Why Do We Worry So Much?

Worrying seems to be commonplace for many, if not, most people today. The question I often asked myself is, why do people worry? A little worry is probably necessary in order to motivate us to do things that need to get done. On the other hand, excessive worry tends to keep us incapacitated to the point of indecision and inaction. In asking myself the question of Why Do People Worry? I draw upon my 25+ years of experience in working with clients, as well as personal experience. My conclusion is that people worry in an attempt to solve their problems. Given this, why is that worry actually hinders us from solving the very problems (I prefer to use the word “challenges”) that beset us? This is because excessive worry activates the amygdala housed in the limbic system of the brain, while short circuiting our prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is the “emotional center” of our brain that controls “fight or flight.” Fight of flight is a primitive mechanism going back to the cavemen that keeps us safe from danger. When a person excessively worries, this mechanism becomes overactive, releasing excessive amounts of adrenaline, causing us to see dangers that are not really there or to overestimate danger. Thus, excessive worrying hijacks the amygdala housed in the limbic system and shuts off, or derails, the prefrontal lobe of the brain, which regulates rational thinking. Thus, you become “emotionally activated” versus calm and rational in your thinking. This strong e...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Anxiety Habits Self-Help anxious thoughts Rumination worry Source Type: news