That Anxiety Guy - Straight Talk And Help With Anxiety, Panic And Agoraphobia

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: Taking responsibility for your mental health and social media use Recognizing the limits and pitfalls of social media Knowing the difference between psychoeducation and behavioral change Why the ability to find everything on the Internet can be a bad thing And more!---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/191My books, social, and other links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksSupport The Anxious Truth:https://theanxioustruth.com/supportMusic Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission)https://bendrakemusic.comAdditional Music Credit In This Episode:Local Forecast Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Com

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 DiscomfortI’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 HabitsWhen we compare experiences that help build strong habits, and experiences that help us toward recovery, they are polar

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/189My books, social media, and other 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. This is never required, but always appreci

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.comMy 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

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/187My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/linksSupport The Anxious Truth with a small donation: https://theanxioustruth.com/donateMusic 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. This is never required, but always appreciated!Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not cr

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) https://bendrakemusic.comSupport The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. This is never required, but always appreciated!Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a rep

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/185My books, social and other links:https://theanxioustruth.

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

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/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. This is never required, but always appreciated!Disclaimer: The An

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/182My books, social media, and other links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksMUSIC CREDIT:"AfterGlow" by Ben Drake (with permission)https://bendrakemusic.comSupport The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpfu

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/181My books, social media, and other links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksMUSIC CREDIT:"AfterGlow" by Ben Drake (with permission)https://bendrakemusic

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/180My books, social media, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/linksMusic Credit----------------"Afterglow" by Ben Drake (with permissio

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/179My books

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/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. This is never required, but always appreciated!Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for the

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/linksMusic credit: Afterglow by Ben Drake (with permission)https://bendrake

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/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. This is never required, but always appreciated!Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the

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/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. This is never required, but always appreciated!Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxio

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/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. This is never required, but always appreciated!Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listen

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/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

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/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. This is never required, but always appreciated!Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship b