The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast
By Drew Linsalata
The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health PodcastOct 31, 2017
EP 277 - Anxiety Recovery and Neurodivergence Issues w/Dr. Terri Bacow
Anxiety recovery can be a highly individual journey. This is especially true if you have ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or otherwise identify as neurodivergent. While there are certainly general principles we rely on, every person will find recovery to present specific and unique challenges that have to be addressed as part of the process. For neurodivergent members of our community, this is also true.
This week Dr. Terri Bacow took some time to chat with me about the intersection of anxiety, recovery, and neurodivergence. Terri is experienced, well trained and qualified in these areas, and does a great job of presenting an accessible, kind, compassionate view of how recovery strategies can be adapted and tailored for neurodivergent folks working on overcoming chronic/disordered anxiety.
Find Dr. Terri Bacow:
https://instagram.com/drterribacow
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/277
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 276 - Anxiety and Recovery: A Holistic View
Anxiety and the recovery process do not exist in a vacuum. You are an entire person, and all the parts of you come into this process. Holistic is not a word you hear me use often, but it is a word we need to acknowledge because when dealing with chronic/disordered anxiety and the recovery process, your background, experiences, beliefs, and views of yourself and the world will enter the picture in various ways.
* They will influence how you conceptualize your anxiety.
* They will influence how you embrace and approach the recovery process.
* They will influence the parts of recovery you "get" and the parts you may need to adjust here and there.
* They will cause you to confront emotions, situations, and challenges that aren't always about anxiety, but may be indicative of other parts of you and other parts of your life.
Forgetting this - forgetting that anxiety and recovery do not exist in a vacuum - can lead you into a trap where you're judging yourself negatively, giving up, or seeing your situation as hopeless when you don't have to see it that way.
As always, comments and questions are welcomed. I hope you find this episode helpful in some way.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/276
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 275 - The Triggered AND TRICKED Anxiety Cycle
The anxiety cycle starts as a seemingly never ending loop where you get triggered, you fight through it, you calm down, then you worry and fret over the next time you might get triggered. It can become an exhausting merry-go-ground if you're new to this process and convinced that high anxiety and panic are horrible disasters that must be avoided or "managed" at all costs.
But over time, you will likely begin to notice that your logical brain will question that assertion, and you will start to see that you are not just being triggered into an anxious state, but that you are being TRICKED by that anxious state. When you begin to see the trickery involved in internally focused disordered anxiety, things can begin to change.
When you can nail a "tricked" point to the circle, that can become the point at which you start to peel off the circle on a tangent toward recovery. Noticing and understanding that anxiety is tricking you into behaving as if you are in danger creates a fork in an otherwise endless circular road. It gives you a point at which you can choose a new path and ultimately break the cycle that has trapped you up to this point.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/275
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Podcast Schedule Update - September 2023
No new podcast episode this week, but we will be back next week with a new episode on September 27, 2023. Going forward, new episodes of The Anxious Truth will be produced every other week. I'm making this change based on time constraints and the fact that we are producing episodes of "Disordered" every week, and that's a really good podcast!
Listen to Disordered here:
On the weeks with no new episode of The Anxious Truth, you can catch my "Recovery Monday" livestreams on YouTube (either live or via replay any time):
https://youtube.com/@TheAnxiousTruth
See you next week, and thank you for all your support!
EP 274 - Anxiety Recovery and Self-Care
Self-care in anxiety recovery. We hear about it all the time, but is self-care always essential oils and hot baths and candles and soothing? It certainly can by, but self-care is also giving yourself what you really need, which isn't always what you want. Sometimes self-care means challenging yourself a bit to help break the avoidance cycle. Sometimes self-care means you choose to be uncomfortable now to feel better about yourself later.
Let's take a closer look at self-care in a way that might not all that obvious.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/274
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 273 - Anxiety Recovery: Questions and Answers
This week we answered some common - and not so common - questions about anxiety and recovery. Thanks to everyone on Instagram that submitted a question. I appreciate it!
