If your brain loves to spiral, rehearse worst-case scenarios, or treat every decision as if it’s life or death—you're in good company. If you're worried, anxious, and overthinking, this episode is for you!

Join me and my guest—an author and therapist—as we unpack the mental habits of worry and rumination that can take over our inner world. We’ll explore why these thought patterns feel so automatic, the beliefs that keep them alive, and how they quietly steal our peace and our ability to engage in problem-solving. You’ll learn how to break the cycle using practical tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and metacognitive approaches that help bring your mind back to the here and now—away from the endless parade of “what-ifs” that the mind has to offer.

About my guest: Ben Eckstein, LCSW is a therapist specializing in the treatment of OCD, Anxiety, and OC-Related Disorders. Ben honed his specialty in OCD while working at McLean Hospital's OCD Institute in Boston. He's now the owner and director of Bull City Anxiety & OCD Treatment Center in Durham, North Carolina. Ben is the vice president of OCD North Carolina, the NC state affiliate of the International OCD Foundation. In addition to his clinical work, Ben is a speaker, trainer, and author.

His book, Worrying is Optional: Break the Cycle of Anxiety and Rumination That Keeps You Stuck, was published in 2023. It’s available now via Amazon or New Harbinger Publications.

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