don't worry be happy - understanding the nature of worry ...t worry be happy... · don't...

Don't Worry Be Happy? Understanding the Nature of Worry and Anxiety

Provided Courtesy of Dr. Rami Nader, R.Psych. (www.raminader.com) 1

Dr. Rami Nader, R.Psych.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)◦ Chronic, excessive, difficult to control worry

accompanied by a variety of physical and cognitive symptoms◦ 5% of the population will experience GAD at some

point in their life; 3% in any given year (5100 people on the North Shore at this moment)

Low Worry

HighWorry

GAD

Worriers



A thought process – a collection of thoughts or doubts which occur together

Related to future negative events Accompanied by anxiety Worry and anxiety are NOT the same

thing



Trigger

What if?

Worry

Anxiety

What if?What if?

What if?What if?

What if?

Demoralization/Exhaustion



The more tired or demoralized, the easier it is to come up with “What if” questions.

Not recognizing worry Ineffective worry management

techniques (e.g., keeping yourself really busy)

The role of uncertainty

Trigger

What if?

Worry

Anxiety


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Like a psychological allergy A lens through which the world is

viewed

Negative Outcome

Neutral Outcome

Positive Outcome



Intolerant of

Uncertainty

Uncertainty in the World

Avoiding doing certain things, finding imaginary obstacles or “reasons” not to do certain things, procrastinating.

Wanting to do everything yourself, not delegating tasks to other people

Only partially committing to a relationship, job or a project

Doing too many things at once

Looking for a lot of information before proceeding to do something

Second guessing decisions that have already been made

Reassurance seeking Double checking things Overprotecting others



Decreased confidence Decreased efficiency Perfectionism Interpersonal difficulties and conflict Passive in relationships Little spontaneity in life Control “freak”

Trigger

What if?

Worry

Anxiety


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Beliefs About Worry

5000 km



Worrying helps find solutions to problems

Worrying motivates to get things done Worry prepares me for the worst and

protects me from negative emotions Worry can prevent negative outcomes Worry is a positive personality

characteristic

Problems can be a big worry trigger People who tend to worry a lot do not

tend to engage in problem-solving to deal with problems.

This is NOT due to a lack or problem solving skills.

Due to Negative Problem Orientation (NPO)

I hate problems I shouldn’t have problems Other people don’t have problems the

way I do I’m no good at solving problems My problems aren’t going to work out Problems are bad/threatening



Emotional Consequences◦ Frustrated◦ Nervous/Anxious

Mental Consequences◦ Problems are unfair and threatening◦ More outcomes to worry about

Behavioral Consequences◦ Avoid problems◦ Procrastinate problem-solving

ProblemCRISIS

Trigger

What if?

Worry

Anxiety


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Beliefs About Worry

Ineffective Problem Solving



People can also worry about problems that don’t exist.

Negative scenario-building related to all sorts of awful, worst-case scenarios

Tend to be associated with a person’s greatest fears and scariest thoughts

Because of the scary and upsetting nature of these thoughts, the natural response is to try and suppress or avoid thinking about the worries

Person tries to push thoughts out of their head◦ Think about something else, distract self

with activity, alcohol/drugs



The more you try not to think about something,

the more you think about it!

Trigger

What if?

Worry

Anxiety


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Beliefs About Worry

Ineffective Problem SolvingCognitive Avoidance



Trigger

What if?

Worry

Anxiety


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Beliefs About Worry

Ineffective Problem SolvingCognitive Avoidance

Life Events

Mood State

EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY◦ Take “risks”◦ Don’t procrastinate◦ Speak your mind◦ Do new things◦ Go with the flow more often without having to

know exactly what is going to happen◦ “If I were more tolerant of uncertainty, what

would I do in this situation?”◦ Be ok with “wait and see”

Worrying doesn’t solve problems, motivate you, make you a better person, prevent bad things from happening or prepares you for anything.

Recognize problems early on, normalize problems and look for the opportunities (not threat)

Think through your worries



raminader.com/gad_resources.htm nssac.ca/resources_adult.html anxietybc.com/resources/generalized.

php Slides available for 2 weeks at

www.nssac.ca

When to Worry About Worry: Understanding Anxiety in Kids◦ February 12 - Larson Elementary School◦ April 15 - Sutherland Church

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep◦ March 2 – Lynn Valley Town Centre

Making Sense of Adolescence: How to Maintain a Strong Relationship with Your Teenager◦ April 23 – Carson Graham Secondary School◦ June 24 – Sutherland Church

Can Anything Be Done? Understanding Depression and How to Overcome It ◦ May 28 – Capilano Library

don't worry be happy - understanding the nature of worry ...t worry be happy... · don't...

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