2011 Reprint of 1950 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Text of original 1950 Edition. This book is the result of several years of exploration, research, and thought on one of the most urgent problems of our day. Clinical experience has proved to psychologists and psychiatrists generally that the central problem in psychotherapy is the nature of anxiety. To the extent that we have been able to solve that problem, we have made a beginning in understanding the causes of integration and disintegration of personality. May's work remains a classic work on this important subject. The book is notable for questioning fundamental assumptions about mental health and asserts that anxiety in fact aids in the development of an ultimately healthy personality.