Anxiety Files

Simple and powerful techniques for coping with anxiety and worry.

By Robert L. Leahy

How do Obsessive Compulsive People Think?

By Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D. on June 19, 2009 - 8:19am in Anxiety Files

You have thoughts that pop into your head, you fear them, you try to suppress them, and you feel responsible for everything that can go wrong. You are not alone. OCD is not a mystery. In fact, there is some "regularity" and "rationality" to your thinking. See if you see yourself in this post" Read More

Constructive Discomfort: How to do what you really don’t want to do

By Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D. on June 8, 2009 - 7:55am in Anxiety Files

If you are like a lot of us, there are a number of things that you know you should do, but you simply can't get yourself to do them.But there is a little voice in your little head that says, "I DON'T WANT TO". How can you build the mental muscle to get done what needs to be done?

Those Damn Unwanted Thoughts!

By Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D. on June 1, 2009 - 7:17am in Anxiety Files

Have you ever felt plagued by thoughts and images that you just couldn't stand? Perhaps it's the nagging thought, "I made a mistake" or "I think I have cancer" or "I'm going to lose control". These thoughts seem to intrude on your mind and you try to block them out.

Listen to a Lecture on How to Handle Your Worries

By Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D. on May 13, 2009 - 6:32am in Anxiety Files

Last October I gave a series of lectures and workshops at the University of Louisville Medical School's Depression Center. One of these talks was on how to handle your worries. I thought that some of you might find it of interest to hear this talk which is now available on-line for free.

Turning Panic Disorder on Its Head

By Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D. on May 11, 2009 - 8:03am in Anxiety Files

If you have ever suffered from panic attacks then you know how terrifying they can be. Your first panic attack came out of nowhere-you suddenly found yourself shaking, trembling with fear, short of breath, feeling like you are going to collapse and then you thought that the end was coming. In my last blog on panic disorder-- Do You Have Panic Disorder?-- I described the process of developing panic disorder and agoraphobia. In this blog I will describe the steps to reversing this process so that you can live your life free from the fear of panic attacks.

Do You Have Panic Disorder?

By Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D. on April 10, 2009 - 12:05pm in Anxiety Files

Panic disorder and agoraphobia can be debilitating for many people. You run the risk of limiting your life if you don't get help. Fortunately, we now understand this prevalent problem and we know how to treat it effectively. Read More

Sixth Week: How to use your emotions rather than worry about them

By Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D. on March 30, 2009 - 8:37am in Anxiety Files

Worry is often a way that we avoid our emotions. We are trying to think our way out of things rather than allow ourselves to feel our feelings. Recent research shows that worriers have negative views of feelings. Take a look at the questionnaire here and see if you have negative beliefs about feelings. And then find out what you can do to help yourself. Read More