Shows
Disordered: Anxiety HelpHave You Learned How To Panic Yet? (Episode 122)In this episode, Josh and Drew tackle one of the most counterintuitive concepts in overcoming panic attacks: learning how to panic better, rather than trying to avoid panic altogether.When facing a new job triggers familiar panic patterns, many people focus on preventing anxiety rather than developing a healthier relationship with it. Drew and Josh explore why "learning how to panic" is often the key to breaking free from panic disorder and agoraphobia.Josh and Drew discuss the difference between panic attacks (the physical experience) and panic disorder (how we modify our lives to avoid...
2025-08-2238 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpForgiving Yourself In Anxiety Recovery (Episode 121)When you're struggling with anxiety disorders, you often do things that don't reflect who you really are - avoiding social gatherings, canceling plans, or making demands on loved ones that you normally wouldn't. As you start to recover, it's common to feel overwhelming guilt about how your anxiety affected the people around you.In this episode, Drew and Josh explore the complex journey of self-forgiveness after anxiety recovery. They discuss why anxiety disorders can make people appear self-centered while emphasizing that the disorder isn't who you are as a person.Understanding that anxiety disorders are incredibly...
2025-08-1536 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and the Death of Curiosity (Episode 120)When anxiety takes hold, one of the first casualties is our natural sense of wonder and openness to new experiences. In this episode of Disordered, lets explore how anxiety disorders systematically erode our curiosity about the world around us and our own capabilities.Drew and Josh discuss how anxiety creates a rigid, self-focused mindset that asks only "How will this make me feel?" rather than "What might I discover?" They examine how this shift from external curiosity to internal fixation becomes a prison that keeps us stuck in patterns of avoidance and safety-seeking behaviors.
2025-08-0839 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpProcessing ... Or Anxious Thinking? (Episode 119)When something shocking or difficult happens, we're often told we need to "process" our emotions. But what if that endless loop of replaying events in your mind isn't actually processing at all? In this episode, Drew and Josh explore the crucial difference between healthy emotional processing and anxious rumination that keeps us stuck.How to distinguish between genuine emotional processing and OCD/GAD-style ruminationWhy that "urgent" feeling to think through something repeatedly might be a red flagThe difference between being with your feelings versus chasing a particular feelingWhy real processing can't be forced or scheduled on demandHow to...
2025-08-0137 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpHealing in Anxiety Disorders (Episode 118)In this episode of Disordered, the guys tackle one of the most misunderstood concepts in anxiety recovery: healing. Sparked by a listener question about balancing relationships with anxiety recovery work, the hosts dive deep into what healing anxiety really means - and what it doesn't.The Problem with "Healing" Language Drew and Josh explore how the word "healing" can be problematic in anxiety recovery, often implying that people are broken and need fixing. They discuss how healing anxiety culture can keep people trapped in endless cycles of inward focus and compulsive self-improvement.Real v...
2025-07-2544 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpGetting Out Of An Anxious Head (Episode 117)Ever feel trapped in cycles of rumination, overthinking, and constant mental chatter about your anxiety? In this episode, Drew and Josh tackle the challenging question of how to "get out of your own head" without turning it into another exhausting battle.Starting with a thoughtful question from a listener who has built an impressive life despite ongoing anxiety and DPDR but still struggles with constant internal focus, the hosts explore why simply trying to stop thinking doesn't work and what actually does.Key topics covered include:Why "getting out of your head" doesn't mean...
2025-07-1137 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and The Illusion of Control (Episode 116)What If I Want To Control My Anxiety Holistically?In this episode, Drew and Josh examine tension between wanting to control anxiety through holistic approaches and recognizing when that desire for control becomes part of the problem itself.Key Topics Discussed:The difference between actual control and the illusion of controlHow the wellness and self-optimization industry can exploit anxiety sufferersWhy treating anxiety as a threat teaches your brain to keep the alarm system activatedThe gray area between healthy self-care and anxiety-driven fixing behaviors How to recognize when "wellness" strategies become safety...
2025-07-0442 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery - Am I Doing Too Much (Episode 115)Am I Doing Too Much Recovery/Exposure?This week Drew and Josh tackle a common question in anxiety recovery: "Am I pushing myself too hard with exposures?" The guys explore the nuanced balance between challenging yourself and recognizing when you might genuinely need rest.In this episode:How to distinguish between being genuinely depleted versus being scaredWhy feeling anxious after successful exposures doesn't mean you've done "too much"The difference between active, reasoned decisions to rest and anxiety-driven avoidanceSpecial considerations for people with OCD and chronic health conditionsHow to balance recovery work with other...
2025-06-2738 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpListener Questions About Anxiety & Recovery (Episode 114)This week Drew and Josh are answering questions from listeners. Questions addressed in this episode include:Is it "normal" to feel a letdown after completing and big successful exposure/challenge?What work can we do to address the fawn response?Isn't a panic attack a medical emergency? How can it possibly be safe to experience panic?!Staying off social media is good for mental health, right? But is that anxiety avoidance?How can I learn how to NOT tense my body? It's such a habit now!We're also hearing from inspiring "Did It Anyways"...
2025-06-2044 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpDeath Anxiety w/Professor David Veale (Episode 113)Death anxiety - an obsessive fixation on death, dying and existence driven by intense fear of the inevitability of death - is a very common experience for listeners of Disordered.This week Josh and Drew were lucky enough to have a chat with Professor David Veale, one of the leading authorities in in the UK on the topic of death anxiety and mental health issues related to death and existence. David helped spread some light and some much-needed humor on this topic that might help you change the way you approach your death-focused anxiety...
2025-06-1339 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpRumination ... Or Reflection? (Episode 112)What's the difference between rumination and reflection? Ruminators, worriers, and over thinkers often struggle to recognize the useful limits of thinking. They can become unsure when they are engaging in helpful reflection or problem solving .... and when they are ruminating and worrying with no good outcomes and often actual negative outcomes.This week on Disordered Drew and Josh are digging in to the difference between rumination and reflection. Reflection is good. Rumination ... not so much. How can you tell the difference? Can you always tell the difference? Isn't thinking ALWAYS good because it solves...