First I reviewed some basic principles you can fall back on when asking many of the questions that were asked. That's about the first 15 minutes of the episode, which will be useful if you're new to this or need a refresher to remind you of what you're dealing with.
Then we moved on to some specific questions.
- AFTER THE CRISIS HAS PASSED, DO YOU STILL NEED THERAPY? DO YOU STILL HAVE TO WORK ON YOURSELF?
- WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OCD AND GAD OR PANIC DISORDER AND HEALTH ANXIETY?
- HOW CAN YOU BE SURE THIS IS JUST ANXIETY?
- WHEN AM I ALLOWED TO REST?
- HOW DOES MINDFULNESS FIT INTO RECOVERY?
- ARE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS OK?
- HOW DO I ACCEPT ...?
- WHAT ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS OF SELF-REGULATING WHEN ANXIOUS?
- WHAT ABOUT THIS KIND OF ANXIETY?
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/273
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 272 - Anxiety Recovery And Learning To Do .... Nothing?!
This week my guest is anxiety and OCD specialist Joanna Hardis who stopped by the podcast to talk about the art of doing ... nothing.
Wait ... what? Nothing? Yes. Nothing.
Humans are conditioned to automatically spring into action to solve problems, and often we declare that our emotional and mental states are automatically problems that must be solved. When we experience discomfort, distress, anxiety, or any "negative" feeling we can get trapped into automatically trying to do something .... anything ... to solve that problem and make it disappear.
The thing is, this is often paradoxically harmful in that it can keep us trapped in the very state we're trying to escape. Learning that it is possible to do nothing about negative internal experiences - learning to ride through them without hitting the panic button - can go a long way toward getting us closer to where we want to be both in anxiety recovery and in life. And as it turns out, if we look at what Joanna wrote about in her book "Just Do Nothing", we see that even as we struggle with recovery from an anxiety disorder, we're not all that different from all the other humans walking the planet. The issues are often the same, just experienced at a different degree in our community. This is good news, because we're afraid and unsure, but not defective and not broken.
For more information about Joanna and her book:
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/270
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 271 - Anxiety Help: "Can You Talk More About ....?"
If this is all new to you, asking for more information is normal, expected, and healthy! Everyone needs more information and explanation to start.
But if you are not new to this and you've heard me and others talk about your scariest symptom or stickiest recovery issue over and over, ask yourself what you are hoping to get when you ask us to talk more about it. After multiple books, videos, social media posts, livestreams and podcast episodes on a given topic, it can be helpful to stop and consider what more you think you need to hear, and why you need to hear it.
Consider that asking for encouragement or cheerleading is likely more productive than getting stuck in the "tell me more" cycle, which can lead to judging yourself negatively because you can't seem to move forward.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/271
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 270 - Anxiety Recovery: Do You Need To Be "Motivated" To Recover?
Help! I can't get motivated to do my exposures and work on my recovery!
This is a thing I hear often in this community, so this week let's address motivation and the myth surrounding it. Often we think that getting motivated means that we create a certain feeling, then we act on that feeling. This is incorrect. In fact, it's almost entirely backwards! Demanding to conjure of a feeling called "motivation" before you can act is selling yourself short and can accidentally lead harsh self-judgment that doesn't have to be there.
In this episode we talk about the myth of "feeling motivated", how feeling does not have to precede action, values and goals in relation to motivation and how to tap into self-compassion and smaller steps to build momentum and feelings of motivation through action.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/270
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 269 - Anxiety Recovery: EMDR Facts and Myths
EMDR. It's become an insanely popular therapy over the last few years. Originally developed as a trauma recovery tool, EMDR is often touted as being appropriate or effective in many more clinical circumstances. But ... is it? Is EMDR an anxiety disorder recovery treatment? This week I'm joined by Florida therapist Anne Thomas to talk about EMDR, what it is, what it isn't, and how it might be applied in the context of panic disorder, agoraphobia, and other anxiety disorders.
The takeaway here is that EMDR is not going to magically fix your anxiety problem simply by moving your eyes back and forth. There's still real-world work to do as usual. But there may be instances where EMDR can be useful in addressing some of the negative beliefs about yourself and about past events that can be real obstacles in recovery. Expectations and a clear sense of what EMDR can and can't do, are always going to be important as they would be with any type of therapy.
