Worry is rampant today. Worry is the enemy of peace of mind.
There is a sense of unease infusing the conversations and expressions of people everywhere.
Worry—persistent, invasive, and often overwhelming—has become a defining feature of our contemporary society.
The uncertainty of global events, economic fluctuations, health concerns, and the relentless pace of modern life seem to conspire to trouble the collective mind.
Worry is a natural emotional response to perceived threats or uncertainties. It is rooted in our cognitive capacity to anticipate future challenges and prepare for potential adversity.
In moderate doses, worry can alert us to risks and prompt us to take reasonable precautions.
However, when worry becomes chronic or disproportionate to the actual threat, it can undermine our well-being, sap our energy, and impede our ability to function effectively.
Reasons for the Prevalence of Worry in Contemporary Society
Several factors have converged to make worry more prevalent in today’s world:
Information Overload of an unsettling nature. War in the Middle East or Ukraine, for example, is virtually fought in our family rooms with optical reality. Liberal university students protest/riot to prevent speakers with opposing views.
Social Comparison resulting from TV depicting wealth, success, andnotoriety triggers troubled minds to think unrealistically.
Global Uncertainty; it speaks for itself.
Isolation and Disconnection: many are exercising their right to be left alone. When I was a child, people sat on their front porch in the evening. If I misbehaved, my neighbors knew before my parents got the news.
Statistics suggest rising levels of anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders across many demographics. Mental health challenges affect millions globally, with anxiety disorders among the most common.
The Impact of Worry on Daily Life
Physical Health: Prolonged anxiety can trigger headaches, digestive issues, insomnia, and a weakened immune system.
Mental Health: Persistent worry is a hallmark of anxiety disorders and can lead to depression, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
Relationships: Worry can strain relationships, making individuals withdrawn, defensive, or overly dependent on reassurance from others.
Productivity: Excessive rumination distracts from tasks, impairs decision-making, and erodes motivation.
Why Do We Worry?
To address worry effectively, it is helpful to understand its origins:
Evolutionary Roots: Worry is a byproduct of our brain’s survival mechanisms, designed to anticipate threats and safeguard well-being.
Personal Experiences: Past traumas, losses, or failures can sensitize individuals to future risks, making them more prone to worry.
Beliefs and Values: Core beliefs about control, security, and worthiness influence how we interpret events and respond to uncertainty.
External Influences: Family, culture, and media shape our perceptions of danger and reinforce habits of worry.
What Can Be Done?
The challenge of rampant worry is not insurmountable. There are practical, evidence-based strategies that individuals and communities can embrace to cultivate greater peace of mind.
When worry becomes unmanageable or interferes with daily functioning, seeking help from a mental health professional is crucial. A good place to begin is with your family doctor. A better place is a meeting with your minister, priest, or rabbi.
Remember: it is not so important what happens to us; more important is the meaning we give or discover during the experience that determines its effect upon us.
Ellen, a good housewife and mother of a teenager, lived in a rural setting with her husband and son. She did not feel secure while driving in the city; “it makes me nervous.”
Her concern over driving steadily increased. “If I drive over a bump in the road, I have to go back to see what it was.”
“To be truthful, I’m afraid I have run over someone.”
Ellen’s driving record was good, but her driving concerns overwhelmed her.
She withdrew from social interaction, experienced persistent fears, and was no longer aware of the sense of well-being she had previously felt.
Ellen, of course, is a fictitious name, but her case is real.
Let us try to understand Ellen’s sense of reality, obviously distorted.
To understand reality is the most important challenge of the time in which we live today.
We are indebted to Plato (427 BC-347 BC) and Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) for our concepts of reality, but even today, it is disturbing that our nation can have strongly held opposing views of reality.
Yes, it is true that reasonable people can disagree. It is also true that people who think of themselves as “reasonable” can lie, cheat, and steal (often without detection).
More can and should be said about rebellious people who disregard the means they employ to achieve their goal, but it is not the precise focus of this discussion. It is not neglected here owing to its contributory role in causing much worry.
Permit me to simplify Idealism and Realism, the works of Plato and Aristotle, relevant to our purpose. It is the only version I know.
