Description

Episode Description:

Not all anxiety races. Some of it drags.

In this episode, we explore a lesser-known phenomenon: cognitive slowing under load—a pattern where people experience mental fog, delayed reactions, and reduced processing speed in high-stress situations. Often confused with ADHD or early cognitive decline, this slow form of anxiety is frequently overlooked in traditional diagnostics.

We unpack:

• Why some anxious individuals don’t look anxious—they look slow
• The difference between overwhelm, sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), and executive dysfunction
• How brain load, not just emotion, drives performance breakdowns
• Treatment approaches that work—including CBT, lifestyle changes, and brain-based assessments
• Why this matters for education, mental health, and everyday functioning

If you’ve ever felt mentally stuck or misdiagnosed—or if you’re a clinician trying to make sense of hard-to-categorize patients—this episode may shift how you see anxiety altogether.