Anxiety & Panic Disorders Health Center

Is Dread Driving Your Decisions?

Distracted From Dread

Dreading an upcoming event? Distracting yourself before it happens might help.

"The dread associated with things like medical procedures or public speaking, while real, can probably be alleviated by diverting one's attention during the waiting period," Berns says.

"There may be many ways to do this, ranging from meditation to sports, or even a movie," he continues. "The benefits could be substantial if it means that we act more rationally in terms of getting health care, or simply decreasing the psychological toll of dread and anxiety."

Berns' study didn't test distraction as a way of coping with dread.

A journal editorial notes that as the first of its kind, Berns' study has limits, such as the constraints of brain scans. However, the editorial calls the study "a superb new edition to the nascent field of neuroeconomics."

The editorial was written by George Loewenstein, PhD, of the social and decision sciences division at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University.