Starting Over at 60: How a Bruce Springsteen Concert Saved Anne Abel's Life

At 60, Anne Abel booked eight Bruce Springsteen concerts across Australia and got on a plane alone — after decades of severe recurrent depression, three rounds of electroconvulsive therapy, and a childhood spent trying to earn a narcissistic mother's love. She didn't go for fun. She'd never really had fun. She went because a rock concert was the only structure she could find to stay out of what she calls "the abyss." She had no idea that trip would become the start of a total reinvention — one that would take her from a psychiatric hospital in Maryland to storytelling stages in Chicago, to a bestselling memoir, to over 700,000 social media followers in her seventies. In this conversation, Anne opens up about growing up with an emotionally abusive, narcissistic mother, three rounds of ECT, the humiliating voice in her head that called her "pathetic" for chasing an aging rock star, and the exact moment — watching Springsteen sing "Dream Baby Dream" in Sydney — that she realized she'd never once let herself dream. We talk about: Growing up with a "dark triad" parent and spending a lifetime trying to win her love Why three rounds of electroconvulsive therapy weren't the thing that finally helped The impulsive decision that took her from a parking garage to eight concerts in five Australian cities The stranger's kindness that changed how she saw herself Why she walked out of her psychiatrist's office and never went back Becoming an "elder storyteller" and writing her bestselling memoir, High Hopes The four principles she now believes make transformation possible: connection, perseverance, openness, and hope Her advice for midlife women who feel like it's too late to start over Anne's story is proof that you don't need a plan, a diagnosis to clear up, or permission from anyone else to take the next step. You just trust enough to take it. Anne's book: High Hopes Also by Anne: Maddie Milo and Me Find her: @AnneSimaAbel on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook | anneabelauthor.com