In this episode we mentioned EMDRIA, which is the organization that trained Anne and trains other EMDR therapists.
To find Anne on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/sitwithanne
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/269
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Therapist-In-Training Update and This Week's Podcast Episode
Just a quick update on reaching the field/clinical work phase of my masters degree and why there's no actual podcast episode this week. We'll be back with another episode of The Anxious Truth next week as usual, but in the meanwhile why not check out Disordered, the podcast I do with Josh Fletcher. Find that podcast at
Of course, you can also check out any of the 268 previous episodes of The Anxious Truth that I've recorded over the last 8 years or so. They're all free on your favorite podcast platform and on my YouTube channel.
I'll see you next week! :-)
EP 268 - Principles of Anxiety Recovery. I Followed Them. You Should Too.
It's not really what I did in my recovery that matters. Its WHY I did it.
This week we're talking about why its far more useful to focus on the principles I followed in recovery than to try to mimic my recovery step by step and action by action. Don't use my recovery as a literal blueprint for yours because you are not me and I am not you. We are all different and those differences matter in terms of specific steps, actions, and instructions to follow in recovery.
Instead, connect to the principles I'm discussing and do your best to apply those principles within your specific situation. If you find a helper that just keeps going back to what they did and uses they own personal experience as the basis for much of what they say, be mindful of that and beware of the traps that lie in that approach. You can accidentally wind up feeling more confused, frustrated, and upset with yourself than you need to be.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/268
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 267 - Anxiety and the Social Media Doom Scroll
Let's talk about the dreaded social media doom scroll and the negative impact it can have in your recovery. Learning to be a bit more mindful and intentional with your social media use can go a long way toward helping you get what you need while avoiding some of the more common traps and pitfalls that default scrolling without purpose can have.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/267
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 266 - Anxiety Recovery Means Doing Hard Things On Bad Days
When you decide to start facing your fear, doing exposures, meeting challenges, and breaking your avoidance cycle, that's awesome! You're being brave and choosing to do hard things because it's help you in the long run, so take the credit for making that leap!
But you may - like many do - accidentally fall into the trap of only meeting challenges, doing your exposures, and generally doing hard things only on the days when you feel "good". This week on the podcast we're talking about why that's a bad idea and why its so important to take action and do the hard things when you're having "bad days".
When you take action in your recovery on the days when you feel like you can't or shouldn't, you learn the most valuable recovery lessons. Let's dig a bit deeper into this idea so we can help you avoid or break free of this common trap that can leave you feeling stuck, frustrated, and down on yourself.
PS. Like the new show music? Drop me a line at hello@theanxioustruth.com and let me know!
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/266
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 265 - Anxiety Recovery Is An ACTIVE Process (Revisiting Episode 11)
There is no automatic immune response that fixes an anxiety disorder while we retreat, rest, wait, and hope. This is an active process that requires that you do more than just hope and wait.
This week we're trying a little experiment! I'm re-visiting episode 11 of the podcast from way back in 2015 to give it a little update, add some detail, clarify a few things, and make some much needed corrections. I hope you find this helpful in some way. Feedback - as always - is welcomed.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/265
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 264 - Anxiety Recovery: When Your Helpers Need Help
Recovery from an anxiety disorder can impact not only the recovering person, but the people close to them. Sometimes our helpers wind up needing help themselves!
When that happens, we may want to be supportive of them, but anxious fear may also turn this into a disaster. Anxiety may tell you that your helper reaching out for help is a nightmare and that the fear, uncertainty, and discomfort you feel about this turn of events means you must insert yourself into the process and try to control the narrative around the help they are accessing.
Remain aware of this trap! You may find it very uncomfortable when your helpers reach out for help, but do not believe your anxiety when it insists that you must try to control what your loved ones feel, what they say, and who they say it to. This can cause even more problems than the anxiety itself has caused in the relationship. Giving in to these anxious demands and trying to soothe your fear by attempting to control things you do not have a right to control is buying short term relief at the expense of long term progress both in your relationships and your recovery.
