please welcome scott stossel.hey, scott, thanks some of for coming on. >> thanks for having me. >> okay, as, i will get to your book in a second but first you're the editor of the atlantic, the author of previously-- life and times of stars and-- you have written for "the new yorker", new york time, the wage waj but your new book age of anxiety, fear, hope, dread and the search for peace of mind. what do you mean my age of anxiety. are you particularly anxious person? >> yes. >> stephen: are you anxious right now. >> terrified. >> stephen: really? >> yl, no, i'm doing okay. so basically i have since the age of about 2 as i say in the book been kind of a twitchy bundle of phobias, near os es, anxieties, all kinds of strange idiosyncratic phobias like for instance cheese and-- . >> stephen: you have a fear of cheese. >> yeah, i will never go to wisconsin. >> stephen: what is it about cheese that frightens you. >> it's utterly-- well, it's irrational-- . >> stephen: okay. >> this is what is so peculiar about anxietie

i'm pleased to have scott stossel at this table.come. >> thank you for having me. >> rose: here's what david brooks said about you, because you were one of the recipients of the sidney award which he gives every year to the best magazine pieces that he sees. does that describe you? >> in some ways i think it does. a lot of my colleagues -- i'm 44 years old. so for most of my life i've endeavored with great intensity to try to hide my anxiety because i thought it was either shameful or that somehow admitting it would compromise my professional standing and one of the things i wrestled with in the book and i talk about this in the book and in talking to my therapist, you know, i wanted to try to explore the nature of anxiety and look at all of the possible causes that might have led to my own, in effect trying on different theories of anxiety. in doing so i'm in in effect, coming out as anxious after having hidden it for many years. it's actually sort of a signature khark wrist i can of people who many people who suffer from anxiety,

scott stossel has struggled with it for most of his life. this book tells his personal story. and offers a perspective. it is called "my age of anxiety." i am pleased to have scott stossel. >> thank you for having me. >> here is what david's says about you. he said scott was getting attention for his excerpt about surviving anxiety in "the atlantic." -- does that describe you? >> in some ways it does. my colleagues, i have endeavored with great intensity to try and hide my anxiety. i thought it was shameful or admitting it would compromise my professional standing. one of the things i wrestled with, talking in the book, i wanted to explore the nature of anxiety and look at all of the possible causes that might have led to my own. trying on different theories. i'm in fact coming out as anxious after having hidden it for many years. it is a signature of many people who suffer from certain kinds of any disorders. there is a gap between the outwardly projected and often to the individual suffer, a false feeling, and the inward feeling of terror, anxiety, dread, incompetence. one o

scott stossel fought anxiety his whole life and his book tells the story of his journey battling fobias. >> scott is the editor of "the atlantic," and the subject of the cover story, an essay, adapted by his book "my age of anxiety: frea, hope, dread and the search for peace of mind". >> great to have you with us. you went to harvard, the editor of a magazine, and you are a suk setsful guy, not -- successful guy, not someone that you would think struggles with anxiety. >> that's not the case. there's often a gap between the personae and the turmoil within. when a lot of colleagues read earlier copies of the book i had people coming into the office saying, "i had no idea. can i give you a hug", it was disconcerting. >> anxiety paralyzed you from your social life to work. >> that's common for people suffering anxiety disorders. it can be debilitating, constraining your ability to travel, socialise, do public speaking and take risks of various kinds. it can be a handicap. there's evidence about having the right amount of anxiety. it can be a motivating force and the pump of adrenaline can

you need a leper, a spare arm and hot glu gun and my guest journalist scott stossel says-- are winners i don't know if i'm a winner which means i am. over 1.7 million towns of velveeta products recalled from kraft for mislabeled ingreddiants. they accidentally called it cheese. this is the colbert report.

stossel. >> thank you for having me. >> here is what david's book says about you. said scott was getting aboution for his excerpt surviving anxiety in the atlantic. hubris -- -- does that describe you? >> in some ways it does. , i haveagues intensity with great to try and hide my anxiety. i thought it was shameful or admitting it would compromise my professional standing. one of the things i wrestled with, talking in the book, i wanted to explore the nature of anxiety and look at all of the possible causes that might have led to my own. trying on different theories. i'm in fact coming out as anxious after having hidden it for many years. of many peoplere who suffer from certain kinds of any disorders. there is a gap between the outwardly projected and often to the individual suffer, a false , and the inward feeling of terror, anxiety, dread, incompetence. one of the characteristics in the book talks about how a symptom, a cause of anxiety, for those of us who suffer with it, the act of trying to conceal your anxiety from your friends, family, colleagues, actually is a symptom

joining us to share their story, john stossel and his nephew, scott, author of the new book "my age of us. >> i love the yellow book. >> i planned it. >> it talks a lot about hope, dread. you're honest in this book. i want to read an excerpt from the book to everybody. it says, even when not actively afflicted by such acute episode, i'm buffeted by worry about my health, about my family members health, my job, old age and inevitablity of death. i thought the last week was so relatable to so many. why did you decide to write this book? >> the irony is ten years ago my first book came out and i was seized with anxiety about having to go and do the book tour. i was going to be having to do public speaking events on large auditoriums and on tv. i was actually paralyzed with anxiety. so i sought -- i struggled with anxiety my whole life, but became acute in that moment. so i sought help from different sources. that was the moment when i thought maybe i ought to try to write about this. the irony is that i succeeded in producing this book where i had to come out of the about my anxiety, talk