Worry: Controlling It and Using It Wisely

From the co-author of the best-selling Driven to Distraction, here is the first book to focus on the many forms of worry (both destructive and productive), their underlying causes, and how these patterns of thought and behavior can be changed.

Worry consumes time and energy, too often isolates us from friends and family, and prevents us from solving the real problems that are behind the act of worrying.  Dr. Edward M. Hallowell makes clear the crucial distinctions among the various forms of worry, showing which are protective and productive, which handicap achievement and pleasure, and which seriously threaten physical health and mental balance.  He explains which forms of worry are rooted in inborn predispositions, which arise from misguided attempts to cope with the stresses of daily life, and which are symptomatic of other problems, such as depression or attention deficit disorder.  In each case he maps out the most effective strategies for change--psychotherapy, medication, innovative methods of retraining the brain--many of which the chronic worrier can pursue on his or her own.

Filled with illuminating case histories, anecdotes, and practical guidance, this is an invaluable aid to understanding and coping with one of the most common and debilitating but least understood states of mind.

Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., is a senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School and the founder and director of The Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Concord, Massachusetts.  He lives in the Boston area.