2025-06-0639 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpMy Anxiety Makes Me Frustrated / Angry / Sad / Guilty! (Episode 109)When we struggle with chronic or disordered anxiety, we regularly experience powerful emotions that tend to look like fear or tension. We may experience intense feelings of being vulnerable, or doomed. We talk about these things all the time. But what about when you have emotions about having those emotions? Struggling to overcome an anxiety problem that is creating disruption in your life is going to trigger actual emotions beyond just fear. Many feel:Frustrated - because they can't seem to get better fast enough or make steady progressAngry - because...
2025-05-1638 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety, ChatGPT, AI, Reddit ... and Dr. Google (Episode 108)"Hey ChatGPT. Please tell me how I'll know if I'm accepting my anxiety or avoiding it.""Hey ChatGPT. When I get anxious my vision gets weird. Can anxiety do that? ""Hello Reddit. Does anyone else feel like ...."The guys are back after a short break to talk about the use of ChatGPT, AI, Reddit, Google, and the Internet in general in the context of anxiety and mental health issues.There's no doubt that large language models - software that...
2025-05-0945 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpDoing ... And NOT Doing ... In Anxiety Recovery (Episode 107)When working on anxiety recovery, sometimes we're DOING. Other times we have to focus on NOT doing. How confusing is that!?This week Drew and Josh are chatting about how DOING things specific to anxiety recovery and NOT DOING things specific to anxiety recovery are related and how these two concepts work together. In a nutshell, doing is about activating and engaging in behavior that anxiety says you should avoid. On the flip side, not doing is about refraining from the actions (including mental actions like rumination) that anxiety...
2025-04-1140 min
The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health PodcastDriving Anxiety and Driving Exposure | EP 315Send in a question or comment via text.Navigating driving anxiety with exposure therapy—but not how you might think. In this episode, Drew Linsalata (therapist, author, and former anxiety sufferer) challenges common misconceptions about addressing driving anxiety. Learn why the feeling is the exposure, not the driving itself, and discover how interoceptive and imaginal exposures can help without ever starting your car. Drew explains why pulling over or listening to music isn't avoidance if you're still experiencing anxiety, clarifies what true avoidance looks like, and emphasizes that recovery is ab...
2025-04-0930 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpEmetophobia - Fear of Vomiting w/Dara Lovitz & Dr. David Yusko (Episode 106)Emetophobia - an intense fear of vomiting and any thoughts or sensations associated with vomiting - is a more common struggle among anxious people than anyone might initial think. But Emetophobia can make its way into virtually every aspect of life, often resulting in a highly restricted lifestyle and a dramatic decrease in the ability to function.This week Dara Lovitz and Dr. David Yusko join Drew and Josh to talk about emetophobia. Dara suffered for over 30 years before finally overcoming emetophobia through exposure based treatment with Dr. Yusko. Now they're sharing this experience...
2025-04-0448 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and "Incomplete" Recovery (Episode 104)Do you feel like you've "mostly" overcome your chronic or disordered anxiety issues but there are still challenges that linger? Maybe you've felt fully recovered once before, or even several times before, but you keep finding yourself back in the thick of it or unable to overcome a few specific challenges.If this is you, then tune in as Josh and Drew talk about the concept of "incomplete" anxiety disorder recovery. We're looking at the red zone concept - that set of triggers or circumstances that you may still deem unapproachable or too...
2025-03-2138 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and Flying w/Dr. David Carbonell (Episode 103)When working to overcome an anxiety disorder, the biggest challenge many in our community can identify is flying. For chronically anxious people, the idea of getting on a plane, being trapped for hours, and being terrified or out of control for that long seems like something they will never be able to.Even for people that are well on the way to recovery, flying can still feel like the "ultimate test" of recovery. The fear that they will crumble and be in a totally uncontrollable, inconsolable state while in the air can be powerful. It leads some...
2025-03-1442 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpSelf-Soothing When Anxiety Appears? (Episode 102)How can I learn to self-soothe when I get anxious and I'm terrified of my body or my thoughts?Well ... while it might seem like launching into a soothing technique designed to control the fight or flight response is a good idea, this week Josh and Drew are talking about why the concept of self-soothing doesn't automatically make sense in the context of anxiety disorders.Self-soothing, supporting yourself while you naturally work through difficult moments and experiences, is awesome. There are a few excellent examples in this episode of...
2025-03-0745 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpExistential Anxiety! (Episode 99)What is existence? What is the point of all this? Do I even really exist? The universe is so insanely huge! What even is time? What happens when we die?These are questions all humans ask - and have been asking since we developed language. They are normal. They can even be fun questions to ask. An entire section of the human race dedicates itself to studying and pondering these questions.But for people struggling with OCD and other anxiety disorders ... these questions can be huge triggers that create...
2025-02-1443 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpWillful Tolerance and the Sensitized State (Episode 98)When Drew and Josh form a band, they will call it "Willful Tolerance and the Sensitized State". Kinda like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble .... but way cooler.
But before then, they're releasing this episode of Disordered, which takes a look at the relationship between a sensitized state - where everything seems scary and triggering and you feel stuck - and the principle of willful tolerance (acceptance, surrender, non-resistance, etc.).
This episode is especially useful for anxious people that are declaring themselves to be in a setback, or experiencing...
2025-02-0739 minThe Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health PodcastThe Art of Accepting Anxiety: Getting Present (Part 1 of 3) | EP 309Send in a question or comment via text.HOW DO I ACCEPT ANXIETY?!?!?!?!Let's start a three-part series on accepting anxiety using the ACT Tri-flex framework. As both a therapist and former anxiety sufferer, I'm going to break down the crucial first practical step of getting present and what it really means in a practical way.KEY POINTS:Why there are no "steps" to accepting anxietyThe difference between "doing mode" and "being mode"What mindfulness actually means in anxiety recoveryHow to develop nonjudgmental awarenessWhy automatic reactions aren't truly automatic...
2025-01-1528 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Disorders .. The "Default Thought" (Episode 92)There is a default thought that stands as thread that weaves itself throughout the life of a person struggling with disordered or chronic anxiety.
"How do I feel?"
This week Josh and Drew are looking at this default thought and the impact it has on an anxious person. All living humans will ask this question probably every day in some form, but anxious humans ask it as their default appraisal and monitoring strategy. It becomes inflated and twisted and takes over life at a level that is not in...
