Do you find yourself dwelling on thoughts about how things will turn out poorly? That you won’t be able to handle things? 38 % of people say that they worry every day. Some people say that they have been a worrier all their lives. You may also notice that you have difficulty sleeping, you feel tense, and you have difficulty remembering and concentrating. You may worry about more than just a couple of things—work, relationships, health, what people think, unfinished tasks, finances, the safety of family members, or your future in general. This is called Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) which is also associated at times with alcohol misuse, depression, chronic pain, and inflammatory bowel disease. Between 4 to 7 % of people suffer from GAD during their lifetime.

How do worried people think? Do any of the following describe you? 1) If something bad could happen, I need to worry about it; 2) If I can imagine a bad outcome, it is more likely to happen; 3) Uncertainty is hard to tolerate and I equate it with a bad outcome; 4) I need the answer immediately—I cannot wait; 5) My worry is out of control and I try to stop it; 6) But, I need to worry to feel safe and responsible; 7) My worry can make me sick. You feel that you are trapped by your negative thoughts, but you also sometimes think that you need to pay attention to them. Since you are focused so much on your thinking, you are not fully present, you cannot relax and wake up worried about whatever pops into your head.

You probably see yourself or someone you know in this list. Here is the good news. In research done at Penn State University, 91 % of things that people worry about have a neutral or positive outcome. Even when there is a negative outcome, 78% of the time worriers say they handle things better than they thought they would. In other words, worriers are better at coping with real problems than they think they are. The problem is that they “create” more imaginary problems than they can handle.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you cope more effectively with these unwanted intrusive thoughts. I have described a detailed set of strategies and techniques that you can use in my book, The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You. Our therapists can help you regain control over your life so that you are not hijacked by the noise from your thoughts.