Anxiety Files

Simple and powerful techniques for coping with anxiety and worry.

Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D., is the author of Anxiety Free and The Worry Cure. He is Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at Weill-Cornell Medical School and Director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy. See full bio

April 10, 2009

Do You Have Panic Disorder?

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

March 30, 2009

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

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

February 23, 2009

Facing Unemployment: Ten Steps to Handling Your Unemployment Anxiety

Throughout the country we hear of factories closing, massive layoffs as companies retrench, stores going out of business and people everywhere facing unemployment. Read More

January 16, 2009

Fifth Week: Overcome Your Worry by Overcoming Your Fear of Failure

I don't know about you, but no one ever taught me how to fail successfully. There was no course in college called, "Failure 101". I'm not sure if they would grade you as Pass/Fail in such a course, but that course wasn't offered. Read More

January 5, 2009

Fourth Week: Looking at the Core of Your Anxiety

We differ as to the kinds of things we worry about. Some of us worry about being abandoned by other people, some worry about not being able to take care of ourselves,

November 7, 2008

How an Optimist Sees Opportunity in the Current Market

In an earlier blog "Anxious Financial Markets: How Fear Drives Investments" I indicated that pessimists and optimists have different underlying assumptions, theories and realities that affect their approach to investment. Let's consider how an optimist might approach the current investment environment. Read More

October 27, 2008

Overcoming Post-Traumatic Investor Disorder

You blame others, you feel that the world is not what you thought it would be, and you want to avoid all information about the market and any information in your monthly statements. Warren Buffet and the other pros may look at the current debacle as the biggest opportunity that they have seen. It may also be the most terrifying financial trauma that you have experienced and, so, you are reluctant to move forward. What can you do? Read More

October 24, 2008

Post Traumatic Investor Disorder

The market hits new lows, your 401 K money has died and gone to heaven, and you are in total panic mode. Yes, Main Street, you are bewildered by the market's wild ride and you just called your broker and screamed in a high-pitched voice, "SELL EVERYTHING". Read More

October 13, 2008

Third Week: Challenging Your Worried Thinking

During the first two weeks of your Worry-Cure Program you learned how to examine the differences between productive and unproductive worry and you learned some techniques to deal with acceptance of uncertainty and limitations. In this third installment, we will look at some simple techniques to handle your negative thoughts. Read More

October 6, 2008

How Optimism Got Us in Trouble in Financial Markets: Or Why Smart People do Stupid Things

There are many things that we should worry about --but we don't. The same processes that lead us to avoid everyday real risks have contributed to the development of an overly risky financial market and credit crisis. The financial crisis is due to building a house of cards and then acting like we are surprised when it collapses. But what has led us to build a house of cards? And, why was the house of cards built by highly intelligent people---many with MBAs? How can smart people be so stupid? Read More

Books by Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D.

Anxiety Free: Unravel Your Fears Before They Unravel You

The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You

Anxiety Basics

From normal butterflies-in-the-stomach to clinically diagnosable conditions such as Panic Disorder, anxiety motivates some people but paralyzes others.

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Books by Robert L. Leahy, Ph.D.

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