2024-12-2736 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpI Get So Anxious When I'm Sick! (Episode 91)"When I am ill, my anxiety goes through the roof!"
Does this sound familiar? Many people struggling with disordered anxiety will say that if they get sick or feel unwell (i.e. a cold, a sore throat, the flu, etc.) they find that they are extremely anxious. If you experience this struggle, its not just you.
This week Drew and Josh are examining the mechanics behind your over-productive threat monitoring system and why being sick or unwell can often push you into high alert mode with your anxious mind...
2024-12-2040 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpMeasuring Anxiety Disorder Recovery (Episode 87)How can you tell if you're getting better? How do you measure or at least see progress when working on recovery from an anxiety disorder? What happens if you're "doing it anyway" but not seeing progress?
This week on Disordered we're looking at the "green flags" of anxiety recovery. What are the signs that tell you that you're making progress even when you might feel like you're not? How much of recovery is found in just doing it anyway? What if you're already doing it anyway and don't feel like you're making progress?
2024-11-2240 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpObsessive and Compulsive? (Episode 85)This week on Disordered we're starting with the assertion that all anxiety disorders are obsessive and compulsive in at least some way. Then we make our way through all the "usual suspects"
Panic disorder
Health anxiety
Social anxiety
GAD
OCD (obviously)
We're looking at the obsessional components of each anxiety flavor, and the corresponding common compulsions or rituals designed to easy anxiety and discomfort.
If you're worried because you think you have one type of anxiety ... and also OCD ... don't worry. While the usual "we're all a little OCD"...
2024-11-0845 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpListener Questions About Anxiety and Recovery (Episode 84)This week Josh and Drew are answering questions from Disordered listeners.
How to deal with the shame associated with anxiety and recovery when a partner or spouse isn't terribly supportive.
How do re-gain confidence in oneself?
What happens if you don't remember what non-anxious you was like?
What about flushing, feeling hot, and getting goosebumps when anxious?
I'm an introvert. What do I do when I want to go home to re-charge? Is that avoidance?
What about when you're facing possible medical issues and it triggers anxiety?
What about anxiety symptoms that are disruptive and I don't know...
2024-11-0140 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Disorders - Primary vs Secondary Fear (Episode 83)This week Drew and Josh are talking about secondary fear.
When triggered into an anxious state by thoughts, sensations, or anything else, we ALL experience a jolt of fear or discomfort. This is primary fear and its simply part of being human. Overcoming an anxiety disorder is not about removing this natural, healthy response to possible threats. People struggling with anxiety disorders will often make the mistake of trying to turn off the primary fear response to feel better.
But if you want to overcome disordered and chronic states...
2024-10-2539 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpWhat's YOUR Anxiety Narrative (Episode 79)Your anxiety narrative is the way you conceptualize your anxiety issues alongside how you see yourself, the world, your life in general, and how you may think your anxiety disorder developed or was triggered. Your personal narrative is important because nobody knows more about you than you!
When seeking help with an anxiety problem, your narrative is the place a good helper will start. Helpers do not get to tell you your own story or impose their stories upon you. They should start with your conceptualization - your narrative - and work to incorporate...
2024-09-2743 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpHealth Anxiety and Somatic Hyper Focus (Episode 77)Somatic Hyper Focus - That thing where an anxious person becomes hyper aware and hyper fixated on specific bodily sensations or bodily functions. This is a common issue seen in health anxiety, OCD, and panic disorder.
This week Drew and Josh are going into detail on somatic hyper focus. What does it look like? How do anxious people get stuck in this loop? What are the mechanisms at play? What tricks does the anxious mind (our friend the amygdala) employ to get us to remain focused and convinced that closely monitoring our bodies is...
2024-09-1337 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery: When The Techniques Don't Work (Episode 76)What do you do when you're working on recovery from an anxiety disorder and your techniques stop working? How do you handle those hard days when you can't make it stop or go away?
Well ... this is one reason why in the Disordered community we rarely if ever talk about tips, techniques, tricks, hacks, or steps for calming down, preventing anxiety, or managing anxiety or symptoms.
This week Josh and Drew are talking about what happens when we try to use calming, relaxation, or wellness techniques to make disordered...
2024-09-0641 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpThe Social Impacts of Anxiety (Episode 75)This week Drew and Josh are looking at the social impacts of anxiety. What happens when panic attacks, anxiety waves, or a flood of scary intrusive thoughts happens in public or while in social situations or when interacting with friends, family members, co-workers, or relationship partners?
If your past experiences in life or past relationships have contributed to developing self-beliefs or persistent worries about being rejected, excluded, or being exposed as being "less than", you may be tempted to insist that being anxious in social settings can't possibly be OK and that there must...
2024-08-3044 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Questions and Answers (Episode 73)Let's do an old-fashioned anxiety question and answer session!
This week Josh and Drew are answering questions sent in by members of the Disordered podcast community. Listen in for answers to the following questions:
Are we supposed to challenge our beliefs in recovery?
What about dizziness?
How do you do recovery when real life happens?
My health anxiety is "different". Can I use going to the doctor as an exposure?
I'm very anxious when reminded of a past event that I'm not proud of. Any tips?
How can I do...
2024-08-0243 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery and the Fawn / People Pleasing Response (Episode 72)Fight ... flight ... or freeze. But what about the fawn response?
This week on Disordered, Drew and Josh explore the fawn response and people pleasing. While this may not be a response we see directly like we do with fight, flight, or freeze, the fawn response that leads to habitual and almost automatic people pleasing can get in the way of the recovery process. It's not exactly easy to choose to do difficult scary things to get better when you may have been conditioned by past experiences to keep yourself under wraps and not rock...
2024-07-2641 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery and Metacognitive Therapy (Episode 71)An anxious state can be at least partially fueled by the act of metacognition. That's thinking and feeling ... about thinking and feeling. When meta-beliefs tell us that thinking, rumination, worry, and mental problem solving is a good way to fix our internal experiences (like big emotions, scary thoughts, or anxiety), things can go off the rails.