This is a topic that does warrant some discussion so take a listen and I hope you find it helpful in some way.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/264
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 263 - The Anxiety Spiral: How To Allow Anxiety Without Spiraling
HOW CAN I ACCEPT OR ALLOW ANXIETY WITHOUT SPIRALING?
This week on The Anxious Truth let's answer a common question about "spiraling". This is a term used every day in our community so lets dismantle it a bit and re-conceptualize spiraling in two parts. One spiral - the downward spiral - is based on how you feel. The other spiral - the anxiety itself - is an UPWARD spiral, which is more accurately described as a storm.
Let's look at how we can address the first spiral by addressing the second - robbing the anxiety storm of its energy rather than feeding it more.
This episode is - as usual - full of paradoxical stuff. Isn't recovery both interesting and really confusing sometimes???
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/263
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
EP 262 - End Stage Anxiety Recovery: What Does It Look and Feel Like?
End Stage Anxiety Recovery - What Does It Look Like?
What does end stage recovery from an anxiety disorder look and feel like? How do you know when you're recovered? Is there a moment when things change? Will you automatically be happy and joyful? What will like look like as you get closer to the recovery "finish line". Lets talk about end stage anxiety recovery so you can have a bit of a road map to bring with you as you progress. It might help you stay out of some common traps.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/262
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 261 - Anxiety Success Stories: Cruz Does It Scared
If you love anxiety success stories, you're gonna love Jon Brandon Cruz (aka "Cruz').
Cruz went from stuck in his apartment, riddled with panic and afraid to leave, to back at work on a world tour to promote the Black Adam film with Dwayne The Rock Johnson.How did he do it? Cruz is an almost textbook case of how to apply the principles of recovery in a committed, tenacious way. Grab a beverage and listen to this one. Cruz is inspiring and his story will give you hope.
Check out Cruz's "Do It Scared" video here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrtGPsnN115/
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/261
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 260 - I Can't Stop Scanning For How I Feel! (The Scan/Fear Cycle in Anxiety)
I CAN'T STOP SCANNING FOR HOW I FEEL!!! This is a common issue for anxious people that leads to frustrating and a fear/scanning/fear cycle that seems like it never ends. This week we're talking about that cycle and answering the question, "How can I stop constantly scanning and checking how I feel?"
For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/259
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 259 - Finding Value And Valuing Yourself In The Struggle
VALUING YOURSELF MEANS MORE THAN JUST SOOTHING AND SMOOTHING...
This week we're examining the idea that in recovery we must value ourselves in such a way that we go beyond the common sense of soothing and smoothing to allow ourselves to struggle for a reason. There are lessons - critical lessons - in the recovery struggle. Allowing oneself to struggle is important. We must be mindful of either devaluing ourselves or accidentally coddling ourselves because we think that's what high self-value means.
We also touch on the idea of self-parenting and how that relates to this often overlooked recovery concept.
For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/259
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 258 - How Do I Stay Recovered?
This episode was recorded on a beach by myself in a spot where my cell/mobile phone gets no signal, where there were no people to save me if I needed to be saved, and where I was far from help. This is a place I would never have come by myself when I was struggling, but I don't even think about it now. This is part III in a series of podcasts where I'll take you to places that I was once terrified to go. I hope you find some hope or inspiration in this one.
People often ask me what I do to "stay recovered" and to be sure that anxiety doesn't come back. To be honest with you, I don't really do anything to stay recovered and I don't have to worry about "it" coming back because there is no "it" in my life any more. Anxiety and fear stopped being "it" many years ago from my point of view as a fully recovered person. In this episode I talk about my changed relationship with anxiety and fear, why I don't have to do anything to stay recovered, and why doing healthy, helpful things is a good idea even when they have nothing to do with anxiety or anxiety recovery.
For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/258
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 257 - Distraction For Anxiety: Does It Work?
Distraction For Anxiety: Does It Work?
"When I panic, I have to scroll through Instagram to distract myself!"
