Dr. Jud Brewer: Unwinding Anxiety - A Novel Model for Understanding & Treating Anxiety

Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Anxiety is a normal and necessary component of the human experience; however, under some circumstances normal psychological processes related to anxiety can unwittingly become entrenched in "habit loops" that can keep an individual stuck. New York Times best-selling author, neuroscientist, addiction psychiatrist, and thought leader in the field of habit change, Dr. Jud Brewer, joins us for a fascinating discussion of his novel model of anxiety as described in his new book "Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind”. This discussion includes a consideration of:

• the evolutionary value of emotions and Dr. Brewer's perspective on when and how normally adaptive anxiety can evolve into a self-defeating habit
• the mechanism by which anxiety and associated cognitive processes & behaviours can unwittingly turn into bad habits
• a consideration of whether rates of anxiety are actually rising and features of our modern lifestyle that could be contributing to such a trend
• the value and utility in tolerating uncertainty
• an in-depth review of Dr. Brewer's model for understanding and treating anxiety including conceptualizing anxiety as a habit loop as well as leveraging awareness to allow individuals to become attuned to the actual vs. predicted awards of engaging in anxiety habit loops
• the addiction-like dynamics surrounding the cognitive & behavioural experience of anxiety (e.g., “wanting” vs. “liking”)
• why willpower, substitution, stimulus control & environmental manipulation are strategies that are oversold with respect to their ability to affect change
• the importance of finding the "bigger, better offer" to derail anxious habit loops & why Dr. Brewer feels mindfulness, curiosity & kindness are critical in this respect
• a brief consideration of how his model dovetails with traditional CBT

Dr. Jud Brewer is a New York Times best-selling author, neuroscientist, addiction psychiatrist, and thought leader in the field of habit change. He is the Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, where he also serves as an associate professor. He is the executive medical director at Sharecare Inc. and a research affiliate at MIT. Dr. Brewer has developed and tested novel mindfulness programs for habit change, including treatments for smoking, emotional eating, and anxiety. His new book is called “Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind”

https://drjud.com/
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