Anxiety Rx – Details, episodes & analysis

What if someone can make you feel something, and the real problem is pretending they can’t?

In this episode, I talk about a phrase I used to hear all the time: “Nobody can make you feel anything.” I break down why I no longer believe that’s true, and what actually happens in the brain and body when we’re triggered. I get into how emotional responses are often reflexive, how easily anxiety hijacks intense feelings, and why staying grounded in the body, not the mind, is what really gives us choice.

You’ll Learn:

• The real reason “nobody can make you feel anything” doesn’t hold up to neuroscience
• What happens in your brain when someone triggers a strong emotional reaction
• Why fear responses can bypass your thinking mind entirely
• How anxiety often hijacks other emotions and turns them into alarm
• The quiet damage of suppressing anger in childhood
• What it feels like to lose your rational mind in a moment of overwhelm
• Why grounding in your body is more effective than “just thinking differently”
• The difference between emotional reflexes and how you choose to respond
• What the physiological sigh does for nervous system regulation
• Why emotional regulation takes practice and why that practice has to start before the trigger hits

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[11:31] Why intense emotions often get mistaken for anxiety and feed the victim loop

[14:26] How to break the fear habit by practicing emotional awareness and response

[17:01] Why intense emotions shut down your rational brain and how to stay in control

[20:37] How to stay grounded and choose your response when you're triggered

[21:54] How to train your body to stay calm during emotional overwhelm

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Welcome back!

In today’s episode of Anxiety Rx, we’re diving into the real root of social anxiety…and spoiler alert: it’s not just about being shy at parties.

Social anxiety is often misunderstood as a surface-level fear of people, but it runs much deeper than that. It’s a fear of connection - especially with yourself. In this episode, I break down how social anxiety stems from a body-based alarm, not just overthinking or awkwardness.

If you grew up feeling like love had strings attached or rejection was around every corner, your nervous system probably learned to associate connection with danger. I’ll walk you through why that happens, what’s really going on in your body, and how to gently start rewiring that alarm.

We’ll talk about courage (not confidence), co-regulation, and why healing starts with reconnecting to the parts of yourself you’ve been avoiding. Because you can’t truly connect with others until you start feeling safe inside your own skin.

Thank you for listening and you can find me on IG and TikTok here: @theanxietymd

P.S. If you would like to join the MBRX family of 5000+ anxiety HEALERS who are shifting from coping with their anxiety to actually HEALING it, click the link below:

https://www.theanxietymd.com/MBRX

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Understanding Social Anxiety

07:16 The Role of Childhood Experiences

13:39 Connecting with Your Inner Child

18:50 Courage and Connection in Social Situations

Hello Everyone!

We're kicking off Mental Health Month with a mind-expanding episode of the Anxiety Rx podcast—literally! I sat down with the insightful Julie Hagen to dive into the fascinating world of psychedelics, healing, and personal transformation.

In this episode, we explore how psychedelics can shift our perspective on anxiety, trauma, and the default mode network (yes, we get a bit nerdy—but in a good way).

Julie shares her inspiring journey from the world of corporate law to becoming a coach, and we both open up about the deep impact childhood trauma can have on our adult lives.

We also talk about the power of somatic awareness (getting out of your head and into your body) and why intention and integration are absolutely essential when working with psychedelics.

This isn't about quick fixes—it's about meaningful, mindful healing.

Tune in if you're curious about the intersection of neuroscience, emotional healing, and some of the most fascinating tools we have for growth.

Thank you for listening and you can find me on IG: @theanxietymd

P.S. If you would like to join the MBRX family of 4500+ anxiety WARRIORS who are shifting from coping with their anxiety to actually HEALING it, click the link below:

https://www.theanxietymd.com/MBRX

______________________________

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction to Psychedelics and Personal Journeys

03:08 Childhood Trauma and Its Impact

05:44 Transitioning from Law to Coaching

09:02 The Role of Therapy and Coaching

11:52 Discovering Psychedelics and Their Effects

15:04 Understanding Anxiety and the Alarm Cycle

17:46 The Default Mode Network and Presence

20:59 The Future of Therapy with Psychedelics

23:17 Understanding the Default Mode Network

26:48 The Impact of Trauma on Present Moment Awareness

30:42 Navigating Pain and Anxiety Through Somatic Awareness

37:20 The Role of Psychedelics in Healing and Self-Discovery

46:51 Integrating Intentions in Psychedelic Experiences

I've never met ANYONE who suffered from chronic anxiety and didn't see themselves as a victim, including and especially ME.