Distraction is one of the most popular "techniques" for getting away from high anxiety, panic, and any thoughts or sensations that people hate or fear. It's talked about all the time. A quick look on social media would likely reveal many many posts about "tips for anxiety" that are based primarily on distraction techniques. Distraction - in the moment - can often bring some quick relief. Not always, but in many cases people find that it they run to a distraction to escape from anxious feelings and thoughts, then can feel better. But does distraction actually "work" in the context of real recovery, or is it just a band-aid you use to get you through one anxious moment so you can fear the next anxious moment and do it all again?
For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/257
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 256 - What If The Anxiety Comes Back?
I can't stop thinking, "What if it comes back?"
This is one of the most common issues I hear almost daily from people traveling along the path toward anxiety recovery. This week on the podcast we look at why we often overlook a very important aspect of the recovery process that renders this question almost irrelevant. The important part is that YOU change in recovery. Anxiety doesn't change at all, and that makes your fear of it "coming back" far less important and worthy of attention.
For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/256
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 255 - Anxiety Made Me Terrified To Come To This Place
When I was struggling with anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia, I was terrified to go just 3 or 4 miles from my house the the business I owned. Anxiety made it really difficult for me to go there or stay there for any length of time. This is the second in a series of podcast episodes where I'll take you to places that anxiety, panic, and agoraphobia used to tell me I should never go. This week we're at my old office where I'll share what that experience was like, and how I conceptualize it today as a fully recovered person. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/255
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 254 - Anxiety Recovery: When Addiction Is Part Of The Picture
For many in our community, addiction coexists alongside an anxiety disorder. Maybe one precluded the other, or maybe they developed concurrently. Regardless, this can often add additional shame and a sense of hopelessness. This is a topic we'll talk more about going forward so today my friend Adam Jablin stopped by to talk about his addiction story and how it related to his struggles with anxiety, both then and now. Adam speaks openly about his struggles with addiction and is an excellent advocate for those struggling with this problem. If you are struggling with an anxiety problem and also find yourself struggling with dependency on alcohol or drugs, this episode may help you see that you're not broken and you're not alone. I hope you find it helpful in some way.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/254
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 253 - Introducing A New Anxiety Recovery Resource
This week I want to introduce you to a new anxiety and mental health resource. Disordered: Anxiety Help with me and Joshua Fletcher (aka "AnxietyJosh"). Josh popped in to chat about why we started Disordered, what we hope to achieve with it, and why we think its a resource everyone should take advantage of. To learn more about Disordered, to contact us with questions or comments, and to hear all the episodes, visit us online at https://disordered.fm
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/253
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 252 - Trauma and Anxiety Recovery: Conflicting Messages?
Trauma And Anxiety. Are There Conflicting Messages In Recovery?
Trauma and anxiety often co-exist. That's not news. For many in this community, the lingering effects of traumatic experiences are real, and they can impact the anxiety recovery process. Today I want to take a look at something a little out of the ordinary. I want to talk about how some of the core principles of anxiety recovery might cause confusion and even conflict for those working to overcome trauma.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/252
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
Favorite Episodes From The Anxious Truth Back Catalog
No new podcast this week, but we'll be back next week with episode 252. I asked my Facebook group which of the old podcast episodes they like the most and these are a few that came up often in the discussion:
- Episode 150: How Do I Talk TO My Anxiety
- Episode 51: Panic Attacks - The Critical Moment of Decision
- The Exposure Episodes: 13, 17, 192 and 226
- Related to Exposure: Episode 116 - Are You Trying To Ignore Your Anxiety?
- I did a short series detailing my personal experience with medication in episodes 145 through 147, and Jenn Swantowski stopped by to share her experience with benzo withdrawal on episode 223.
- Finally, the success story episodes are popular. Search "success story" on my website, on my YouTube channel, or in your podcast app to find those.
