Q. I am a ”worrywart” and have been for as long as I can remember. I read all I can about this problem and have tried to put these thoughts aside when they get too strong. But that doesn`t seem to work. Can you help me?
A. When times are troubled, you may have many legitimate reasons for concern. Job security, family problems, personal health are all real reasons for worry and can demand your attention. It`s hard to ignore when something of importance is not running smoothly in your life, and simply telling yourself not to worry may not be the most logical thing to do.
The trouble with most people who worry a great deal, over even the smallest situation, is that worry is all they do. There is no action plan developed from all those hours of thinking the problem through, and so no solution is ever found. The thoughts keep running around in your brain with no place to go.
The first tip I can offer is to focus on the worry rather than trying to stow it someplace in the attic of your mind. It`s all right to think about it if you`re going to concentrate in a meaningful way. Let the problem out, by writing it down, or even dictating it into a tape recorder, putting it out in the open where you can start to work on it.
Then analyze the problem. What`s really bothering you. Is it a serious situation or something simple? Does it really matter in the long run or is it something that just may pass by itself? Carefully defining the nature of the problem may cut it down to size, one which you can tackle and win.
Now look for possible solutions. Put down all the possibilities on paper, where you have a chance to read and reread them and evaluate them, choosing the best course of action from all the potential solutions.
Then try discussing your problem with friends and family. They may be able to provide another point of view, one which makes your solution even more effective.
Once you have developed your course of action, you will find that the worrisome thought is not as demanding as it once was. You will be able to put it aside, providing you have acted on your decisions.
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ACROSS MY DESK: An interesting study on the effect of yogurt in reducing vaginal yeast infections appeared recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Only 13 of the 33 women who were recruited into the study made it to the end of the year, in which yogurt was eaten for six months and then removed from the diet for another six months.
The yogurt contained live cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus, as found in the brands that can be purchased in any food store. The women were asked to eat eight ounces of yogurt each day during the six-month period that yogurt was used.
The women were examined on a regular basis and tested to determine the extent of candida (yeast) present. The results revealed that there was a significant decrease in infections during the period that the women were eating their daily ration of yogurt, and the number of colonies of candida were also reduced.
