Worrying Is Optional

Worry happens. Worrying is optional. We live in an increasingly uncertain world, and if you struggle with worry, you aren’t alone. You should also know that there’s nothing wrong with worry. Worry happens to all of us—and it can even be helpful at times. But excessive worrying—the kind that keeps us up at night, interferes with our thinking during the day, and hijacks our ability to make decisions—is a big, big problem. The good news is that, while worry is inevitable, worrying is completely optional. This book will show you how to break free from the unhelpful thinking habits that keep you stuck in a loop of rumination and anxiety. With help from this upbeat guide, you’ll learn to build your own customizable, anti-worrying toolbox using skills and strategies from metacognitive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You’ll discover the science behind why you worry, and how to put the brakes on unhelpful rumination and anxious thoughts—before they kick your worry and anxiety into high gear. With this go-to guide, you will: Gain a better understanding of worry Learn why worry happens Know when to draw the line at disruptive worrying Challenge perfectionism and accept uncertainty There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for anxiety and worry, but by assembling an arsenal of tools, skills, and strategies, excessive worry can be managed effectively. This book will help you get started now.

Author Biography

Ben Eckstein, LCSW, is owner and director of Bull City Anxiety & OCD Treatment Center in Durham, NC. Eckstein was trained at McLean Hospital’s OCD Institute, and has been specializing in the treatment of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for over a decade. He serves on the board of directors for OCD North Carolina, and offers training, workshops, and speaking engagements in addition to his clinical work.

Foreword writer Lisa W. Coyne, PhD, is founder and senior clinical consultant of the McLean OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents (OCDI Jr.), and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She founded and directs the New England Center for OCD and Anxiety.