And ... check out the new podcast with Joshua Fletcher at https://disordered.fm
I'll see you next week! :-)
EP 251 - Why Did I Have A Panic Attack? I NEED TO KNOW! (Recorded In A Spot I Used To Be Afraid To Go)
"Why did I have a panic attack?" is a question asked many many times every day in the community surrounding this podcast. People early on in the anxiety journey labor under the assumption that in order to get better they must uncover and decode their panic triggers and understand WHY panic attacks are happening to them repeatedly. This might make sense at face value, but it's often quite unhelpful or even harmful. People down the road to recovery might go a long time between panic attacks, then experience once, then immediately get dragged down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out why it happened and what it means. Again, not terribly helpful and not necessary. Let's look at why.
While we're at it, let's do the first in my mini-series visiting places that I used to be terrified to go, starting with the end of my own driveway. True story. I was afraid to go that far from my front door at one time. That's why this episode was recorded there.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/251
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 250 - Afraid During A Panic Attack, Or Afraid Of Panic Attacks?
This is one of those recovery concepts what will make you tilt your head and wonder what I'm talking about. But there is a difference between being afraid during a panic attack, and being afraid of panic attacks. That difference matters because it speaks to the mechanics of issues like panic disorder and agoraphobia.
TL/DR: EVERYONE is afraid during a panic attack. That's normal. That's natural. You can't get rid of that. The problem is the fear that persists BETWEEN panic attacks, where you're afraid of the next one. That's the part we're working on in recovery. See how that can be subtle, but important?
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/250
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 249 - Examining Body Dysmorphic Disorder w/Robyn Stern, LCSW
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a condition in which a person sees - and becomes excessively focused on - problems or "defects" in their appearance that nobody else sees. This can become overwhelming when the person with BDD starts to see themselves as completely defined by this problem that nobody else would call a problem. This week therapist, BDD and OCD specialist Robyn Stern dropped in to talk about body dysmorphic disorder and how it can exist alongside conditions like OCD and other anxiety disorders.
I learned so much in this conversation, and I'm hopeful that you will too!
For full show notes on this week's episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/249
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 248 - Anxiety Recovery: Scary And Difficult Does Not Mean Ineffective
Recovery by way of facing fear is scary and difficult. When people choose to recover by learning how to accept, tolerate, surrender to and move through anxiety panic and fear, sometimes they will declare that it doesn't work for them. They'll say that because they are afraid and they are challenged. They accidentally equate being afraid with recovery not working. They'll decide that being challenged means that they're not getting better or can't get better this way. These are logical errors.
Today lets talk about how recovering in this manner means you WILL be scared and you WILL be challenged, but that neither of those facts means that this doesn't work. Let's talk about accidentally selling yourself short and abandoning hope simply because you are afraid or encountering difficulties.
For full show notes on this week's episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/248
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 247 - Anticipatory Anxiety Explained w/ Martin Seif and Sally Winston
Anticipatory anxiety - the anxiety you feel when you have an event or challenge coming up that you know will make you anxious and therefore fear - is a common type of anxiety that many struggle with. This week on the podcast two giants in the anxiety community, Martin Seif and Sally Winston joined me to explain in the ins-and-outs of anticipatory anxiety, worry, and what they call fear of fear of fear.
This is a GREAT episode full of amazing information so check it out!
Show notes for this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/247
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 246 - I Can't Find A Therapist. What Can I Do? W/Lauren Rosen and Kelley Franke of the Pure OCD Podcast
The state of mental health care - at least in the west - is such that many in our community have a difficult time either locating a therapist that specializes in treating anxiety disorders, or accessing professional mental health help for economic and other reasons. This leads many to ask, "Do I need a therapist to recover?" While the help of a trained, experienced professional is certainly helpful, we have to look at what happens when that isn't possible. Lauren Rosen and Kelley Franke from the Purely OCD podcast join me this week to talk about this problem and to explore options, alternatives and possibly helpful strategies for when accessing professional therapy proves difficult.
Disclaimer: In this podcast episode we attempted to address a problem we all know exists and to be realistic in our assessment of what options there may be for someone that has to "do recovery" on their own. We simply cannot provide you with a definitive answer as to if you need a therapist or not. That answer is based on so many individual variables that without knowing you there's just no way to provide black and white answers to that question. What you read, hear, and see in this episode is meant as general guidance and for informational purposes. Only you can judge what is right for you in the end.