What seems like a good idea - thinking to fix how you feel - suddenly feels like a bad idea after you can't accomplish your goal and wonder why you can't stop engaging in overthinking, worry, and rumination.
2024-07-1948 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpWhen Anxiety Feels Automatic (Episode 70)Even when you understand that changing your reaction to anxious thoughts, feelings, and sensations is the way out ... you may feel that this is impossible because those thoughts, those sensations, and your reactions feel completely automatic and unchangeable.
This is a common concern for almost anyone struggling with anxiety disorder recovery so this week Drew and Josh are talking about how anxiety, anxious thoughts, symptoms, and reactions can feel - and really are - automatic. But even when things happen automatically, there is a choice point in every anxious situation where we are aware...
2024-07-1244 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery and Food/Eating (Episode 67)We're back in business this week with both Josh and Drew in studio again chatting about the role of food and eating in the anxiety recovery process. Everyone eats, and for people struggling with anxiety disorders, food and the process of eating can become deeply connected to recovery and/or attempting to manage anxiety, symptoms, thoughts, or emotions.
As usual the guys share from their own experiences while covering some of the key points to consider when identifying how food and eating can be part of your recovery plans. A few important points:
2024-06-2143 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAcceptance and Commitment Therapy w/Dr. Steven C Hayes (Episode 66)The principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are heard in every episode of disordered. Whenever you hear Drew or Josh talk about acceptance or allowing or surrendering and moving THROUGH anxiety rather than resisting it ... you are hearing elements of ACT.
This week we're a bit banged up - Josh is traveling and Drew has the flu, but fear not. Not only are we going to talk about ACT today, but we're talking about it with the guy that literally invented it - Dr. Steven C Hayes. If you want to explore the...
2024-06-1446 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpWhy Is Mindfulness So Hard In Anxiety Recovery? (Episode 65)Mindfulness is good for anxiety, right? Isn't this what everyone says? Mindfulness fixes anxiety and makes you happier? Isn't that it?
Well ... not really. This week Drew and Josh are taking a look at the practical applications of things like meditation and mindfulness practice in the context of anxiety disorders and anxiety recovery. A few key points:
Mindfulness is paying attention to what you want to pay attention to without judgment or evaluation of your ability to pay attention.
PRACTICE is the key. The practice of training one's attention is...
2024-06-0742 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and the Freeze Response (Episode 64)Everyone talks about the fight or flight response. But what about the freeze and fawn responses, which are also found in the anxiety disorder community?
This week Josh and Drew dig into the freeze response to anxiety, panic, and perceived threat. What is the freeze response? What does it look like? Does the freeze response mean being literally frozen and completely immobilized? Do we need special instructions or rules for how to "fix" the freeze state when anxious or experiencing panic?
Along the way, the guys also touch on...
2024-05-3144 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery: Monitoring Mundane Moods (Episode 63)When working through the process of chronic or disordered anxiety recovery many will find that at some point they are fixated on or have become a bit obsessed with monitoring and evaluating their mood.
This week on Disordered Drew and Josh take a look at why recovering and anxious people tend to get stuck in "mood monitoring mode". Generally speaking, the issue here is the belief that mood is an important indicator of recovery progress or status, or that mod is a predictor of doom or certain downward spiral. Little room is allowed for...
2024-05-2439 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpExamining the Relationship Between Anxiety and Grief (Episode 062)How does one approach recovery from chronic or disordered anxiety when grief is part of the picture? Do the same principles apply? Do we use concepts like acceptance, surrender, or willful tolerance when handling grief?
Grief is a powerful thing that will almost certainly impact not just anxiety recovery but all aspects of life and even daily functioning at times. In this episode Josh and Drew explore the relationship between anxiety, anxiety recovery, grief, and the grieving process.
This can get complicated and as always there are subtle details...
2024-05-1741 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpNocturnal Panic Attacks and Scary Dreams (Episode 60)WHAT ABOUT NOCTURNAL PANIC ATTACKS? HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THOSE?
Nocturnal panic attacks are scary, disturbing, disruptive, and often feel like they are different from any other kind of panic attack. Anxious people will often insist that they are special, they can't possibly be approached with an attitude of tolerance or surrender, and that there must be special instructions or techniques for preventing them, stopping them, or getting over them.
But nocturnal panic attacks, as difficult as they are to experience, are not special nor different. This week...
2024-05-0339 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpValues Driven Anxiety Recovery (Episode 59)WHAT DOES "VALUES DRIVEN RECOVERY" MEAN?
Anxiety recovery can be seen as one long journey away from fear driven behavior and toward behaviors that support the things we really value in life. This week Josh and Drew are talking about what values driven recovery mean and how your values - the things that matter to you and make you who you are and want to be - play a role in the recovery process.
A few key points from this episode:
Identifying and exploring your...
2024-04-2641 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery ... What Am I Supposed To Think About? (Ep 57)"I know I'm not supposed to focus inward or engage with my anxious or intrusive thoughts, but what am I supposed to think about?!"
This week Josh and Drew answer an excellent question from a listener that hasn't really been asked before. What do you do when your anxious thoughts keep coming even when you don't want them to come, and when you insist that you MUST only focus outward because that's how recovery is done?
Spoiler alert ... if you're in the business of trying to stop your thoughts...
2024-04-1242 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpWhat Anxiety Recovery Lens Are You Looking Through? (Episode 56)WHAT RECOVERY LENS ARE YOU LOOKING THROUGH?
This week Drew and Josh take a bit of an unexpected turn to explore ways that CBT and exposure-based approaches to recovery can fall short. Recovery can't always be about facing, accepting, exposures, and Claire Weekes. While we might not look to other models to unearth deeply hidden root causes for an anxiety disorder, other theoretical frameworks can be quite useful - or even necessary - to conceptualize why one might encounter obstacles in the recovery process itself.
In this episode, the...
2024-04-0540 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpHelp! My Nervous System Is Dysregulated! (Ep 55)MY NERVOUS SYSTEM IS DYSREGULATED!
This week Drew and Josh get up close and personal with "nervous system dysregulation". This is a term that might have some benefit when dealing with issues like stress management or general wellness, but goes straight off the rails into the unhelpful zone when it comes to anxiety disorders.
