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don ’ t let worry rob you of time and energy

Instead of worrying, pay the price. Calculate the true cost of
your decision as best you can—in time, energy, money, and dam-
age to relationships.

When you decide on your course of action, decide also to pay
the price—and then do so, promptly.

What to Do When It’s More Than Worry

The techniques we’ve outlined here will get you through most wor-
ries. But we need to differentiate between worry and a genuine anxi-
ety disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or agoraphobia.

Between 1 and 2 percent of all Americans suffer panic attacks
regularly, and as much as 30 percent of the population may expe-
rience at least one in a lifetime. Symptoms include dizziness and
rapid heartbeat and may become debilitating.

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder receive unwanted
thoughts they are unable to dispel and engage in repetitive behavior
they are unable to stop. Such behaviors frequently involve clean-
ing (compulsive handwashing, for example) and checking (going
back dozens of times to make sure the front door is locked).

Sufferers from agoraphobia (literally “fear of the marketplace”)
experience panic attacks in public settings. The condition may
progressively worsen, until the agoraphobic can’t leave the house,
a specific room, even one corner of that room. Some become para-
lyzed for hours at a time.

These conditions stem from biochemical predispositions of the
brain. Sufferers can’t simply “snap out of it,” and the steps outlined
in this chapter won’t raise anyone out of a genuine disorder.

However, a combination of medication and behavioral therapy
most likely can alleviate or even eliminate symptoms. Get help if
the fears get too big.

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