For full show notes on this week's episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/246
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 245 - Is Anxiety A Monster That Attacks You And You Can't Control It?
How do you see your anxiety? Is anxiety a monster? Is anxiety like a storm or an invading army that comes to get you? Are you powerless over it? Do you feel that you can't resist, stop or control it no matter how hard you try? What if it wasn't a monster attacking from the outside? What if instead you could recognize that you are playing a role, that you have choice, and that you have power in the process? Abandoning the "monster" narrative can be a powerful thing that informs a shift in the way we react to anxiety and fear.
For full show notes on this week's episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/245
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 244 - Examining "Conditional Okay-ness" in Anxiety Recovery: Okay Even If vs. Okay As Long As.
Do you see yourself as being OK "as long as" specific conditions are met? Or are you learning that you can be OK "even if" those conditions are not met? This can be a critical concept in recovery that can get us stuck in the dreaded, fragile acceptable bubble, or launched into a more complete and lasting recovery.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/244
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 243 - Do I Have To Be A Positive Person To Get Better? (Positivity vs Competence)
Do you have to be a positive person to get better? Do you have to choose positivity? Eliminate the negative energy? Vibrate correctly? Manifest positive things? Accept only positive vibes? Develop a positive mindset?
Are these things required in anxiety recovery?
I think that developing a sense of competence and self-efficacy through action is WAY more impactful that trying to think or emote positivity. Let's talk about that in this week's episode of the podcast.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/243
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 242 - Serving Multiple Masters In Recovery w/Kimberley Quinlan & Joshua Fletcher
In recovery we are sometimes dealing with more than one issue beyond just your panic, agoraphobia, health anxiety, or OCD. Maybe there is another phobia or phobias involved. Maybe you are dealing with tendencies toward perfectionism, people pleasing, or trying to control everything. Humans are complex. We have lots of facets! What happens when these other issues conflict with our recovery work. What happens when we try to serve multiple masters in recovery?
Josh Fletcher (School of Anxiety) and Kimberley Quinlan (Your Anxiety Toolkit) joined me today to talk about this. It's worth a listen.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/242
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 241 - Anxiety Recovery: Assurance vs Reassurance And Why It Matters
When dealing with an anxiety disorder we often talk about why excessive reassurance seeking is counterproductive and can make things worse. But why is this? And is there any time where seeking assurance is OK? Let's answer these two questions, and look at ways to start breaking the cycle of reassurance seeking, in this week's podcast episode.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/241
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 240 - Does Anxiety Recovery Mean I Can Never Call A Doctor?
Anxious people focused on health issues often spend lots of time being checked, tested and examined by doctors. In recovery, I'm often asked if calling a doctor if never allowed, or if calling a doctor is wrong or indicates a setback of some kind. The short answer is, "No. It's not wrong." But there's more to it than that, so let's talk about it in this week's episode of the podcast.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/240
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 239 - Same Anxiety Symptoms ... Different Reactions?
The Same Anxiety Symptons, But Different Reactions?
Two people can have the same anxiety symptoms but different reactions to those symptoms. There can be common thoughts, fear themes, and bodily reactions, yet wide variations on how those things are interpreted and in the reactions they trigger. Let's talk about this, and what it can teach us about anxiety and recovery.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/239
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 238 - Three Main Anxiety Fears Explained
For most people, the things they fear the most in relation to anxiety and panic fall into one of three common categories or themes. Let's look at these three themes:
- Death/ Physical Incapacitation
- Loss of control / Insanity
- Embarrassment / Shame
Understanding these common themes can save you from digging deeply into each individual fear you have. It can help you see that you are NOT specially broken and without hope, and it can inform productive recovery actions and choices.