Declaring an anxious state to be a state of dysregulation might be defended from a semantics standpoint. Operationally however, when we insist that our internal states must be labeled as problems that must be fixed, this can and most times does...
2024-03-2939 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpThe Great OCD Whistle Stop Tour of 2024 (Episode 54)This week on Disordered we're taking a grand tour around the OCD loop! Josh and Drew talk about pure-O, somatic, and "traditional" obsessive compulsive disorder subtypes.
While not every possible theme and subtype can be covered in a short podcast episode, the guys touched on some of the more common themes found in the community, taking care to address how regardless of the specific obsession, there are common characteristics that we can rely on when approaching recovery.
Keep in mind that OCD subtypes and themes often morph and overlap...
2024-03-2242 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpInside The Mind of an Anxiety Therapist (Episode 53)What Is Your Therapist Thinking While You're Talking?
Therapists are people too. They have feelings, opinions, insecurities, fears, and personality quirks. And they - like you - sometimes have an inner dialogue. If you ever wanted to know what goes on inside the mind of an anxiety therapist, this week Josh and Drew dig into this a bit, including a few moments where the guys exercise their drama and acting skills. Absolutely Oscar-worthy, so tune in.
As usual ... it's quite a scene.
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Interested in...
2024-03-1533 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpNeuropathways, Habits, and Anxiety (Episode 51)What about all this "neuropathways" talk? What does it mean in anxiety recovery?
Funny that you asked! This week on Disordered Josh and Drew are talking about neuropathways, anxious habits, and how the concept of "building new neuropathways" applies in the context of anxiety disorders and anxiety recovery. Let's start by acknowledging that even counterproductive anxious habits are built atop pathways in the brain designed to make things easier for us. We can learn good habits and develop responses and behaviors that almost feel automatic because that's metabolically efficient and frees our thinking brains...
2024-03-0148 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery and "Burnout" (Episode 049)BURNOUT!
Running out of gas and being emotionally, physically, and/or mentally drained can happen to any human. This week on Disordered Drew and Josh explore how an anxious mind can twist and distort the concept of burnout. In many ways, the fear of burning out, and the catastrophic interpretation of what that might mean, can be worse than burnout itself!
The guys explore different signs of burnout, how burnout comes in different shapes and sizes depending on context, and how obsession with and fear of burnout can mimic...
2024-02-1637 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery: Worse Before Better? (Episode 46)"Is it normal for my symptoms, or thoughts, or my anxiety to get worse when I start engaging in recovery?"
Even Dr. Claire Weekes acknowledged this experience when writing about recovery many years ago. This week on Disordered we're talking about feeling MORE when you stop hiding from anxiety. This is often misinterpreted as "getting worse" but feeling more doesn't mean your anxiety, your symptoms, or your thoughts are getting worse.
It's OK to feel things. The recovery process is about learning how to get better at feeling things...
2024-01-2641 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpWhat Does Anxiety Therapy Look Like? (Episode 45)"What does anxiety therapy look like?"
"What goes on in a session with an anxiety specialist?"
"How can I find the right therapist for me?"
This week Drew and Josh address these questions, including a really interesting 12-minute mock therapy session to start the episode. Josh plays the therapist while Drew is the client struggling with panic and extreme levels of anxiety. It's role play, but it does give a reasonable idea of what a first session with an anxiety specialist might look and sound like.
2024-01-1941 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and Menopause w/Helen Bennett (Episode 44)But what about hormonal issues, perimenopause, and menopause???!!!
This is a question that we are asked all the time, and rightfully so. This week we're joined by Helen Bennett, a qualified UK psychotherapist specializing in supporting people who are dealing with fertility challenges and struggling with the menopause transition.
This episode is chock full of excellent information about the experience of menopause and how it can so closely mirror chronic anxiety and the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. We also chat about how these things can and often do...
2024-01-1243 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety About Not Being Anxious? (Episode 043)Do you ever get anxious ... because you're not feeling anxious?
This is a real thing in our community! Anxious people who begin to experience moments where anxiety and agitation fade into the background will often find themselves becoming anxious because they're not feeling anxious!
This week Drew and Josh explore this confusing but all too common anxiety recovery issue. The discussion includes:
How old anxious brain habits die hard.
Why it is normal to immediately worry that feelings of calm will not last.
Treating yourself as fragile to keep the anxiety from "coming back".
...
2024-01-0537 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpIs Anxiety Recovery About Healing ... Or Learning? (Episode 42)"Healing" is a VERY popular word in self-help, mental health, and wellness circles. For many, this word resonates. For our friends struggling to overcome chronic and disordered anxiety, it can sure feel like there's healing to do.
But what if recovery wasn't all about healing? What if there was as much learning as there is healing in the process? Or what if the healing part doesn't always look the way you think healing looks and feels?
This week Josh and Drew are deconstructing the idea of "healing" in anxiety...
2023-12-2940 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpExercise, Gym, and Exertion Anxiety (Episode 41)Anxiety triggered by exercise, exertion, or being in the gym is a common struggle for anyone dealing with issues like panic attacks, agoraphobia, or any anxiety disorder that places a focus on physical anxiety symptoms or feelings of shame, inadequacy, or embarrassment.
This week Drew and Josh share not only a professional take on this aspect of anxiety, but their own lived experience struggling with exercise, exertion, feelings they didn't want to feel, and sometimes wanting to run and hide while in the gym with others. As usual, the guys offer some familiar advice...
2023-12-2445 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpProductivity Anxiety (Episode 040)Productivity anxiety is an often overlooked subject in our community, so this week Drew and Josh are taking a look at anxiety triggered by an obsession with productivity and the fear of "failure" as defined by not meeting extreme productivity or output goals.
This can show itself almost anywhere in life. Work and career. School and academics. Parenting. Building perfect relationships. Even recovery from an anxiety disorder can be impacted by the drive to do recovery perfectly or to be highly productive in recovery by maximizing every moment to recover properly or as quickly as possible.
2023-12-1543 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety And The Holiday Season (Episode 39)This week Josh and Drew are talking about anxiety related to the holiday season. This time of year presents extra challenges for people in our community, regardless of which holidays you celebrate, and even if you don't celebrate any holidays! Let's take a look at the added pressures of the holiday season, how that's likely to show up for an anxious person, the need to remain aware of this impact, and why sometimes faking it until you make it can make a difference!
