Worry is something we all deal with to some degree and in some forms it can be a healthy way to plan out our days or consider what's going on in the world. But upwards to nine million Americans suffer from it as a disorder - generalized anxiety disorder - where it can take over ones life, says Dr. Michael Bordieri, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Murray State University. He speaks with Kate Lochte on Sounds Good about some treatments that might help us move past disruptive levels of worry and anxiety.
Too much worry or generalized anxiety order, where one spends most of their waking hours engaged in worry, can lead to chronic muscle tension, difficulty sleeping and a host of other health problems, but there are some treatments that can help. The secret to many psychotherapies is that often the solution is something we have to do ourselves. Dr. Bordieri says he tells clinicians and clients that he's not a magician and that there's nothing in the room that can cure a problem, but he can offer tools and guidance through therapies. By teaching skills one can apply to their own lives, they can then let go of worry and not feel trapped by it anymore.
We think of worry as something that's helping us solve the problem, but often it takes us away from it, Dr. Bordieri says. When we're worrying, we're often 'catastrophising' - imagining the worst case scenarios and how we would react to that. For example, a bad review at work can lead one to think that they may get fired, then can't pay their mortgage, then go bankrupt, then will never work again. While that feels like it's helping in the moment, the reality is that it takes away from ways one can make a positive change to the situation. Take those hours spending worrying about it and find ways to change that can actually address the issue, he says. Another example is that one may feel 'too busy' or overwhelmed with work. They spend hours trying to plan out how to do everything, thinking about the numerous tasks, where those several hours could instead be used to chip away at some of the job.
One of the skills to improve is awareness of worry. Noticing that you're worried is the first step. After that, there are some options of how to approach a solution like applied relaxation (practicing relaxing) or cognitive behavior techniques (changing your thinking about worry by analyzing how rational the thoughts are). Sometimes imagining the worst case scenario can help move past the worry. For instance, when asked 'what would you do after you lose your job.' Many people can actually imagine moving past that and moving on, Dr. Boridieri says. Mindfulness and acceptance based relief can help, too, by telling your mind, "thanks, I noticed you were worrying right now, that's great. Now I'll go for a walk." Acknowledging worry as thoughts as moving on.
It can be scary or uncomfortable for people who suffer from worry to the point of generalized anxiety disorder. But worry is a product of the mind, Dr. Bordieri says. In principal, it's about the future, which is unknown. Unlike fear, worries don't live in the present moment. Our bodies are programed to deal with fear - it's an incredible adaptive response that's evolved with us over thouands of years. Worry is not adaptive because it's set on imagining the future. Focusing instead on the here and now might help get out of the worry trap.
Dr. Michael Bordieri is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Murray State University and a clinical supervisor at the MSU Psychological Center, which is staffed by graduate students in clinical psychology providing therapy and assessment service under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologists. The center is open to all. Call for summer hours at 270-809-2504.
Our next discussion with Dr. Bordieri will be July 28, where we'll talk more about fear, panic and other ways anxiety can cause us trouble in our lives.