This episode of The Anxious Truth is sponsored by My Life In A Book. My Life In A Book is a great way to preserve the stories and memories of our loved ones. The service helps a cherished member of your family tell their story, ultimately compiling their memories and experiences in a beautiful hardbound book that can be passed down through the generations. For more on My Life In A Book, visit mylifeinabook.com . Use discount code TAT22 for $10 off your order.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/238
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 237 - Most Common Anxiety Symptoms (And Why They Kinda Don't Matter)
Everyone wants to talk about the most common anxiety symptoms. I get it. Your symptoms feel important. They're scary and you see them as dangerous. In many many cases with it comes to anxiety disorders, the symptoms of anxiety become the source of the anxiety. Fear of fear is often based on fear of the most common anxiety symptoms - fear of your own body. Let's talk about that this week.
This episode of The Anxious Truth is sponsored by My Life In A Book. My Life In A Book is a great way to preserve the stories and memories of our loved ones. The service helps a cherished member of your family tell their story, ultimately compiling their memories and experiences in a beautiful hardbound book that can be passed down through the generations. For more on My Life In A Book, visit mylifeinabook.com . Use discount code TAT22 for $10 off your order.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/237
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 236 - I Can't Sleep And I'm Anxious About That! (w/Daniel Erichsen)
This week sleep physician Daniel Erichsen stopped by to talk about insomnia and a cognitive behavioral approach to the problem. If you're struggling with your sleep ... and struggling because you're struggling ... this episode is for you. Spoiler alert: The most helpful approach to sleep issues is going to sound very familiar to you. ;-)
This episode of The Anxious Truth is sponsored by My Life In A Book. My Life In A Book is a great way to preserve the stories and memories of our loved ones. The service helps a cherished member of your family tell their story, ultimately compiling their memories and experiences in a beautiful hardbound book that can be passed down through the generations. For more on My Life In A Book, visit mylifeinabook.com . Use discount code TAT22 for $10 off your order.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/236
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 235 - Has Anxiety Become Your Identity? (w/Joshua Fletcher)
When in the thick of the struggle, it can be easy to fall into the trap that makes anxiety a major part of your personal identity. UK psychotherapist and anxiety specialist Josh Fletcher is back this week to talk about this common problem and ways to separate yourself from anxiety so that it doesn't dominate your identity.
This episode of The Anxious Truth is sponsored by My Life In A Book. My Life In A Book is a great way to preserve the stories and memories of our loved ones. The service helps a cherished member of your family tell their story, ultimately compiling their memories and experiences in a beautiful hardbound book that can be passed down through the generations. For more on My Life In A Book, visit mylifeinabook.com . Use discount code TAT22 for $10 off your order.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/235
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 234 - Can Anxiety Be Cured Or Just Managed? What Is Recovery?
Can anxiety be cured? I know that if you look for an answer to this question you will find a very wide range of answers. This week on the podcast we'll look at why there's such a wide range of opinions on this and where the truth - if there is even a universal truth - lies.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/234
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 233 - The Power Of Suggestion: Triggering An Anxious Mind
Real events that you witness or stories you see on social media or in the news show us the power of suggestion at work when it comes to triggering anxiety. Today an old friend popped in to relay his experience with being "triggered" by the death of a celebrity and how he navigated through that as mostly recovered person. It's a great chat. I can't thank my friend Jay Floyd for stopping in to share with us.
For full show notes on this episode:
https://theanxioustruth.com/233
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 232- Hypnosis and Anxiety Recovery w/Emma Garrick
I am often asked if hypnosis and anxiety go together. Does hypnosis or hypnotherapy "work" for anxiety? Will it make your panic attacks or scary thoughts stop? Will it calm you down? I am far from an expert on hypnotherapy so I asked my friend and qualified psychotherapist Emma Garrick to join us to talk about the role of hypnotherapy in anxiety recovery. This episode is jam packed with really useful information so grab a coffee and take a listen!
For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/232
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com
EP 231 - More on Sleep Anxiety and Insomnia
Sleep Anxiety and Insomnia: A Success Story Sleep anxiety and insomnia are big topics in the community surrounding this podcast. My friend Ande Lyons struggled with sleep and tons of anxiety around sleep for many many years. She was gracious enough to stop by the podcast this week to talk about how learning to let go of the ritualization and distorted beliefs about her sleep changed everything.
For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/231
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My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support
Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com