LaFreniere and Newman (2020) tracked the worries of people with generalized anxiety disorder, revealing that on average, 91.4% of their worries didn't come true. Participants commonly reported that 100% of their worries proved unfounded.
This research emphasizes how anxiety operates: individuals often overestimate both the likelihood of their worries manifesting and the severity of the outcomes if they do. The expectation of catastrophic results compounds their worry.
Interestingly, while experiencing worry is common, even when worries materialize, many are experienced as less severe than anticipated, with about 30% of actual worries perceived as better than expected.
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