Send in a question or comment via text. Donna grew up surrounded by discussion of cardiac health and blood pressure. When she started experiencing panic attacks, and the blood pressure spikes that naturally come with them, her struggle with health anxiety and an obsession with her blood pressure was ignited. For full show notes on this episode, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/142 Donna worked herself into a position where she was obsessed with her blood pressure. She was continuously terrified...
Feb 03, 2021•29 min
Send in a question or comment via text. In the field of anxiety disorders and the treatment of anxiety disorders, you will not find anyone with more street cred than Dr. Winston. Dr. Sally Winston knows what she's talking about. Today I had the privilege of spending 25 minutes chatting with her about recovery, the obsessive need for certainty and comfort that drives many disorders, and why reassurance and soothing is decidedly NOT the way. For full show notes on this episode (you'll WANT to read...
Jan 27, 2021•26 min
Send in a question or comment via text. I am often asked an important question. "How do I learn to float and accept when one person makes me anxious?" This question is asked by people that will often explain that they experience anxiety or even panic when in the presence of a specific person or group of people. Often, there is a history of abuse, or there is ongoing abuse of varying types (mental, emotional, or even physical). So the question I am really being asked is, "How can I float through ...
Jan 20, 2021•29 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Building your own personal recovery from an anxiety disorder means using ALL the resources you have available to you. In this podcast episode I talk about combining books, podcasts, social media streams, online support groups, hard work and professional help into a powerful recovery toolkit. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/139 My books, podcast, and social media links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Music Credit: "Afterg...
Jan 13, 2021•22 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Today Dr. Bridget Cooper (Dr. B) and I talk about gender issues in mental health and anxiety recovery. There are clearly differences between men and women and how we talk about mental health, think about mental health, and approach solving mental health problems like the anxiety disorders we're talking about all the time. The way we define our roles as men and women and the way we are socialized into those roles make a difference in the way men and women a...
Jan 06, 2021•48 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Everyone loves a good anxiety success story and today we have one from our friend, and someone you hear all the time if you're a regular listener, Ben Drake. Ben spent his days for quite a long time just trying to endure anxiety and panic. Bracing, fighting, and "white knuckling" his way through life as a working musician. Things changed for the better when he learned a new way to approach his anxiety issues. For full show notes on this episode: https://th...
Dec 09, 2020•25 min
Send in a question or comment via text. When you interact with the number anxiety disorders that I do, you have the opportunity to see patterns emerge in a crowd. Over years of doing this thing I do, and interacting with the large number of people that I have, I can see that when it comes to recovery from an anxiety disorder, there are clear "stages" of recovery that most people progress through. None of these are absolutely set in stone, but the odds are high that you will identify with one of ...
Dec 02, 2020•22 min
Send in a question or comment via text. One of the more common bits of advice passed around for the last zillion years or so is ... "trust your gut". Regardless of the the circumstance or problem to be solved, if you ask enough people for advice the odds are high that you will have someone ask you what your "gut" is telling you to do, or just telling you to "trust your gut". Sometimes this is good advice. Sometimes it is absolutely horrible advice. If you're working on solving the problem of an ...
Nov 25, 2020•18 min
Send in a question or comment via text. So, here’s some great news if you deal with emetophobia. Bet you didn’t think you’d ever hear that, did you? Well, Drew’s guest on this week’s episode is here to spread some great news, and her energy is absolutely infectious! Christia was emetophobic for decades, and she ran from any sort of incidents or fear of incidents so often...until she got tired of it and decided to make a change. Now, she is sharing her story to spread her hope to other people. As...
Nov 18, 2020•34 min
Send in a question or comment via text. When Faster Than Normal author and podcast host Peter Shankman was officially diagnosed with ADHD, he decided that it wasn't a liability, but rather a bit of a superpower. Peter took action to maximize the things he's really good at, while outsourcing and minimizing the negative impacts of the things he's traditionally not been so good at. This is a lesson on how to find the silver lining in a mental health issue! For full show notes on this episode visit ...
