Worry Trick
How Your Brain Tricks You into Expecting the Worst and What You Can Do about It
Overview of Worry Trick
Discover why anxiety experts call "The Worry Trick" essential reading. Carbonell reveals how your mind mistakes uncertainty for danger, creating a self-perpetuating cycle. What if fighting your worries actually strengthens them? Learn the counterintuitive approach that's transforming anxiety treatment worldwide.
Key Themes in Worry Trick
- anxiety paradox
- rule of opposites
- panic attack management
- safety behavior reduction
- belly breathing techniques
Quotes from Worry Trick
The core of the worry trick is that you respond to your thoughts as if they are important.
The problem is not that you have these thoughts; the problem is that you get involved with them.
Anxiety is uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous.
Anxiety is fundamentally about discomfort, not danger.
Practice, don't protect: The path to freedom.
Characters in Worry Trick
- David A. CarbonellAuthor and psychologist specializing in anxiety
- OwenCase study of a man experiencing panic attacks
About the Author
About the Author of Worry Trick
David A. Carbonell, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and anxiety treatment expert, and the author of The Worry Trick, a practical self-help guide rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy. Specializing in anxiety disorders since 1985, Carbonell combines clinical experience from his Chicago-based practice with actionable strategies to help readers dismantle chronic worry patterns. His work builds on decades of treating panic disorder, phobias, and generalized anxiety, reflected in companion books like Panic Attacks Workbook and Fear of Flying Workbook.
Founder of AnxietyCoach.com, Carbonell reaches global audiences through free resources and therapist training programs, having educated over 10,000 mental health professionals worldwide. A DePaul University doctoral graduate and member of the Anxiety & Depression Association of America since 2003, he uniquely blends evidence-based methods with creative approaches as founding member of The Therapy Players improv troupe. His books remain recommended reading in CBT workshops and anxiety support networks, with The Worry Trick praised for reframing anxiety management through humor and relatable metaphors.
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FAQs About This Book
The Worry Trick explores how anxiety hijacks the brain by creating false danger signals, trapping individuals in cycles of chronic worry. Using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), David Carbonell teaches readers to recognize worry’s deceptive patterns, respond mindfully instead of reacting fearfully, and break free from unproductive “what if” spirals.
This book is ideal for individuals struggling with generalized anxiety, panic attacks, or intrusive worries. It’s also valuable for therapists seeking practical ACT/CBT-based strategies to help clients. Carbonell’s humor and clear examples make complex concepts accessible to both self-help readers and mental health professionals.
Yes – it’s a top-rated resource for anxiety management, praised for its actionable techniques like “scheduled worry time” and cognitive defusion exercises. Readers report lasting reductions in anxiety severity through its unique approach of changing one’s relationship with worry rather than fighting it.
A clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety since 1985, Carbonell combines decades of therapeutic practice with expertise in ACT/CBT. His innovative methods are informed by both clinical research and his experience as founder of Chicago’s Anxiety Treatment Center.
Carbonell identifies worry as a self-perpetuating cycle where the brain mistakes anxious thoughts for real danger, triggering fight-or-flight responses. The “trick” lies in worry’s ability to masquerade as problem-solving while actually reinforcing anxiety through avoidance and mental rehearsal.
- Cognitive defusion: Observing worries without judgment
- Scheduled worry time: Containing anxiety to specific periods
- Humor strategies: Reducing fear’s intensity through playful responses
- Mindful acceptance: Allowing anxious thoughts without resistance
The book teaches readers to recognize “what if” questions as unanswerable mental noise rather than legitimate threats. By reframing these thoughts as background chatter instead of urgent problems, individuals reduce their power to trigger anxiety.
Yes – Carbonell’s methods help break the fear-of-fear cycle driving panic. Techniques like interoceptive exposure (purposefully triggering mild physical sensations) and cognitive restructuring are adapted from his Panic Attacks Workbook.
Unlike generic positivity approaches, Carbonell’s method focuses on strategic disengagement from worry rather than forced relaxation. It combines CBT’s structured exercises with ACT’s emphasis on psychological flexibility, offering a unique hybrid approach.
Drawing from his improv comedy experience, Carbonell uses humor to create psychological distance from anxious thoughts. Techniques like giving worries absurd nicknames or imagining them as cartoon characters reduce their perceived threat.
Some readers find its emphasis on accepting uncertainty challenging initially. However, most reviews highlight its long-term effectiveness compared to quick-fix anxiety strategies, particularly for persistent worriers.
The book explains how worry amplifies bodily sensations like rapid heartbeat, then provides grounding techniques to decouple physical arousal from catastrophic interpretations. This breaks the cycle of symptom-focused anxiety.
Yes – Carbonell positions the book as complementary to professional treatment. Many therapists use it as homework between sessions, and its mindfulness-based approach synergizes well with SSRIs/SNRIs.
