Excessive worry can have a debilitating effect on a persons life, leading to physical, emotional, and mental suffering. The Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination explain the deeper cause-and-effect chain that explains the arising and perpetuation of excessive worry.

The first link in the chain of dependent origination is ignorance. A person may not be aware of the true nature of reality or the causes of their suffering. The second link, mental formations, is the formation of habitual patterns of worry, which then leads to the conditioning of consciousness in the third link. As a result, worrying manifests in the form of physical tension and emotional distress (name and form). External stimuli and internal mental states (the six sense bases) can trigger worrying (contact), leading to unpleasant emotional and physical sensations (feeling).

The seventh link, craving, arises as a result of the desire to control or minimize situations that trigger worry, leading to clinging (the eighth link). This clinging intensifies the persons attachment to worrying that fuels their fears, deepening their karmic habits and tendencies (becoming). This cycle ultimately leads to the manifestation of intrusive and repetitive thoughts and anticipatory fear about the future (birth), which can cause a decline in the quality of life. Unresolved excessive worrying perpetuates negative consequences that lead to future difficulties (old age and death).

To break the cycle of excessive worrying, various practices can be helpful. These include developing insight (ignorance), cultivating healthy mental habits (mental formations), mindfulness (consciousness), relaxation techniques or physical exercise (name and form), detachment (the six sense bases), acceptance (feeling), non-attachment (craving and clinging), choosing healthy thought patterns (becoming), mindfulness and acceptance of the present (birth), and accepting the inevitability of change and impermanence (old age and death).