Nov 11, 2020•23 min
Send in a question or comment via text. "I've been seeing my therapist for years and she never explained this the way you do!""How can it be that all the different counselors and doctors I've seen have never talked about my anxiety this way?""I've been through countless therapists over the years. None of them explained this problem the way you do!"These are statements and questions I encounter on a regular basis from podcast listeners and members of my social media community. If you've ever wond...
Nov 04, 2020•29 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Kyrsty spent 12 years in her house, trapped by agoraphobia and panic. That's all changing now. In this podcast episode Kyrsty shares with us how she's been taking the core concepts of recovery and putting them into practice on a daily basis. Her progress thus far has been faster than she expected, and with a growing number of victories under her belt and an amazing recovery mindset, the sky is the limit! For full show notes on this episode, visit theanxiou...
Oct 28, 2020•32 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Ask yourself a question. Is your anxiety your enemy, or is it your teacher? Most of you are going to immediately tell me that you see anxiety as an enemy. It lurks in the shadows, stalking you day and and day out, always ready to attack. Your anxiety drives you to do things you do not want to do. It drives you to eliminate and avoid parts of your life that desperately want back. Anxiety is clearly your enemy, right? (For full show notes on this episode vis...
Oct 21, 2020•31 min
Send in a question or comment via text. This is common misconception for many, and it's keeping some folks stuck! When we talk about accepting anxiety as the path to recovery, and when we talk about surrendering to anxiety, we are not saying that you have to LIKE or LOVE your anxiety. You do not. If you've been struggling to find a way to like your anxiety because you think accepting and liking are the same thing, then this episode is for you. Of note is a discussion about people dealing with OC...
Oct 14, 2020•20 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Is your worst-case scenario being forced to sit quietly with your own thoughts and sensations? Are you one of the many that declares that they are "OK" so long as they are up and about and occupied? Learning to sit quietly with oneself is a challenge for many people, with or without anxiety. For those recovering from an anxiety disorder, this presents a serious challenge, but a challenge that must be met on route to full recovery.(For full show notes on th...
Oct 07, 2020•28 min
Send in a question or comment via text. For many, having to undergo a surgical or major medical procedure is "worst nightmare" territory anxiety-wise. There are quite a few fears at play here. Fear of being out of control. Fear of being away from safe places and people. Fear of sedation and anesthesia. Fear of complication or problems cause by the procedure in question. It can add up to an almost tragic level of avoidance in some cases, even when surgery or other medical procedures are critical ...
Sep 30, 2020•28 min
Send in a question or comment via text. I often here people saying that recovery becomes harder - or even impossible - if you've suffered too long with your anxiety problems. This is simply not true. In this podcast episode let's take a look at why this is a misconception that you're going to have to leave behind. There are three main reasons why you can recover no matter how long you've suffered.1. Anxiety disorders are not progressive degenerative diseases that take away your physical or menta...
Sep 23, 2020•27 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Holly is back in this episode, sharing her long experience using benzos as part of her anxiety management strategy. Holly shares how she started on benzos, what her doctor told her, and how she actually did use them. We talk about "as needed" use, daily use, dependency (addiction), effectiveness, and how the use of benzos interferes with learning recovery lessons. Holly shares her recovery story and how we gradually stopped taking benzos altogether after m...
Sep 09, 2020•49 min
Send in a question or comment via text. In this episode I answer listener questions about: Returning to "normal". Handling thoughts, memories and emotions. Parenting issues in recovery. Sleep anxiety. My own progress in recovery and my issues with coming off medications. For full show notes on this episode, go to https://theanxioustruth.com/122 My social media and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work...
Sep 02, 2020•41 min
Send in a question or comment via text. This week and next I will take time to answer questions submitted by by Instagram friends. I had over 130 questions sent in for this episode so lets break it into two episodes. This is part one. Part two will be next week in episode 122.Questions covered in this episode are: "I just started therapy, how do I make the most out of it to get the most out of it?" "What's the best way to deal with the urge to talk about feelings often and seek reassurance?" "I ...
