This section is taken from "Winning Against Worry", a workbook from the Worry Intervention Trial. Please see the page footer for full details.

It has been estimated that four out of ten people worry every day.

Most people worry for just a few minutes at a time and some people worry for hours on end.

Worriers say that worry ‘peaks’ first thing in the morning and last thing at night – probably because these are the times when we’re less busy and occupied with other things.

People sometimes say that they start by worrying about a small problem which can quickly get out of proportion. Common worries include work, health, money and relationships, but worry can also focus on bigger concerns, such as threats to personal safety, including fears of harm to ourselves or those we love.

Worriers report that on the one hand it feels as though they need to worry to stay safe and in control. But on the other hand they realise that worry isn’t helpful. It doesn’t solve their problems, it takes up time and makes them feel bad. So, worriers have positive and negative beliefs about their worry.

Underneath all that worry, fretting, and fear, worriers report feeling generally unsafe and uncertain in the world. Feeling unsafe and uncertain every day is exhausting and can be very, very, difficult to live with.

People have described worry like an avalanche of snow.

The concerns start off as snow flakes falling from the sky. After a day of heavy snow, the snow flakes start to cluster and gather speed as they tumble down the mountain side, as they fall they gain momentum and gather additional snow, steadily growing into larger and larger snow balls that can be seen rushing down the mountain side.

The more they tumble, the more snow they gather, and the larger the snow balls become... until... before you know it... there is an avalanche of snow rushing full speed ahead down the side of the mountain, signaling danger and fear for those it meets.

For instance, imagine dropping a pen on the ground. Let's worry about it! Let's ask ourselves 'What bad thing could happen?' and keep asking that question. Try it and see to what an extreme extent worrying can lead you!

It is possible to worry about the smallest things. Equally, it is possible to worry about good things too!

Now imagine winning the lottery. That's got to be great - hasn't it? Let's try worrying about it - what bad things could happen?

These exercises can teach us a lot about worry. Most worriers find it possible to reach very extreme results just worrying about something as inconsequential as dropping a pen, or as life-changingly wonderful as winning the lottery.

It seems that worry comes very naturally to some of us, but it is easy for our worry to get out of control. It usually feeds on our negativity bias and focuses our minds on negative and unhelpful concepts.

If worrying always just takes us to the negative, the unhelpful and the distressing... why do we do it?

It might just be habit. We've done it for years, perhaps our parents did it. It's familiar and feels necessary. Switching it off doesn't even enter our minds or it seems impossible.

However, very importantly, many people start a period of worry for a reason. They may have a motivation. They believe worry can help in some way.

But once worry starts, for some people the positives seem to disappear and worry starts to feel more of a problem.

"It's as though deep down I feel unsafe, so I worry because I think it will help me prepare for the worst, but worry just makes me dwell on worse and worse possible outcomes, so the worry itself becomes a problem and I just end up feeling out of control and upset by it all"

Here are some examples of extreme worry, shared by people on www.paranoidthoughts.com

I have always been a little anxious about what other people think of me, and if I have upset anyone. But recently this seems to have become worse on graduating as a nurse. Now that I have begun my new career I feel as though I am not capable of carrying out this highly stressful occupation, and worry that I am constantly getting things wrong, and that my colleagues are discussing this behind my back.

I have a real problem with people phoning me. Sometimes I’ll be trying to relax after a hard day at work and my friends will ring me so I wont answer because I’m tired or busy, then they don’t stop ringing me and carry on and I start to get anxious and I feel like their going to come to my house and like break in or say something I don’t wanna hear, if I here cars outside I worry that it’s my friends have rang my ex and has drove them down. I get to the point where I can’t sleep and I’m up for hours worrying and telling myself that its not gonna happen and I’m just being stupid but it doesn’t work. I worry about my friends, I feel like their going to slag me off and make things up about me. I feel like people are looking at me and judging me. I have days were I can’t leave the house at all not even to see my friends, that’s usually when I get anxious about my friends constantly ringing me. I’ve been diagnosed by my doctor as having moderately severe depression and every time I feel as though I’m getting better or things are changing it just starts all over again it’s like it goes in cycles. Depression and mental illnesses run in my family so I guess I’ve got no chance!! I sometimes wonder if I really am depressed I don’t feel good enough to be classed as depressed! I know that sounds stupid but I feel as though I’m just a mess and there’s nothing more to it. I’m only 16 which is rubbish as the doctors won’t prescribe me any antidepressants. I’m scared to post this in case people just look at it and think I’m pathetic or that I’m making it up, I feel such an idiot. I used to have a councillor but she didn’t really do much. Now I just want someone who I can talk to who will just listen and know what to do.

I believe that all of my very close friends are out to get me. I worry all the time about them. If one of my friends doesn’t text me back or doesn’t answer my phone call I worry that they hate me or are ignoring me and that I have done something wrong even if I haven’t. I also worry that if something goes missing it was one of my friends. I know this isn’t true and I can talk about this with my friends but they are getting sick of me going on at them now.

Scotland

We live in stressful times.

Life can seem so overwhelming, what with pressures from work, family, friends, and the unpredictable problems life can throw at us.

We all have something called a negativity bias. A tendency to focus on the negative sides of life. It is built into all humans. Our negative bias used to serve us well when our ancestors were trying to survive in the wild and needed to be vigilant for dangers around every corner.

The problem is when this negative bias gets out of hand, and starts dictating the way we see our world and our reality.

For some people, this negative bias gets really out of control and it can lead to excessive worrying that is unhealthy and negatively impacts the individual's life.

Our aim is to offer a collection of proven strategies to help a person regain control of their worrying and live a more positive, productive and fulfilling life.

People have described worry like an avalanche of snow.

The more they tumble, the more snow they gather, and the larger the snow balls become... until... before you know it... there is an avalanche of snow rushing full speed ahead down the side of the mountain, signaling danger and fear for those it meets.

"It's as though deep down I feel unsafe, so I worry because I think it will help me prepare for the worst, but worry just makes me dwell on worse and worse possible outcomes, so the worry itself becomes a problem and I just end up feeling out of control and upset by it all"

There is plenty a person can do if worry has become an issue.

The first thing to do is seek medical support. Talking to your doctor is the best option, but there are plenty of other support options available out there.

Click here to view our links page to find support in your region.

There are also a range of tried and tested techniques that can help a person get their worrying under control. Click here to see some of these techniques and to learn more about what you can do to get a handle on the problem.