2 - Persistent and Distressing Worry

Summary

Pregnancy and the postnatal period can be a source of many worries – the health of you and the baby, safety, bonding, financial and partner stress are normal topics of worry. However, for some, the experience of worrying is time consuming, uncontrollable and jumps from topic to topic, causing stress and anxiety. Generalised anxiety (the experience of overwhelming worry) is one of the most common perinatal anxiety problems. This chapter will help you identify and recognise the processes involved in keeping worry going, such as getting drawn into ‘what if’ questions, thinking the worst and finding uncertainty difficult to cope with. Techniques are described to help you disengage from worry, deal with uncertainty, think through and challenge beliefs about worry and support yourself to gain control over your anxiety.