I worry so much, I worry about my worrying.
It sounds ironic, right? But for those who struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), this is likely a familiar sentiment. GAD is often marked by:
• Worrying even when everything is going well
• When one ‘crisis’ is over, another appears
• Because of the worry, one often feels fatigued, as difficulty sleeping or concentrating, is irritable, and/or has muscle tension
When the worry starts to interfere with daily life (worrying for more than an hour a day), it’s time to make some changes. The most common comments from worriers are:
• I need to prepared for anything, all the time
• I’ve always thought this way; I can never change
• There always IS a crisis
From our clinical experience (and backed by published research), the goals of effective treatment are:
• Challenging thinking patterns (Do I really need to be prepared for every outcome? Is this really a crisis, or just feels like one?)
• Learning to differentiate issues that need to be addressed from worry thoughts that are not actionable (Can I do anything today about my worry that my toddler may not go to college?)
• Learning to tolerate anxiety (Just because I’m anxious, doesn’t mean something bad is going to happen)
Typically this work is done through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness training. Often accomplished in weekly, 45-minute sessions (and reinforced through homework that takes 15-45 minutes a day), the end result should significantly change one’s fearful perception of the world, reaction to it, and a significant general enjoyment of life.
We help move people from catastrophic worry thoughts to a more relaxed thinking pattern, often in 15-18 sessions. For more information, please contact our office. And don’t worry if we don’t get back to you the same day.