ABSTRACT
Worry is part of the human condition. We are granted the gift of imagination and the ability to think about and visualize possible futures. Worry begins as a means of planning, and can serve a helpful function in preparation and problem solving. The planning part of worry can save time, energy, and emotional discomfort, enabling us to make better decisions. Sometimes, however, worry becomes a problem in itself. Worry can become overwhelming, preoccupying, paralyzing, and toxic. Some people worry about relatively unimportant things, and others realize that they worry about situations that are completely out of their control, so that no useful purpose is accomplished by their worrying. But these people continue to worry all the same.