Aug 26, 2020•31 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Shelley Hohe has struggled with OCD for many years. Her contamination obsession and the accompanying compulsions drove her into a very dark place. Her faith was questioned and shaken, her life was getting smaller, her relationships were suffering, and she simply wasn't sure where to turn for answers or help. A chance encounter with an old friend changed everything, setting Shelley on a path of renewed faith where recovery from OCD is not only a goal, but a...
Aug 19, 2020•45 min
Send in a question or comment via text. One of the most common topics I am asked to address is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is generally categorized with other anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD and social anxiety. Today I was lucky enough to spend 30 minutes with Dr. David Carbonell. A clinical psychologist specializing in treating anxiety disorders, Dr. Carbonell is the author of "The Worry Trick" and three other books on anxiety and phobias. We had a most ex...
Aug 12, 2020•35 min
Send in a question or comment via text. The recovery process will - unfortunately - include days where you still struggle. This is to be expected. In this episode I read lesson 5.5 from my book which discusses the struggles you will encounter. I then discuss the basics of creating a "playbook" that you can turn to on the bad days when you need an easy to follow script rather than thinking on your feet. For full show notes on this episode including the full text of the book chapter I read, visit ...
Aug 04, 2020•34 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Recovery from an anxiety disorder gets even harder when you judge the presence of fear as an immediate failure. Dr. B - Bridget Cooper - joined me today to talk about fear, and the misconception that the presence of fear indicates failure of some kind. For full show notes on this episode go to https://theanxioustruth.com/117 The Highlights: 1 . Being afraid is NOT failure. There are a few reasons you may be thinking this, most based on old self-limiting be...
Jul 29, 2020•40 min
Send in a question or comment via text. One of the concepts that confuses people more than any other is understanding the difference between accepting and surrendering to anxiety, learning to be nonreactive to anxiety, or ignoring anxiety. Let's talk about that today. There is a difference between ignoring anxiety and learning to become truly non-reactive to anxiety. This is subtle. It's reasonable for people to be confused especially in the early stages of the game. This is a thing that require...
Jul 22, 2020•29 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Dr. Bridget Cooper is a cage rattler. Her penchant for confronting old beliefs and challenging thought patterns is helping people to break from from old negative beliefs and ideas. Dr. B is passionate about showing you that a new way and a new life is possible. Old Contracts Many people want so desperately to recover from anxiety issues, but find themselves trapped by old beliefs and ideas that tell them that they are not capable of recovery. The belief th...
Jul 15, 2020•39 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Here is a paradox. So much of this anxiety complex revolves around a desperate attempt to find 100 percent iron clad certainty. The search for certainty in the face of irrationally perceived threats destroys your ability to handle uncertainty in the face of real challenges and threats. The search for safety undermines the very thing you seek ... For Full show notes on this episode, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/114 My Links: https://theanxioustruth.com...
Jul 08, 2020•37 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Sarah Doan Peace is amazing. Having been born with VATER syndrome and after 35 surgeries and years of serious medical challenges, Sarah is finding her voice as a speaker and advocate for others that share her experience. Sarah's honesty and willingness to openly share her story and struggle are educational, enlightening, and inspiring. * For full show notes on this episode, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/113 * To find Sarah online, visit https://sarahdo...
Jul 01, 2020•33 min
Send in a question or comment via text. Do you fear your emotions? Do you see them as threats, or indicators that you are failing in recovery, or destined for disaster? Do you attempt to escape from your emotions or avoid them? You are not alone. For full show notes on this episode, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/112 Emotions Are A Natural Part of Being Human Every human being experiences emotions. Some are great. Some really suck. But all are normal and natural. While we may not always like ...
Jun 24, 2020•37 min
Send in a question or comment via text. You may think that you are afraid of an ever-growing list of places, tasks, people and situations. You are not. There is only ONE FEAR driving your anxiety disorder - fear of how you feel and what you think. Acknowledging the one fear can clarify and simplify your recovery path so let's talk about it.For full show notes on this episode visit https://theanxioustruth.com/111My Links:https://theanxioustruth.com/links Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the...
Jun 17, 2020•33 min
