like to feel anxious, to go to therapy, and I know that writing a book is a big undertaking. I wanted to make sure the first one was something that I was not only super passionate about but had experience in. something I would want to read and grab value from and really to build my platform based on this book, to begin with.

Introducing the Book: Watching Worry

Guy: There’s a lot of information out in the world about anxiety or other mental disorders. What do you feel makes you an expert, or someone who really has enough of an understanding of this to actually write a mental health book? 

Katie: Right exactly. I think that really what makes me an expert on the subject is a combination of things. My formal education. My background, my personal experiences, and my passion to write the book. In regards to formal education, I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and finishing up a Master’s degree in Information Science with a focus on Health Informatics right now. So really what this means is this makes a really well-qualified researcher. Somebody’s who done a lot of fo research, especially in the mental health field, over the last 10 years. And because of my personal experiences with anxiety, and my passion to really write the book and be an author, that makes me I think the best-qualfied person to write this book. You don’t necessarily need to have a Ph.D. in psychology, what I do need to have is that ability to compile research, to find the most important information, and to write it in a way that people can really understand it and digest it for them. 

Guy: I know as we’ve been working together on your platform, Katie, we’ve talked about a lot of the taboos that exist when it comes to talking about mental health. As you were saying a second ago, with these experiences you’ve had and all the research you’ve done, do you think what you’re doing is going to help to mainstream some of the ideas about mental health and take it from beyond being so taboo?

Katie: Exactly. So I do hope to reduce stigma through this book and through future books. I want us to start talking more about mental health and anxiety in a way that is open because let’s face it, a lot of us have anxiety. 40 million Americans here just in the United States alone suffer from anxiety, so I know that I’m not the only one and I know that this kind of process, this kind of mental health book, is hopefully going to make a big impact for people who’ve been looking for information and haven’t known where to get it or haven’t known if it’s quality and really just don’t know where to go, due to stigma. I’m really hoping the book will help in that area

Guy: Who would benefit most from reading your mental health book?

Katie: My ideal audience would probably be, you know, that young adult, who maybe just went to college and has started suffering from anxiety and anxious thoughts and really just doesn’t know what to do about it. It could be that adult who’s had panic attacks their entire life, or entire adult life, and also just don’t know what to do about it. The ideal audience for this book is the person who has anxiety and, maybe due to stigma, can’t pop a pill. Or maybe due to lack of funds, doesn’t know where to go for therapy. This book is to provide that resource for those people who are suffering, but suffering in silence and maybe don’t know where to turn, and to give them the information that they need so that they can make a well-educated decision in regards to their own mental health, specifically their own anxiety.

Beyond Watching Worry 

Guy: The title of your book is "Watching Worry". What beyond "Watching Worry" are your plans? Are you going to do things beyond this platform? Will you share more about your overall vision of you as an author and a speaker and otherwise?

Katie: Yeah absolutely. So, beyond "Watching Worry", I’ve kind of mentioned that I am thinking of a whole book series to go along with this. The next book is going to be about depression and similar to "Watching Worry", it’s going to break down what depression is, what the different types are, and what the research really says in regards to effective treatment for depression. Ultimately the whole plan is to go down the list of mental illnesses that are impacting our society significantly and to talk about what they are and what the research says in regards to treatment in a way that destigmatize the issues and also really informs people about what the research says and what is going to be best for maybe them or their loved ones who are suffering in silence

Guy: Some of the blogging you are doing, you are sharing some of the concepts of the mental health book. What is the blog all about? What are you trying to accomplish with that?

Katie: Yeah, absolutely. The blog has been coming along. Right now, we’re posting on LinkedIn and the latest blog that just came out is about suicide and social media. So definitely go check it out if you get a chance.

Ultimately I want this blog to be reflective of not only the chapters and the subjects in the book, but what are the trending topics happening right now in mental health. What are the stuff that people want to know about but maybe don’t know where to turn and maybe don’t know the best information to grab. I want this to be a blog that not only provides value but also provides support so people feel like they’re not alone. Let’s face it, we all have mental health, and a lot of us have to deal with mental health through mental illness. It’s important to talk about it and to build a platform so people understand exactly what the mental health book is going to be about but also what I represent as well. So LinkedIn is a great place to check me out, but you can also follow my journey on Instagram and Twitter. Keep up with me there, as well as my company page, Watch Media Group, and you can follow Watch Media Group on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. So check me out and see whats going on. 

Watch Media Group and More

Guy: If you could give a brief overview of what your business represents truly? Would you share it with us?

Katie: Sure yeah, so the business Watch Media Group is all about helping other businesses in the health and wellness and in the mental health spaces to become the experts online that they really already are in person. We do this through content marketing and social media management. So, we are all about creating, managing, and marketing information that’s quality and comes from reputable sources so that way our clients have a quality presence and can really build an organic following online. 

Guy: Katie Waechter is the author of "Watching Worry" and, again Katie, will you share more information about your platform, how people can get in contact with you to learn more about when the book is going to launch, and other facts about the things that you’re doing?

Katie: Definitely. As I mentioned, follow me on Twitter and Instagram - katiewaechter is my username there. Check out my LinkedIn profile, I’ll be posting blogs. And just keep up to date with me on Facebook and social media because I will be making more announcements about when the mental health book is coming out and how business is coming along. Exciting things are happening. I’m really excited to share all this with you guys so definitely follow me, I’m looking forward to growing so this is going to be awesome.

Guy: We’re looking forward to the release of "Watching Worry". It’s a book that is going to have a big impact on the mental health community. Thank you for your time today.

Katie: Thank you so much, I appreciate being here. I am excited to show the world "Watching Worry".