As always, we're talking about being kind to yourself and being p...
2023-12-0838 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpGeneralized Anxiety Disorder - GAD (Episode 038)This week we're discussing GAD - Generalized Anxiety Disorder. GAD generates the most confusion in the community around Disordered, so we took some time to address a few important issues:
What is GAD and what isn't it?
Does being anxious all day mean you have GAD?
What are some of the underlying processes that drive GAD?
What about worry and rumination?
In the end, much of GAD is driven by excessive worry and rumination that creates an anxious state when it is directed at problems that can't be solved or don't...
2023-12-0144 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Questions From The Listeners (Episode 037)ANXIETY QUESTIONS FROM OUR LISTENERS
This week Josh and Drew are answering questions sent in by the listeners. The community around this podcast is amazing! Your feedback, questions, and “did it anyway” stories are a bit part of making Disordered what it is. On this episode, the guys answer these questions:
What do you do when a busy job triggers anxiety and drags you back into doing compulsions again
What advice do you have for irritability as a result of anxiety?
What can you do when big life events create anxiet...
2023-11-2448 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety And Brain Fog (Episode 036)BRAIN FOG!?!?!
One of the most common symptoms of anxiety reported in the community surrounding this podcast is "brain fog". That thing where your brain just isn't working the way you'd expect it to work. Maybe you're slow, have memory issues, or struggle to find proper words or names. Maybe you just feel "out of it" or like you're in a dissociated state. Brain fog is very common, very subjective, difficult to describe, and often disruptive.
But as with any anxiety symptom, brain fog is not dangerous, not indicative...
2023-11-1735 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety And The Fear of Losing Control (Episode 035)Fear of losing control - and suffering some horrible consequence - is one of the top five core fears found in anxiety disorders. This week Drew and Josh delve into the fear that you may lose control and why this fear seems important and very real but isn't any different than any other expression of a misguided and misfiring threat response.
We look at different OCD themes that focus on the loss of control, how fear of losing control fuels monophobia (fear of being alone), and what horrible disasters anxious brains attach to losing...
2023-11-1046 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and Irritable Bowel Syndrome/GI Issues w/Dr. Sula Windgassen (Ep 034)When anxious, stressed, or afraid, the gut and GI tract are almost instantly impacted. This is true for a huge number of people, anxious or not. This week Josh and Drew are joined by health psychologist Dr. Sula Windgassen to talk about anxiety and IBS. Dr. Sula specializes in a cognitive behavioral approach to supporting people struggling with IBS, Crohn's, colitis, other GI issues, and other chronic illnesses.
In this episode we're talking about:
The real nature of the gut-brain connection
Validating the fact that anxiety can and often does have a real...
2023-11-0347 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpSound Sensitivity and Misophonia w/Dr Jane Gregory (Ep 033)Extreme sensitivity to sound and misophonia (yes, it has a name) is a topic that doesn't get nearly enough attention in the mental health community so this week on Disordered we were lucky enough to have Dr. Jane Gregory stop by to talk about this often under-represented challenge.
Dr. Jane has struggled with misophonia since childhood so not only is she academically and professionally well-versed in the topic, she's lived this experience herself. Dr. Jane has immersed herself in misophonia research which is revealing some amazing insights into this issue and how it can...
2023-10-2747 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpMaintaining Momentum in Anxiety Recovery (Episode 032)"How can I maintain momentum in recovery when I have a setback or I don't feel motivated?"
This is a very common question asked in our community so this week on Disordered we're addressing the topic of momentum in the anxiety recovery process. We relay some of our own experiences with recovery momentum and what it looked like for us, and we touch on some common issues related to momentum and motivation in recovery:
There is no linear "perfect" recovery. It's OK to make mistakes. We need to make those mistakes in order...
2023-10-2045 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpSocial Anxiety (Episode 031)This week we're taking a look at social anxiety, which is the anxiety disorder that belongs in that classification, but also kinda doesn't because it can often be more complex than related forms of chronic and disordered anxiety.
Social anxiety is often misunderstood as "extreme shyness" or "fear of being judged", but there can be much more to it so join us as we explore some of the more common broad-brush themes associated with social anxiety. We can't crack the code of everyone's social anxiety in a podcast episode, but if you struggle in...
2023-10-1343 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpDoes The Body Keep The Score In Anxiety Disorders? (Episode 030)This week on Disordered we examine the somatic trauma narrative in relation to anxiety disorders.
This is a tricky topic. We ALWAYS want to validate and support our friends who are struggling to work through trauma. That struggle is real and cannot be minimized or dismissed. In the right context for someone working through trauma, somatic conceptualizations can be highly impactful in a really positive way. No doubt!
At the same time, we must also acknowledge that while somatic conceptualizations of trauma applied to anxiety disorders can be informative and empowering, they just shouldn't be...
2023-10-0635 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpI Have Anxiety and I'm Afraid To Be Alone! (Monophobia) (Episode 029)This week Josh and Drew tackle "monophobia" - the fear of being alone. This is VERY common among people with panic disorder and agoraphobia. It presents most often as an intense fear and avoidance of being left home alone without safe people nearby or as always needing safe people with you before you can do exposures or go into areas where your anxiety might be triggered.
This fear is not a special or "another" fear that you have to overcome. Monophobia is what we call it when you are sure that you cannot tolerate...
2023-09-2945 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpSleep Anxiety. I'm Anxious About My Sleep!!!! (Episode 028)I'm having problems with my sleep and I'm super anxious about it. HELP!
Anxiety focused on sleep and sleep problems is one of the most common complaints in the Disordered community. Often, anxious people experience sleep disturbances or even periods of insomnia and wind up extremely anxious and afraid over this issue. Lack of sleep gets attached to fears about being even more anxious, never being able to recover, not being strong enough to resist anxious thoughts, or doing some actual physical or mental damage.
This week on Disordered...
2023-09-2245 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and Self-Compassion w/Kimberley Quinlan (Episode 027)This week we have our first official guest on Disordered! Our friend and highly respected anxiety/OCD expert Kimberley Quinlan is here to help us explore and understand the role of self-compassion in the anxiety recovery process.
