Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety and Avoidance: How Can I Tell If I'm Avoiding? | Ep 299 | 28 Aug 2024 | 00:21:27 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Are you struggling to identify whether your behaviors are forms of avoidance in your anxiety recovery journey? This episode of The Anxious Truth addresses the often murky and uncertain nature of avoidance habits, emphasizing that nobody navigates these waters flawlessly. We'll share insights on how distinguishing between necessary avoidance for safety and avoidance driven by anxiety can help you better understand your reactions and improve your recovery process. Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| Anxiety Recovery Without Exposure? | Ep 298 | 14 Aug 2024 | 00:20:21 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Is it possible to conquer an anxiety disorder without doing exposure? Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 289 - We Do Have A Choice When Triggered. Even When We Don't Believe That Yet. | 10 Apr 2024 | 00:24:12 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Sometimes the toughest opponent we have in anxiety recovery is the belief we can't outrun. This episode challenges you to question the certainties that have defined your battle with anxiety. Is the intensity of our emotions a reliable compass? Is our self-knowledge as accurate as we believe? We'll explore the potential for a fleeting moment of power even amidst the storm of fear, and how reassessing our core beliefs can unlock new possibilities. The thought that what was once unthinkable can become thinkable, what felt impossible can indeed become possible. Reflect on the resilience hidden in your stories and perceptions as we navigate through the complexities of anxiety together. Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 203 - What Does Your Anxiety Support System Look Like? | 13 Apr 2022 | 00:16:54 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. This week on The Anxious Truth we're talking about what your anxiety support system looks like. We'll dismantle the common misconceptions about what support should be, and how those can be problematic in recovery. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/203 --- 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 202 - Panic Attacks And How To Handle Them w/ Dr. David Carbonell | 06 Apr 2022 | 00:34:54 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. How does a highly respected psychologist approach panic attacks? This week on The Anxious Truth we’re going to find out as we talk to Dr. Dave Carbonell about panic, panic attacks, and the second edition of his book, The Panic Attacks Workbook. --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/202 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 201 - Depression And How I Deal With It | 30 Mar 2022 | 00:20:00 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Depression is a hot topic in our community. I get asked about my personal experience with depression all the time. It had taken me a while to get around to this but on this week's episode of The Anxious Truth I will share my experience with depression. Let's talk about how I handled it then, and how I handle it now. Disclaimer: I am not an expert on depression or is this a substitute for therapy. I can only share my own experience with this topic and what I've learned both from the community and from people far smarter than me. As always, please consult your medical and mental health care providers with questions or concerns. Of course, if you feel that you are a danger to yourself in any way, please reach out immediately for in-person help in your area. --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/201 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 200 - What's Next For The Anxious Truth? | 23 Mar 2022 | 00:14:05 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. This is the 200th episode of The Anxious Truth podcast.When I started this podcast in 2014 all by myself, talking to myself in my living room (it was called "That Anxiety Guy") back then, I would never have imagined where it would go. The podcast was something I did just to pay things forward into the universe. I had no plan, no desired outcome, and no real interest in doing any more than that. I just hit the button on my four dollar podcasting app, and said things that I hoped would be helpful for somebody. It was the least I could do. Since then, and especially in the last three years or so, you have driven this thing to a place I never expected it to go. You guys did this. I am grateful not only for the opportunity to speak TO you, but to speak WITH you, because that has been the fuel that sustained The Anxious Truth and helped it become what it is now. --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/200 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 199 - Anxiety Recovery: Crying and Expressing Emotion | 16 Mar 2022 | 00:18:22 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Many people get confused and worried when they cry while anxious or afraid. Let's clear this up, because this is NOT a problem. Highlights From This Episode:
--- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/199 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 198 - Jen Kirkman: Two Anxiety Paths, Same Destination | 09 Mar 2022 | 00:35:02 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Jen Kirkman is a comedian, author, actor, TV writer, and podcaster that has lived through anxiety and panic for large portions of her life. I was fortunate enough to have Jen on the podcast this week to talk about her path into anxiety and panic, then out the other side. I’m sure her story will sound familiar to most listeners. While talking with Jen (I was on her podcast last week), I realized that we had lived very different experiences emotionally and mentally, yet both wound up in the same place with regard to anxiety and panic issues. Panic attacks. Irrational fears. Driving anxiety. Life restrictions. Jen and I lived a similar experience with anxiety even when our emotional and thinking styles could not be more different. I spent some time this week exploring this with Jen. --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/198 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 197 - Anxiety Recovery: Comparing Success and Struggle | 02 Mar 2022 | 00:20:07 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. In today's episode of The Anxious Truth, we are going to talk about success and struggle within the anxiety recovery process and how, for many people, the two can look very similar at face value. As I have said many times, anxiety recovery is possible when we are able to sit in the discomfort of doing the hard things. Doing the things that scare us. Doing the things that purposefully put us in an anxious state so that we can learn to disassociate it from actual danger. Now, this might be what could be considered the 'struggle'. Yet, how is it that one person can be seen doing the things, facing challenges, embracing the struggle, facing their fears, and make progress while someone else can appear to be doing the exact same things and remain feeling stuck? Today, we discuss one possible reason for this. --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/197 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 196 - Anxiety Recovery: It's The Process, Not The Outcome! | 23 Feb 2022 | 00:19:30 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. In episode 196 of The Anxious Truth, we will explore the urge to focus on the outcome in anxiety recovery rather than giving our attention to the process. Everyone wants to feel better. Clearly, this is the outcome we are all after. That’s fine, but this outcome is a long-term thing. Feeling better, experiencing less panic and anxiety, and having a “normal” life is something that happens over time, and it only happens when we learn the lessons of recovery. Where do we find those lessons? The PROCESS of recovery teaches us those lessons. It would seem obvious to state that the process leads to the outcome, but this is often overlooked by anxious people that want to skip the process and go right to “no more panic”. --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/196 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 195 - The Paradox of Letting Go: Short Term vs Long Term Anxiety Relief | 16 Feb 2022 | 00:20:06 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Today we will tackle the paradox of letting go in the anxiety recovery process. The concept of letting go - giving up the struggle - is a key concept in anxiety recovery. But in the context of recovery, letting go is not a thing designed to create instant calm or tranquility. In fact, the initial act of letting go will do quite the opposite. It will likely increase tension and discomfort. Over time we find a reduction in tension. As we progress, we do find increased contentment and calm. This is achieved through the repeated, long-term practice of letting go, even when letting go may increase discomfort at any given moment. --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/195 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 194 - Making Up Anxiety Recovery As You Go Along Is A Bad Idea | 09 Feb 2022 | 00:17:33 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Making up your anxiety recovery as you go along is not a good plan. An anxious person will wait to see how they feel before deciding what to do, so avoidance and taking the more comfortable way can accidentally become the default. Anxious people are also not very good at making productive decisions about what to do while anxious. Building structure and having a plan to execute without assessing how one feels or having to think about it is a very useful tool in recovery. In today’s podcast episode we’re going to discuss three reasons why it’s important to make an anxiety recovery plan. --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/194 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 288 - Do I Have To Stop Fearing Anxiety To Fully Accept It? | 27 Mar 2024 | 00:19:37 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. DO I HAVE TO STOP BEING AFRAID TO TRULY ACCEPT ANXIETY (AND TO GET BETTER)? Good question. But this is a backwards interpretation of acceptance so let’s clarify.
