The Worry Trick
by David Carbonell, PhD
Summary
Written by a psychologist who specializes in anxiety, this book explains worry as a trick your brain plays on itself — convincing you that more worrying equals more safety, when it actually just prolongs distress. It's especially good at explaining why trying to reason your way out of worry often backfires, and what to do instead.
Who it's for
Readers who intellectually know their worry is excessive but can't seem to reason their way out of it, and want to understand why logic alone doesn't work.
Key takeaways
- Why worry convincingly (but falsely) presents itself as productive problem-solving
- Specific techniques for stepping outside the worry process rather than trying to out-argue it
- How avoidance of uncertainty is often the real engine behind chronic worry
David Carbonell has specialized in treating anxiety and worry for decades, and this book’s central insight is a genuinely useful reframe: worry persists because it disguises itself as productive problem-solving, tricking you into thinking one more round of worrying will finally produce safety or certainty.
Rather than trying to logically resolve every worry (which usually just generates more worry), Carbonell teaches specific techniques for stepping outside the process entirely — a distinct and often more effective angle than pure cognitive restructuring alone.
Available on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, Coolmymind earns from qualifying purchases.