Kim literally wrote the book on self-compassion when it comes to OCD recovery. There's nobody we know that speaks more knowledgeably and eloquently on this topic. Give this one a listen. There's a ton of good stuff in here you can use in your journey.
Find Kimberley online at:
https://kimberleyquinlan-lmft.com
2023-09-1548 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety: Overthinking, Worry and Rumination (Episode 026)Are you a worrier? Overthinker? Can't stop ruminating? Do you use thinking as your go-to problem-solving and protection tool, then hate that you can't stop thinking? This week Josh and Drew tackle worry, overthinking, and rumination. This is a topic near and dear to many anxious people in our community so it's high time we talk about it.
We'll talk about what overthinking, worry and rumination really are, why it seems like you should overthink or worry, and why this is just an anxious, frightened mind demanding that you problem-solve to stay safe. In...
2023-09-0847 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpWhat Would Non-Anxious You Do? (Episode 025)This week Josh and Drew do a deep dive into this million dollar question:
"What would non-anxious you do?"
The concept of "non-anxious you" and connecting to the way you would live your life if you were not accommodating the fear of fear is powerful. Josh talks about this all the time, and for good reason! Today we take a look at why acting like non-anxious you might act (even when you're clearly anxious) is so helpful.
The guys also chat about how the...
2023-09-0144 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpDid It Anyway! - Round 1 (Episode 024)This week on Disordered we kick off a new feature. From time to time we'll do episodes that are entirely community-based, showcasing "did it anyway" stories from listeners. In this episode we take a closer look at a few of these stories, examining exactly what made them into big wins. We had a great time with this one and we hope you find it inspirational and encouraging to hear from your peers.
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If you love Disordered and think you might benefit from spending 30 full days in an everyday intensive small group...
2023-08-2543 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery: What Is White Knuckling And How Do I Stop Doing It? (Ep 023)White knuckling. What is it? Why do we use that phrase all the time in the context of anxiety recovery? This week Drew and Josh talk about what "white knuckling" means in recovery, why it's a natural and expected part of the process for almost everyone, and how to kindly and compassionately take small incremental steps toward letting go of your tight grip.
How do you stop white-knuckling and holding on so tightly when anxious and afraid? A little bit at a time. :-)
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Want to...
2023-08-1845 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery: Relapse ... setback ... and reversion (Episode 022)This week on Disordered Josh and Drew address the topic of setback or relapse. What is it? Does it even exist, or is a "setback" just another experience along the way to recovery? Of special note is the concept of "reversion" which frames this issue not as failure or return of some anxiety monster, but as a return to hold habits. Did you get triggered and fall back into old habits? No problem! You're human like everyone else and this can happen to all of us. When you see that you're back in those old habits, now you can...
2023-08-1146 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery: Is Distraction A Good Plan? (Episode 021)This week on Disordered Josh and Drew tackle the topic of distraction. Trying to find ways to distract yourself when anxious is a common and popular strategy, but is it a good strategy? The answer is no ... and yes!
In this episode, we look at how distraction is almost always going to be part of the equation no matter what we do, why intent matters, and how using distraction as a way to focus on something other than how you feel teaches us important recovery lessons.
Bonus: Listen to Josh and Drew do an epic...
2023-08-0434 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and Depersonalization / Derealization (Ep. 020)Depersonalization and Derealization - AKA "DP/DR"
This week Drew and Josh get into the nuts and bolts of this most common anxiety and stress response. This is the sense that you're not real, that you're detached from yourself, or that the world around you suddenly feels unreal or out of reach. As scary as this experience is, and as much as it is difficult to face, it is not permanent or dangerous and can't actually harm you. Adopting a more accepting and tolerant approach to DP/DR - allowing it to be there without fighting so...
2023-07-2838 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpI'm Obsessed With Anxiety And Anxiety Recovery! (Ep 019)I'm obsessed with anxiety and anxiety recovery!
This week on Disordered Josh and Drew examine what happens when we become obsessed with anxiety and then obsessed with anxiety recovery. This is a thing that happens to many in this community, so it's worth examining. As usual, we share our own personal experiences with anxiety and recovery, then we throw in our professional knowledge and experience alongside the usual dose of humor and compassion. It's a good listen!
Oh, and this one has more yummy quotes per minute than any other podcast episode ever recorded, so...
2023-07-2145 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpDriving Anxiety - Anxiety Experienced While Driving (Episode 018)DRIVING ANXIETY!
This week on Disordered, Josh and Drew take a look at a very common concern in the anxiety disorder community - driving anxiety. Many many people that suffer from panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, and other anxiety disorders often experience intense anxiety or even full-scale panic attacks when driving or when driving under certain circumstances or conditions.
We'll talk about what driving anxiety is, a slightly more productive and less overwhelming way to frame it as not a special form of anxiety, some of the most common fears associated with driving anxiety, and how...
2023-07-1445 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpHealth Anxiety (Episode 017)This week on Disordered, Drew and Josh tackle the topic of health anxiety. Health anxiety is an obsession with one's physical or mental health that drives a continuous series of compulsions designed to soothe the fear, uncertainty, and worry about well-being and safety.
The episode covers intolerance of uncertainty, repetitive compulsive checking and seeking of reassurance, and how leaning into probability and reality rather than fear is the way out. As usual, the guys share some of their own personal struggles with health anxiety, along with a healthy serving of compassion, humor, and professional expertise.
2023-07-0744 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpBut HOW Do I Accept Anxiety? (Episode 016)Accepting anxiety and acceptance are two of the most difficult to grasp and misapplied concepts in the entire anxiety recovery sphere. This week on Disordered, Josh and Drew dig into the idea of acceptance.
What is accepting? How do I accept anxiety? What happens when I accept? What things are most certainly NOT acceptance?
As usual, this episode combines professional knowledge and training, professional experience, personal lived experience, and big helpings of both compassion and humor to shed some light on an important part of the anxiety recovery process...