Acceptance is an ACTION, not a feeling. Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 193 - Paying Attention: Anxious Thinking Is Not The Only Thing Happening | 02 Feb 2022 | 00:22:09 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. So much of the anxiety and fear struggle is based on what we feel, what we think, and what we think about what we feel. What if thinking and feeling were NOT the most important things in the universe all the time? What if you could learn to pay attention to other things instead? How would that help you in your anxiety recovery journey? --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/193 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 192 - Exposure Therapy Is More Than Just Doing Things | 26 Jan 2022 | 00:17:31 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. “I’m doing things, but it doesn’t seem to be working! Why?” If you feel like you’re doing all the exposures but nothing is changing, you may be doing “half exposures” without even knowing it. Let’s look at what full, effective exposures really require. Exposure is what we do when we intentionally place ourselves into situations that purposefully trigger anxiety, panic, fear and all the things that come with them. We do this in order to learn a new way to relate to anxiety and fear so that we no longer fear it. Successful and effective exposures require two primary ingredients: Willingness: You must work to get to the point where you are willing to intentionally do these scary and challenging things consistently to get better. This does not mean you’re happy about doing them consistently, just that you are fully willing. Acceptance: You must be fully accepting of the fact that doing scary and challenging things will - in fact - be scary and challenging. You must accept that this is the whole point. You must accept that you have to do your best to navigate through the scary and challenging stuff rather than trying to save yourself from it, stop it from happening, or otherwise “side by it sideways”. The most common issues that result in “I’m doing exposure but it’s not working” involve being only partially willing (inconsistency) and lacking acceptance (trying to find ways to do scary things without being scared). --- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/192 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) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 191 - Social Media, Mental Health, and Anxiety Recovery W/Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT | 19 Jan 2022 | 00:33:45 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. This week I’m joined by my friend Kimberley Quinlan to talk about responsible use of social media as it relates to mental health and anxiety recovery. Kimberley starts from the premise that social media is neutral, but that the way we use it defines it as healthy or unhealthy. Let’s take it from there! Kim and I went over:
--- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/191 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) Additional Music Credit In This Episode: Local Forecast Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 190 - Why Is Anxiety Recovery So Damn Hard? | 12 Jan 2022 | 00:26:17 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. “I know what I’m supposed to do, but it’s just so hard to do it!” Am too broken or too weak? No. You are not broken or too weak. This is a difficult process. I say all the time that recovery is a simple plan, but that plan is very hard to execute. Let’s look at the two main reasons why this is such a hard road to travel. Why is recovery so damn hard? There are many reasons that all come together to make the process of recovery from an anxiety issue as hard as it is. In this episode, let's focus on what I think are the big two. These are the primary reasons why recovery can be so challenging. 1. Humans HATE Fear and Discomfort I’m not telling you anything you don’t know here. The bad news is that recovery requires that we intentionally and repeatedly move into a state of fear and discomfort. 2. Recovery Experiences Are NOT Conducive To Forming Good Habits When we compare experiences that help build strong habits, and experiences that help us toward recovery, they are polar opposites. Recovery experiences - being afraid and uncomfortable on purpose - are more well suited to the inhibition or blocking of good habit forming. We don’t like to have negative experiences (see reason one above), and we sure as hell don’t want to repeat them when we have them. So there's almost nothing about intentionally creating panic or near panic that sounds encouraging in terms of forming productive recovery habits. FOR FULL SHOW NOTES ON THIS EPISODE: https://theanxioustruth.com/190 MY BOOKS, SOCIAL, and OTHER LINKS: https://theanxioustruth.com/links SUPPORT MY WORK https://theanxioustruth.com/support MUSIC CREDIT: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 189 - How To Slay Your Anxiety Dragon in 2022 (In 27,000 small steps) | 05 Jan 2022 | 00:27:20 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Everyone wants to "overcome anxiety" in 2022. Totally doable, but we do not slay this dragon in one epic swing of a sword. This is a journey of small steps that add up. Recovery is granular. It happens in small bits as the result of small changes and small individual experiences that add up over time. Recovery does not come in giant leaps and broad sweeps. Successful recovery is very much about starting small, being incremental and being consistent. Really, recovery is about developing strong recovery HABITS. Let’s look at five small anxiety recovery habits you can work on to start the new year. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/189 My books, social media, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 188 - The Anxious Morning Podcast/Newsletter Launches Jan 3, 2022! | 29 Dec 2021 | 00:05:12 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. The Anxious Morning is a project I've been working on for about a year. On January 3, the first edition of The Anxious Morning will hit the street, and the airwaves! For all the ways to listen or to subscribe free to the email newsletter, visit https://theanxiousmorning.com My goal with this project is to give you a more in-depth discussion of important anxiety and recovery topics that you can consume outside the chaos and algorithm madness that is the endless social media scroll. Subscribe free to The Anxious Morning email newsletter and have everything dropped in your inbox each weekday morning. Follow The Anxious Morning podcast on your favorite podcast app and listen to each episode as you start your day. These will be little 300-500 word newsletters and 3-5 minute podcast episodes that you can consume when in a quiet time, reflect on, then hopefully use as you go forward in your day. I'll share some of my own stories, we'll go over recovery tips and techniques, I'll give you things to think about and work in, and I'll do my best to educate, encourage and empower you on your journey. I've always wanted to do a little morning "show" this way, and I love to write, so this is the best of both worlds, and hopefully a win/win for you and me. Join me in launching The Anxious Morning and making it a success. Thank you as always for your continued support and enthusiasm for my work. Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 187 - MATTER over MIND in Anxiety Recovery | 22 Dec 2021 | 00:16:45 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Recovery is based so much on intentionally doing things that are scary and difficult. This concept is often interpreted as being a “mind over matter” thing. While I understand the spirit and intention of this interpretation, is it quite incorrect and can actually be counterproductive. In reality, recovery is the exact opposite. Recovery is about allowing MATTER (reality) to take precedence over MIND. ---- For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/187 My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Support The Anxious Truth with a small donation: https://theanxioustruth.com/donate Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 186 - Moving Away FromAnxiety and Fear Toward A Value-Driven Life | 15 Dec 2021 | 00:22:13 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. When gripped by an anxiety disorder, much of life is dictated and driven by fear. We make our choices and our decisions based on what we fear in an effort to avoid feeling the things we do not want to feel. When we work to build a new relationship with our anxiety, and we learn to no longer fear it, our lives become less about fear and more about what we truly value. The process of recovery is in many ways a march from a fear-driven life to a value-driven life. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/186 My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Support The Anxious Truth with a small donation: https://theanxioustruth.com/donate Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 185 - Finding Happiness After Anxiety: Step-By-Step | 08 Dec 2021 | 00:17:04 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. "Why can't I feel happiness and joy?!?!?!" This question gets asked all the time. It's a question I am personally quite familiar with. When we are in the middle of the recovery process, still in the grips of anxiety and fear, we often find that we are unable to experience feelings of happiness, joy, or gratitude, at least not the way we think we should be experiencing them. But really, this is not a matter of being unable to feel happy. This is really a perception problem, and a patience problem. We often carry a somewhat distorted and unrealistically high expectation of what "happy" is supposed to feel like and how often we should feel it. Then we want so badly to feel happy and joyful in contrast to how we feel when we suffer, that we forget that the path to happiness is an incremental path that requires patience. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/185 My books, social and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links MUSIC CREDIT: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 184 - Anxiety Recovery: Learning To Live Recklessly (But Not Really) | 01 Dec 2021 | 00:18:32 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Why on Earth am I talking about living recklessly? Most of us would agree that being reckless involves intentionally doing dangerous things and being somewhat responsible. Let’s take a few minutes to relate that to the process of anxiety recovery. And no, I am not going to teach you how to be truly reckless. It might just feel that way. When we do the hard and scary recovery things that we’re always talking about, that often feels really dangerous. You resist that for two reasons. First, nobody wants to do difficult scary things. This is just human nature. But you may also resist this recovery principle an entirely different level as well. You may resist this because intentionally doing scary and difficult things may FEEL IRRESPONSIBLE, DANGEROUS, AND RECKLESS. In many ways, the process of recovery actually feels like living irresponsibly and recklessly for many of us. We're not truly doing dangerous things. But when we stop trying to save ourselves from the perceived but false threats and disasters of disordered anxiety, that often feels very wrong. That feels dangerous. That feels irresponsible. That feels reckless. When we engage in the practice of exposure, non-reactivity to fear, and disengaging from the maladaptive thinking habits that fuel conditions like GAD, we may truly feel like we are being reckless. In this light, the process of recovery can be very much an exercise in learning to live recklessly, even if it really isn’t.
Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 287 - When Everything Becomes An Anxiety Trigger (Foundations of Panic #6) | 13 Mar 2024 | 00:20:12 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Anxiety Triggers: When The List Is Growing Many members of our community will find that over time their list of anxiety triggers or panic attack triggers is growing. More and more things become triggers, which starts to get frustrating and disheartening. Let's talk about why that happens, and what it means in the recovery process. Important Timestamps: 13:15 - Learning to face fear requires courage and it requires repetition Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 183 - Revisiting Positive Self-Talk in Anxiety Recovery | 24 Nov 2021 | 00:21:41 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Positive self-talk is awesome. But not in the way you may think. When I tell people that positive self-talk is bullshit, I mean that it does not belong in your arsenal in the heat of the moment when experiencing that high anxiety spike or a panic attack. Positive self-talk, mantras and affirmations are great as a setup tool BEFORE things get rough for you. Use them when calm. Use them when getting yourself ready to do hard things. But ritualizing positive self-talk as a safety behavior when in the grips of panic is a bad idea and isn't terribly effective anyway. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/183 --- My books, social media, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links MUSIC CREDIT: "AfterGlow" by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 182 - Meeting Multiple Challenges At The Same Time: A Success Story | 17 Nov 2021 | 00:33:43 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. "BUT WHAT IF THERE ARE REAL HEALTH ISSUES OR LIFE CHALLENGES????" This is a question I get asked all the time. In this week's episode, we find some inspiration and encouragement from the awesome Jessica Sidener. Jessica is an inspiring example of a real human that was forced to handle two of the most stressful events imaginable at the same time. Jessica not only managed to get through it all intact, but she also turned her experience into something positive in the world. When you are sure that your anxiety struggles are too much, or if you're dealing with anxiety alongside other problems, Jessica's story will provide hope and inspiration that we all need sometimes. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/182 My books, social media, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links MUSIC CREDIT: "AfterGlow" by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 181 - What Are Anxiety Coping Skills, And Do We Want Them? | 10 Nov 2021 | 00:18:11 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Coping skills. This is a term heard every day in mental health circles when trying to get a handle on anxiety problems. But what are coping skills? What are they designed to do? Do we really want or need them? Traditionally, the most common coping skills are all targeted at helping you escape the discomfort, fear and distress of anxiety. They may try to distract you, "ground" you, or help you find assistance from people that will help you get away from the anxiety or panic situation. They are offered with the best of intentions, but special evasive maneuvers designed to get you out of an anxious state or to help you "make it" through another panic attack are not really the best options when it comes to long term, durable recovery. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/181 My books, social media, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links MUSIC CREDIT: "AfterGlow" by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 180 - Anxiety Issues: Are You Trying To Recover BEFORE Recovery? | 03 Nov 2021 | 00:16:43 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. One of the more common mistakes, especially in early recovery, is trying to actually reach a recovered state before you do the recovery work. If you're trying to figure out a way to not be afraid so that you can start your recovery, you're putting the cart before the horse. If you're hoping that you'll find some magic words that will make all this hard stuff "click" so you can get started, you're doing it backwards. You must do the recovery things first, then you "get it.” It "clicks" after you do the work. And you must do the work of recovery WHILE AFRAID in order to ultimately not be afraid. If you could find a way to not be afraid first, then there would be no need to recover. You'd already be there! For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/180 My books, social media, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music Credit ---------------- "Afterglow" by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 179 - Anxiety Recovery Principles Or Anxiety Recovery Instructions? | 27 Oct 2021 | 00:21:08 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. While you may want to ask for specific instructions on exactly what to do to feel better right now, this is not always the best approach to recovery in the long term. Asking for instructions can become a bit frustrating and overwhelming as you find yourself returning again and again for instructions based on today's thought, sensation, or specific fear. Focusing on understanding and applying the concepts and principles of recovery is a better approach that leads to longer lasting and more durable results. Knowing the principles of anxiety and recovery means that you no longer need specific instructions for every situation. Instead, you become better equipped to stand on your own as you successfully navigate through previously "impossible" situations. Learning and applying principles allows you to give your brain the productive experiences it needs to move down the path to recovery. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/179 My books, social media, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music Credit ---------------- "Afterglow" by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 178 - The Three C's Of Anxiety Recovery: Courage, Competence, and Confidence (Oct 2021) | 20 Oct 2021 | 00:23:38 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Everyone wants instant competence and confidence in recovery, but unfortunately it does not work that way. Competence and confidence in recovery are things we build through doing the hard things, and the hard things are carried by courage. So the three C's of anxiety recovery are COURAGE, COMPETENCE, AND CONFIDENCE. Start with finding your courage, which will lead to and increased sense of competence, which when used to its fullest potential builds the confidence we desire, and a more lasting and durable recovery. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/178 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 177 - The Discomfort Of Hesitation In Anxiety Recovery | 13 Oct 2021 | 00:19:11 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. So much of the recovery process brings us discomfort. Discomfort is woven into everything that we talk about with anxiety, panic, exposure, and recovery. Being uncomfortable is something that we unfortunately have to accept as part of the process. When it comes to doing exposures, we often feel hesitant about it. We have that anticipatory discomfort that builds up and sometimes leads to us choosing not to do the exposure. But then, we have the discomfort of feeling like a failure for not doing the task. Can you relate to this? Today, we'll examine a third type of discomfort that many of us have experienced but often don’t talk about. The discomfort that happens when you can’t decide whether you will do the task or if you will choose not to do the task. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/177 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 176 - Compassion And The Fear Of Fear with Joshua Fletcher | 06 Oct 2021 | 00:34:00 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Therapist and author Joshua Fletcher returns to the podcast this week. In this episode, Drew and Josh talk about understanding the fear of fear, compassion and its role in exposures and recovery, and why Josh’s course is so heavy on the concepts of compassion and proper reactions. Drew and Josh also engage in a slightly spicy discussion about all the ‘dangerous’ courses out there that should be avoided. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/176 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 175 - The Art and Importance of Self-Compassion w/Kimberley Quinlan | 29 Sep 2021 | 00:34:27 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Self-compassion. We hear about it all the time. It's quite a popular buzzword in mental health social media circles. But what really is self-compassion? What does it look like? What role does it play in the recovery process? How important it is? This week we are fortunate to Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT on the podcast to teach us about this oh-so-important concept. Kimberley is the author of The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD, an amazing resource that hit the shelves earlier this week. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/175 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 174 - Finding Your Power In The Anxiety Recovery Process | 22 Sep 2021 | 00:32:54 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. You may feel powerless over your anxiety, pain, and past. But in reality, you DO have power and influence in this process. In this episode I am joined by Dr. Bridget Cooper to discuss awareness, choice, power and responsibility in the recovery process. Becoming aware that you DO have choice means that you do gain power and responsibility that you can use to propel yourself in the right direction toward recovery. It's not easy and not always pretty, but you are not powerless, so let's talk about it! For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/174 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 286 - Anxiety and Recovery Questions and Answers | 28 Feb 2024 | 00:25:51 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Let's do an old fashioned anxiety questions and answers session, shall we? Today we're answering questions from our friends on Facebook.
Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 173 - Why You Need To Slow Down (Seven Percent Slower Preview Chapter) | 15 Sep 2021 | 00:18:19 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. If you can learn to slow down, while anxiety, fear, panic, and stress are telling you to speed up, good things will happen over time. On this podcast episode we take a look at the speed response that is baked into anxiety, fear, panic, and stress. When you are anxious or afraid, the odds are very high that you will automatically speed up. This is not helping. In fact, it is making things worse for you. This is why I wrote my new book Seven Percent Slower - A Simple Trick For Moving Past Anxiety and Stress. Let's talk about this, and let's listen to a free chapter from the book while we're at it. Find Seven Percent Slower here. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/173 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 172 - Not Accepting The Lessons Of Anxiety Recovery | 08 Sep 2021 | 00:24:02 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. The magic of recovery lies in allowing and passing through fear, not for fun, but so that we can learn the lessons that reality hands us afterward. Specifically, "That was really hard and scary, but nothing bad happened." Often, we make the mistake of refusing those lessons, choosing instead to follow the fear based, irrational lessons that anxiety tries to force onto us. Let's look at this problem and what we can do about it. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/172 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 171 - Dealing With Unplanned Exposures and Challenges | 01 Sep 2021 | 00:28:57 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. At some point in recovery, every one of us faces unplanned exposures and challenges that life throws at us. This is just part of the deal, so we must accept that. In this episode we'll answer a very common question: "How do I handle an unplanned exposure that I can't practice for?" For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/171 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 170 - Dean Stott from DLC Anxiety on Recovery and The Online Mental Health Community | 25 Aug 2021 | 00:32:27 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Today we have an anxiety success story that goes beyond just anxiety! My friend and frequent collaborator Dean Stott from the DLC Anxiety Worldwide platform stopped by to talk about his anxiety journey, how he created the DLC platform, and the state of the mental health community online. This was a really great chat that I know you're gonna like. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/170 Find Dean and the DLC Anxiety Community on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dlcanxiety -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 168 - The Panic Attack Hangover And What To Do About It | 11 Aug 2021 | 00:25:03 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. What happens AFTER a panic attack? Do you suffer from panic attack "hangover"? Does it impact you for hours, or even days after the attack ends? In this podcast episode we'll look at the panic attack hangover, what it is, and what to do about it. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/168 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 167 - Morning Anxiety and What To Do About It | 04 Aug 2021 | 00:31:57 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Morning anxiety. It was a thing for me, and I know based on massive amounts of feedback on this topic that it's a thing for many others. In this episode of the podcast, we'll look at morning anxiety and how to approach it most effectively. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/167 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 166 - Finding Strength and Confidence In Playful, Empowering Ways w/ Lora Plank Cheadle | 28 Jul 2021 | 00:34:43 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Sometimes we take our inspiration and encouragement from outside the anxiety disorder realm. Sometimes we find someone that had been knocked down HARD, yet found a way to stand back up and get back into the game of life on good terms. Sometimes that person does it in creative and inspiring ways. Then we can use that story and apply it in our own recovery person. Today that person is my new friend Lora Plank Cheadle. Let's listen to Lora's story. She was totally shattered by the discovery of infidelity in marriage, then had to figure out how to get herself out of a very dark place and back to living life again. While she may not be talking specifically about anxiety, the lessons she learns and shares definitely apply to us! For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/166 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 165 - Winning the Anxiety Recovery War: Stop Fighting. Start Learning. | 21 Jul 2021 | 00:28:12 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Anxiety recovery is a strange war. You only win it when you stop fighting. In this episode we look at the need to stop being an anxiety warrior, and start being an anxiety student. Learning, not fighting, is the way to recovery. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/165 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 164 - Lily's Anxiety Journey - Part 2 (w/ Lily Bloomberg) | 14 Jul 2021 | 00:32:02 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. This is part 2 of my conversation with my friend and social media collaborator Lily Bloomberg. In this episode Lily talks about the process of her recovery. There are twists in Lily's story that I found fascinating, and I hope you will too. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/164 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 163 - Lily's Anxiety Journey - Part 1 (With Lily Bloomberg) | 07 Jul 2021 | 00:35:47 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. I had the privilege of spending an hour with my friend and some-time collaborator Lily Bloomberg. Lily is a school psychologist and anxiety coach that has lived her own struggles with anxiety disorders and other mental health challenges. Today Lily speaks about her anxiety struggles and the time she spent trying to find solutions to her anxiety, panic, and other mental health issues through the years. This is part 1 of 2. Next week Lily returns to talk about her anxiety recovery story, so come back for that one too! For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/163 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 285 - Panic Attacks Or Panic Disorder? (Foundations of Panic #5) | 14 Feb 2024 | 00:21:04 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. Having panic attacks does not always mean you have panic disorder. This week on The Anxious Truth we're digging into what differentiates panic attacks - even recurring panic attacks - from panic disorder. Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 162 - Listener Anxiety Questions and Answers (June 2021) | 30 Jun 2021 | 00:35:31 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. In this episode I take questions from listeners. Some questions came in as voice messages on my Anchor podcast page. Others were submitted on Instagram. I wasn't able to answer all the questions because I only have 30 minutes or so for each episode, but I did my best to answer questions that were asked by multiple people. I hope you find it helpful.If you want to leave me voice messages on Anchor, you can follow this link.For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/162--------My books, website, and social media links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksMusic credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission)https://bendrakemusic.comSupport The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 161 - Are You Choosing TEMPORARY Comfort Over Long-Term Anxiety Recovery? | 23 Jun 2021 | 00:24:40 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. "What does it take to really recover?"Good question. I can tell you one thing it takes. It takes this.Calling out our habit of choosing temporary relief and comfort when we avoid and escape and run and refuse to face the scary stuff. This is the habit of making decisions rooted in fear and based on achieving short term comfort at the expense of long term progress and recovery. Confronting this habit and recognizing the reality of what this repeated choice means is one of the first things you can do to move yourself down the path to real recovery.For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/161--------My books, website, and social media links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksMusic credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission)https://bendrakemusic.comSponsorships: off for this episodeSupport The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||
| EP 160 - How Can You Be SURE That It's Just Anxiety? | 16 Jun 2021 | 00:21:54 | |
Send in a question or comment via text. This is a question I get asked literally every day. The answer may not be the one you want, but it's the one you need. In this episode we examine how we can learn to be sure (enough) that it really is just anxiety. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/160 -------- My books, website, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission) Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! | |||