For the most part, anxious people were victims of trauma or unresolved emotional pain and our nervous system was trained to be on defense, which will never allow us to heal from anxiety.

To heal, we must see our victim mentality and go TOWARDS our fears and not retreat from it. 

Thank you for listening and you can find me on IG here: @theanxietymd if you have any questions.

P.S I wrote THE book on healing anxiety. It's my life's work so that you don't have to suffer like I did.         You can get it by clicking here

This episode, is the most practical and emotionally vulnerable episode of the ANXIETY Rx PODCAST so far. 

In this episode, I talk about the root cause of anxiety being a separation of your adult self from your child self and the practice I do every morning of listening to Peter Gabriel's "IN YOUR EYES" because the words are about creating a connection with his younger self.

I drill down to the meaning of the lyrics in relation to the art and science of healing your anxiety and alarm so you can understand create your own healing...

Press play now to listen to the full episode.

PS. I’m giving away a FREE chapter of my book. Click HERE to download it.

In this episode, I talk about attachment styles and how the core of secure attachment is the ability to trust love.

I discuss how the lack of attachment in my own childhood led to my sense of chronic alarm and the importance of attachment in my own healing from chronic anxiety and alarm, along with how developing a secure attachment to yourself is critical to the healing process.

Press play now to listen to the full episode.

PS. I’m giving away a FREE chapter of my book. Click HERE to download it.

In this episode, I discuss how connecting with the younger version of ourselves can help us deal with anxiety or trauma.

Our inner child sends a signal to us when we feel anxious, and we should be grateful for it.

When we show kindness and care to this younger version of ourselves, we can begin to feel better and move away from anxiety.

Lastly, I share a bit about my own experience and encourage you to connect with your inner child.

Press play now to listen to the full episode.

PS. I’m giving away a FREE chapter of my book. Click HERE to download it.

In this episode, I talk about how anxiety and difficulty accepting uncertainty are related, which is often caused by traumatic experiences during childhood.

I explain that uncertainty can trigger worry and anxiety in the body.

To overcome anxiety, it is important to become more tolerant of uncertainty by recognizing and accepting it, as well as understanding and addressing the cause of the alarm in the body.

In the healing process, I emphasize the importance of awareness and gratitude.

Thank you for listening and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode and how it relates to you. You can DM me directly on IG here.

Your BIGGEST supporter, [after yourself]

dr. Russ

Resistance is one of these things that rules our lives and we don't even know it.

That's the thing about resistance. Resistance is one of the biggest sabotages, and it's a trick of the ego.

The ego will resist anything that's ever hurt you in the past.

Listen to this episode where I go into detail about resistance and how it's ruling your life.

You can also WATCH this episode on YouTube by clicking here.

You can find my book by click here.

If you have any questions you can DM me directly on IG here.

I answer your anxiety questions in this episode! The following are the questions I answered (in detail):

1. "When is ALARM a good thing and should be paid attention to?"

2. "Is there a way to "unlearn" the bodily feelings of anxiety? After I had my first panic attack my body remembered how it felt and now it goes straight to it when I'm stressed."

3. "How can I tell if I'm having an anxiety attack every time I feel pain or get sick, or if it's a genuine pain and illness?"

4. "What are your thoughts on practices to regulate the nervous system to help with alarm in the body?"

When I asked my Instagram audience for questions, I received hundreds, so I'll be making more episodes to answer as many as possible.

I hope you enjoyed this episode!

You can WATCH this episode on YouTube by clicking here

You can find me on IG by clicking here: @theanxietymd

Thanks for listening!