Plato wrote that what is “real” is the “form” or idea of the object. Of course, these ancient, learned philosophers wrote much more and in many areas, including ethics, or how to live a life of happiness.
Plato’s theory of forms suggests that what we see in the physical world are imperfect versions of perfect, timeless forms that exist separately. These forms are the fundamental essence and models for everything we encounter.
For Plato, one must have the idea as the truest reality. Thus, the philosophic term for Plato’s work is “idealism.”
As a child, Alexander the Great was taught by Aristotle. Their friendship continued.
As Alexander the Great was conquering the world, he would bring plants and animals back to Aristotle.
Aristotle refuted Plato by saying the specimens he examined existed before Plato had ever known or had the idea of them.
Aristotle viewed reality as the physical world accessible through senses and reason, differing from Plato’s theory of separate, ideal forms.
He believed that reality is composed of individual, changing substances, each with both matter and form,
Knowledge is gained through observation and experience of these substances.
Aristotle became the Father of Biology.
Let us not forget Ellen. What about her sense of reality?
She and her family moved to Philadelphia.
She saw Dr. Aaron T. Beck, founder of Cognitive Therapy, later named Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT.
CBT is a form of psychological treatment that helps people cope with various problems by changing their thinking and behavior.
Dr. Beck: Do you worry while driving that you have accidentally run over a pedestrian?
Ellen: Yes, Dr.
Dr. Beck: Do you believe the thought you have run over someone?
Ellen: Yes, Dr.
Dr. Beck: Do you believe it 100%?
Ellen: Yes, Dr.
Dr. Beck: What is the evidence making you believe it?
Ellen: Evidence? I can’t say. I feel it strongly.
Dr. Beck: Do you believe there is a difference between a thought and a feeling?
Ellen: Yes, Dr.
Dr. Beck: If your best friend told you she felt very strongly that she had run over a pedestrian, what you tell her?
Ellen: I don’t know…I might say that feelings are important, but they may not be realistic.
Dr. Beck: How much do you believe that?
Ellen: I’m not sure…it may be 85%.
Dr. Beck: What is the evidence that you have not run over a person?
Ellen: The TV news has not reported a hit-and-run incident. I have not been contacted by the Police. I’ve called the Rescue Squad and learned no pedestrian has been the victim of a hit-and-run incident.
Dr. Beck: Do you think the evidence against your feelings is stronger than the evidence supporting it?
Ellen: I’ve never thought about it that way…but yes, the evidence that I’ve run over someone is pretty weak.
Dr. Beck: As we sit here now, how much do you believe you have run over someone?
Ellen: Probably 55%
Dr. Beck: Ellen, you are a bright person who wants to harm no one. I reviewed your psychological test results, and they showed you are depressed and anxious.
If you are willing to return for 12 weekly sessions, we can work on your thoughts and behavior. It was a privilege to see you.
Your high degree of cooperation increases my confidence that we can resolve your concerns successfully. No medication is needed (end of session).
The best working definition of faith during times of worry and anxiety, a practical or “working” definition of faith can be described as:
A confident trust in God’s presence, goodness, and ultimate control, leading to a deliberate choice to surrender worries and act in alignment with that trust, even amidst uncertainty.
Faith doesn’t mean doing nothing; it empowers us to take courageous steps even when we are afraid.
It can involve spiritual practices like prayer, meditation on scripture, and participating in a supportive faith community or Bible Study on Zoom.
Exercise is more important than many people think.
Job’s story offers a multifaceted perspective on faith, suffering, and the human relationship with the divine.
He teaches us not only about patience but also about unwavering faith, resilience, integrity, humility, and the importance of honest engagement with God, even amidst profound pain and unanswered questions.
Jesus told us we would have tribulation, but to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. John 16:33.
No matter how much we worry or how soon the bluebird of happiness flies away from us, we are confident mentally, physically, and spiritually that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.
Robert S. Brown, MD, PHD a retired Psychiatrist, Col (Ret) U.S. Army Medical Corps devoted the last decade of his career to treating soldiers at Fort Lee redeploying from combat. He was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Education at UVA. His renowned Mental Health course taught the value of exercise for a sound mind.