2023-06-3040 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpMy Loved Ones Don't Understand My Anxiety (Episode 015)My Loved Ones Don't Understand My Anxiety
This week on Disordered Drew and Josh talk about how anxiety disorders have impact not just on the person struggling to recover, but on the people close to them. When your loved ones want to help you, but just don't understand or "get it", this can cause frustration, conflict, and even anger and resentment. The guys talk about how our loved ones can be helpful, and how we can help them to help us in recovery. This is a great episode to share with someone close to...
2023-06-2344 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety and Depression (Episode 014)This week on Disordered Drew and Josh look at the ways that anxiety and depression are tied together. The guys examine depression, how it is and isn't connected to anxiety, and the very important difference between being depressed and developing a fear of becoming depressed (this is very common in our community). We talked about rumination and the inner critic as they relate to depression. We touched on the role of medication in treating depression and anxiety, and we examined how negative self-beliefs can fuel both anxious and depressive states.
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Want to ask us...
2023-06-1645 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpANXIETY: Morning and Night (Episode 012)This week on Disordered, Drew and Josh dive into two very popular topics in the anxiety community. The dreaded morning anxiety and the equally dreaded night anxiety.
Many people struggling with anxiety disorders will lament the fact that they experience elevated levels of anxiety in the morning or at night (or sometimes both) and will insist that this is special or different and there must be specific interventions for that "kind" of anxiety. This is understandable although generally misguided. This episode talks about the ins and outs of morning and night anxiety, looking at basic concepts that...
2023-06-0242 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpIntrusive Thoughts ... Just Thoughts? (Episode 011)This week on Disordered, Josh and Drew discuss scary, unwanted, recurring, intrusive thoughts that can frighten us and trigger high levels of anxiety and discomfort. The guys talk about the many different themes that intrusive thoughts cover including thoughts about harm, sexuality and sexual orientation, relationships, health, death, and existential issues. While intrusive thoughts are usually associated with OCD, they are generally present for almost anyone that struggles with any anxiety disorder.
This episode also examines the idea that "thoughts are just thoughts", which is true, but doesn't really accurately validate the intense anxiety and threat response...
2023-05-2642 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery: The Attitude Shift (Episode 010)This week on Disordered, Josh and Drew talk about the all-important attitude shift that has to happen as part of recovery from an anxiety disorder. Recovery is spearheaded by behavioral change but that behavioral change also has to foster an attitudinal shift that moves you from trying to eliminate your anxiety to a consistent intentional tolerance of discomfort that will teach you that you can handle anxiety and don't have to fear it any longer. That's a key step toward decreasing your anxiety levels over time and a shift in attitude is important in this respect.
You'll...
2023-05-1939 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety Recovery: Who Gets The Credit? (Episode 009)In this episode of Disordered, Josh and Drew discuss why recovery is so dependent on learning that when you handle anxiety, fear, and uncertainty, YOU GET THE CREDIT FOR DOING THAT. Recovery hinges on seeing, then dropping all the safety devices and rituals so you can see through actual experience that YOU handled the discomfort without needing anything or anyone to save you.
The guys talk about the idea of unconditional OK-ness, and learning that in all the time that you've been searching for tools and techniques and methods for managing your anxiety, it's always just been...
2023-05-1239 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpAnxiety ... Body vs Mind (Episode 008)This week on Disordered, Drew and Josh look at the relationship between body and mind when it comes to anxiety. Anxiety is absolutely something that one experiences physically, in the body, but the guys discuss how disordered states of anxiety are driven by interpretation and cognition. Highlights include a chat about how so many people experience things like scary thoughts and panic attacks without ever developing anxiety disorders, and an examination of how its the reaction to those experiences drive the disordered state.
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Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more...
2023-05-0537 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpWhat Should I Say During A Panic Attack? (Episode 007)WHAT SHOULD I SAY DURING A PANIC ATTACK?
"What is the best thing for me to say to myself during a panic attack?"
This week on Disordered, Josh and Drew talk about strategies for self-talk, framing statements, action prompts, and non-compulsive ways to talk to yourself during a panic attack or high anxiety spike. The guys spend some time addressing the myth that one needs to be "talked down" from a panic attack and also cover how these concepts can be useful when supporting a friend or loved one that's experiencing panic or high anxiety.
2023-04-2837 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpPanic ... Attack? (Episode 006)IT SURE FEELS LIKE AN ATTACK ... BUT IS IT?
This week on Disordered Drew and Josh deconstruct the idea of a panic attack. It sure feels like you're being attacked, but are you? Is there a more useful and accurate way to frame what's happening? Do we find power when we stop looking at panic as a force that swoops in to attack us?
The guys chat about how a panic "attack" is really an adrenaline surge based on natural, expected, bodily functions. It's not dangerous and not indicative of an actual problem, just a...
2023-04-2138 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpThe Symptoms of Anxiety: Does Anybody Else Get ...? (Episode 005)The Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxious people often get completely fixated and consumed by the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms and sensations that come along with anxiety. It's natural to want to talk about them all the time and to keep asking "if anyone else gets" the symptom you are experiencing that scares you at the moment. This week on Disordered, Josh and Drew discuss anxiety symptoms, explaining that they are scary and uncomfortable, but not dangerous and not something to be avoided.
The guys, as usual, share their own experiences with scary and disruptive anxiety...
2023-04-1441 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpThe Threat Response (Episode 004)This week on Disordered Drew and Josh walk you through the biological threat response and how it drives states of disordered anxiety. The guys cover the following important concepts that all anxiety sufferers should understand as part of the recovery process:
Anxiety is normal and needed in life. All humans experience anxiety.
The threat response system in your brain was designed to keep you alive at all costs. It served - and still serves - an important purpose.
Disordered anxiety states are generally driven by an over-sensitive threat response that fires and sounds alarms when it doesn’t hav...
2023-04-0736 minDisordered: Anxiety HelpHow We Got Better (Episode 003)Join Josh and Drew as they share their own experiences of anxiety recovery and what it means to get better when you're struggling with an anxiety disorder. Common themes in this episode include:
Eliminating avoidance
Choosing to willfully tolerate anxiety and the sensations/thoughts that come with it
Learning that you are capable of handling how you feel - even when highly anxious
Defining what it means to "get better" from an anxiety disorder
The guys also share listener victories and answer a question or two from the audience.
For more information about Josh, Drew...
2023-03-3034 min