Table of Contents
Foreword Martin M. Antony, PhD vii
Introduction 1
1 The Problem with Worry 5
What Is Worry? 5
Understanding the Worry Cycle 7
Identifying Your Worry Fingerprint 12
When Is Worry a Problem? 15
2 Why Do We Worry? 19
Understanding the Fear of Uncertainty 19
The Influence of Beliefs About Uncertainty 22
Understanding Intolerance of Uncertainty Triggers 26
Deciding When to Take Risks in Life 29
3 Safety Behaviors: Fear of Uncertainty in Action 33
Understanding Safety Behaviors 33
Identifying Your Own Safety Behaviors 35
4 Is Uncertainty Dangerous? Testing It Out 47
Testing Out the Dangers of Uncertainty 47
Conducting Behavioral Experiments 49
5 Strengthening Your Tolerance for Uncertainty 65
Uncertainty Experiments 65
Tolerating Uncertainty Workouts 73
6 Facing the Uncertainty in Perfectionism 81
What Is Perfectionism? 81
The Problem with Perfectionism 83
Behavioral Experiments Targeting Perfectionism 90
Developing Healthy High Standards 102
Learning to Be "Good Enough" 105
7 Facing the Uncertainty in Decision Making 109
The Challenge of Decision Making 109
Behavioral Experiments Targeting Decision Making 117
Becoming a Good Decision Maker 133
8 Facing the Uncertainty in Anxiety Disorders 135
Uncertainty in Anxiety Disorders 135
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 137
Social Anxiety Disorder 141
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 146
Illness Anxiety Disorder 151
When to Seek Professional Help 169
9 Inviting Uncertainty into Your Life: Accepting Risk and Building Self-Confidence 171
Facing Uncertainty in the Long Term 171
Embracing Uncertainty: Risk and Rewards 179
Learning to Trust Yourself 184
Acknowledgments 187
References 189
