Worry: Controlling It and Using It Wisely

Noting that ""not all worry is bad,"" Hallowell distinguishes between ""wise worry that alerts you to real danger"" and ""unwise worry that serves no useful purpose and can hamper your life."" In this engaging book, the Harvard Medical School senior lecturer and coauthor of Driven to Distraction examines ""toxic"" worry and its underlying causes and manifestations, and offers various means for getting back control. (Depression, panic disorders and a host of anxiety disorders can all result from uncurbed, undue forethought, he says.) Hallowell asserts that, due to genetic brain chemistry, some people are inherently prone to fear, anxiety and negative thinking, and cannot control excessive worry once it has taken hold of them. However, he also provides abundant information on a wide variety of alleviating treatments. Hallowell advises structure and organization (""planning instead of worrying""), exercise, adequate sleep, a healthy diet, controlled breathing, alcohol avoidance, talking, prayer or meditation and many other practices to be tried in combination with the many professional therapies and medications (such as Prozac) currently available. In a voice both authoritative and compassionate, Hallowell thoroughly explores a topic that touches nearly everyone in this age of anxiety. (Oct.)