My guest today is Ben Eckstein, LCSW. Ben is a therapist specializing in the treatment of OCD, Anxiety, and OC-Spectrum Disorders. He is the owner and director of Bull City Anxiety & OCD Treatment Center in Durham, North Carolina. In addition to his clinical work, Ben is also an accomplished speaker, trainer, and is the author of the new book, Worrying is Optional: Break the Cycle of Anxiety and Rumination That Keeps You Stuck. He also serves on the board of OCD North Carolina, the state affiliate of the International OCD Foundation.

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:
- How Ben ended up writing Worrying is Optional
- The overlap between Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- How worrying can get in the way of other areas of life that are more important
- Understanding the habitual nature of worry
- The power of choosing what not to do
- The role of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in addressing worry and rumination
- Ben’s background working in residential treatment for OCD

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Worrying Is Optional: https://a.co/d/aE4FjqK

Ben’s practice: https://www.bullcityanxiety.com/

Instagram: @bullcityanxiety

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