Worry
Overview of Worry: Worrying may unfortunately be an unavoidable part of life. We may worry about money, about our health, about the future of the country, about what others think of us, about what will happen to our family when we are gone. Therapy for worry can probably lessen our worrying, and help us know how to manage when we do worry, but it won’t eliminate worrying. However, when worrying fills up most of our time, when we cannot relax or enjoy life because of excessive worries, when others tell us over and over that we worry too much, or when worries are irrational and persistent, therapy may be very useful.
Worrying may be a way of avoiding actually having to solve problems, or a way of avoiding thinking about a particular situation, person, impulse or need we don’t want to think about. Worrying may be a way to express anger, fear, or depression. Worrying can be a habit learned in childhood.
The Medical Model and Worry: Frequent worry may be associated with Obsessive-Compulsive or other Anxiety Disorders. Worrying about completely irrational fears without recognizing they are irrational may indicate Schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder, or may occur during the manic phase of Bipolar Disorder.
Case Examples of Worry:
Frieda, 11, worries constantly about her school work, the health of her pet cat, and the weather, among other things. After a few therapy sessions spent in play, themes in Frieda’s imagination unfold: Suppressed anger, scary monsters, going to heaven. A family history reveals her father’s struggle with alcohol and anger, and her mother’s reliance on religious faith to cope. Although her father is now sober, Frieda fears a return to the chaos of her early childhood, and copes by hiding in a world of religious fear and fantasy. Through play therapy, and facilitated conversation with her mother and father, Frieda begins to regain a sense of trust and the ability of herself and her parents to keep her stay safe.
Jordan, 50, takes a leave of absence from work to deal with his excessive worrying. He is a “perfectionist” and very self-critical if he completes any work assignment less than perfectly. Therapy helps him recognize his deep need to please his parents, which has turned him into a workaholic. Getting Jordan in touch with his own needs and desires helps him to move through his fear of failure and allow himself to enjoy life.
Therapy for Worry: There is a wide range of Psychotherapy Treatment Models or types of therapy used in the treatment of worry. Most of these
approaches fall into three historic camps of psychology: Psychoanalytic / Psychodynamic approaches; Behaviorism and; Humanism. Marriage Counseling may be important part of therapy for worry if worry is occurring in a relationship. Regardless of the type of therapy, there are some
generally agreed upon elements of
healthy therapy which are universal to all forms of
psychotherapy. Before beginning therapy for worry or any other
issue, it is helpful to familiarize oneself with these elements.
Books Related to Worry:
If there is something important you'd like us to consider adding to this page, please feel free to suggest your ideas.
Please add your comments about Worry - (click here to add a comment)