Why Anxiety is a Habit - and How Curiosity Helps Break the Loop with Dr. Jud Brewer - The One You Feed Recap

Podcast: The One You Feed

Published: 2025-12-19

Duration: 1 hr 12 min

Guests: Dr. Jud Brewer

Summary

Anxiety can become a habitual mental behavior, but curiosity and self-compassion can disrupt this loop. Dr. Jud Brewer discusses how understanding and changing the reward value of worry can lead to more effective anxiety management.

What Happened

Dr. Jud Brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, delves into the habitual nature of anxiety and worry, distinguishing between anxiety as a feeling and worrying as a habitual mental behavior. He emphasizes that worry, unlike planning, offers no real benefits and instead exacerbates anxiety by becoming a self-reinforcing loop. Brewer introduces the concept of curiosity as a powerful tool to counteract worry, suggesting it can be more rewarding and thus serve as an effective substitute behavior in breaking anxiety habits.

Brewer's research shows that anxiety and worry can be habitually ingrained and are often misunderstood as productive mental activities. He explains that the habit loop consists of a trigger, behavior, and result, with worrying often becoming an automatic response to anxiety triggers. Through mindfulness practices like noting, individuals can become more aware of these triggers and the habitual responses they provoke.

In a randomized controlled trial, Brewer's app-based treatment for anxiety demonstrated a significant 67% reduction in symptoms, contrasting sharply with the 14% reduction achieved through usual clinical care. This highlights the potential of digital therapeutics and AI-supported therapy in addressing mental health issues, while also emphasizing the importance of evidence-based approaches.

Brewer discusses the role of AI in therapy, noting both its promises and challenges. While AI can aid in comprehension and provide non-judgmental support, Brewer stresses the irreplaceable value of human connection in therapy. He warns of the ethical considerations and potential pitfalls, such as AI models becoming sycophantic or being manipulated for monetary incentives.

Brewer explains that shame can obstruct learning and behavior change by shutting down the updating of reward values. In contrast, self-compassion can facilitate a more positive mindset and encourage emotional growth, making it a crucial element in breaking the habit of anxiety.

The episode also touches on the societal loss of distress tolerance, which Brewer attributes to constant distractions like smartphones. He suggests that cultivating distress tolerance through practices like mindfulness can aid in managing anxiety and foster emotional resilience.

Finally, Brewer debunks the myth that it takes 21 days to form a habit, referencing the book 'Psychocybernetics' by Maxwell Maltz. He clarifies that habit formation is a gradual process that requires consistent attention and practice, reinforcing the idea that real change involves learning from setbacks and building on small successes.

Key Insights