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

Send in a question or comment via text.“Change your thoughts, change your life!", right?NO!This is a thing we hear all the time in self-help and personal development but in all honesty, it's nonsense.  Let’s talk about the fact that you cannot stop, control, or change your thoughts no matter how much you want to or how hard you try. And really, that's fine because controlling thoughts is not what will set us free.For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/207---My 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.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 betwee

Send in a question or comment via text."I just want my old self back!"When wrestling with an anxiety disorder, the current state of suffering can sometimes warp the accuracy of our memory.  We remember being "anxiety free" before things went south, but often this is not true. There's a chance that you did have anxiety before you had anxiety!  Most members of the community would look at this statement sideways, insisting that they were anxiety free before the wheels fell off.  But you likely did experience anxiety in the past.  You just experienced in a different way.For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/206---My 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.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 a

Send in a question or comment via text.This week I'm joined by working therapist and OCD specialist Joanna Hardis to ask the million dollar question ... "Is there a secret sauce in recovery?"The short answer is that there kinda is, and that secret sauce is overcoming your intolerance to distress!For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/205---My 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.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 podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, whe

Send in a question or comment via text.This week on The Anxious Truth we're talking about the concept of “white knuckling” through exposures and through anxiety and fear in general. White knuckling is the term we use to describe the act of holding on tightly and fighting through an exposure or a challenging anxiety experience just to get through it and back to safety.  Imagine gripping something so hard that your knuckles turn white.  That’s what we’re talking about.I’m often asked when white knuckling ends, so let's talk about that.For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/204---My 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.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 t

Send in a question or comment via text.This week on The Anxious Truth we're talking about what your anxiety support system looks like.  We'll dismantle the common misconceptions about what support should be, and how those can be problematic in recovery.For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/203---My 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.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 podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, p

Send in a question or comment via text.How does a highly respected psychologist approach panic attacks?  This week on The Anxious Truth we’re going to find out as we talk to Dr. Dave Carbonell about panic, panic attacks, and the second edition of his book, The Panic Attacks Workbook.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/202My 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.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 podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about y

Send in a question or comment via text.Depression is a hot topic in our community.  I get asked about my personal experience with depression all the time.  It had taken me a while to get around to this but on this week's episode of The Anxious Truth I will share my experience with depression.   Let's talk about how I handled it then, and how I handle it now.Disclaimer:  I am not an expert on depression or is this a substitute for therapy.  I can only share my own experience with this topic and what I've learned both from the community and from people far smarter than me.  As always, please consult your medical and mental health care providers with questions or concerns.  Of course, if you feel that you are a danger to yourself in any way, please reach out immediately for in-person help in your area.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/201My books, social, and other links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksSupport The Anxious Truth:https://theanxioustruth.com/supportM

Send in a question or comment via text.This is the 200th episode of The Anxious Truth podcast.When I started this podcast in 2014 all by myself, talking to myself in my living room (it was called "That Anxiety Guy") back then, I would never have imagined where it would go.  The podcast was something I did just to pay things forward into the universe.  I had no plan, no desired outcome, and no real interest in doing any more than that.I just hit the button on my four dollar podcasting app, and said things that I hoped would be helpful for somebody.  It was the least I could do.Since then, and especially in the last three years or so, you have driven this thing to a place I never expected it to go.  You guys did this.  I am grateful not only for the opportunity to speak TO you, but to speak WITH you, because that has been the fuel that sustained The Anxious Truth and helped it become what it is now.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/200My books, social, and other links:

Send in a question or comment via text.Many people get confused and worried when they cry while anxious or afraid.  Let's clear this up, because this is NOT a problem.Highlights From This Episode: Is Crying Wrong? Is Crying Avoidance?  Does Crying Mean I’m Not Accepting? I cry because I am upset. I am upset because I cry.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/199My 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.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 podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes

Send in a question or comment via text.Jen Kirkman is a comedian, author, actor, TV writer, and podcaster that has lived through anxiety and panic for large portions of her life. I was fortunate enough to have Jen on the podcast this week to talk about her path into anxiety and panic, then out the other side.  I’m sure her story will sound familiar to most listeners.While talking with Jen (I was on her podcast last week), I realized that we had lived very different experiences emotionally and mentally, yet both wound up in the same place with regard to anxiety and panic issues.  Panic attacks.  Irrational fears.  Driving anxiety.  Life restrictions.  Jen and I lived a similar experience with anxiety even when our emotional and thinking styles could not be more different.I spent some time this week exploring this with Jen.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/198My books, social, and other links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksSupport The Anxious Truth:https://theanxioustruth.com/

Send in a question or comment via text.In today's episode of The Anxious Truth, we are going to talk about success and struggle within the anxiety recovery process and how, for many people, the two can look very similar at face value.As I have said many times, anxiety recovery is possible when we are able to sit in the discomfort of doing the hard things. Doing the things that scare us. Doing the things that purposefully put us in an anxious state so that we can learn to disassociate it from actual danger.Now, this might be what could be considered the 'struggle'.Yet, how is it that one person can be seen doing the things, facing challenges, embracing the struggle, facing their fears, and make progress while someone else can appear to be doing the exact same things and remain feeling stuck?Today, we discuss one possible reason for this.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/197My books, social, and other links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksSupport The Anxious Trut

Send in a question or comment via text.In episode 196 of The Anxious Truth, we will explore the urge to focus on the outcome in anxiety recovery rather than giving our attention to the process.Everyone wants to feel better.  Clearly, this is the outcome we are all after.  That’s fine, but this outcome is a long-term thing. Feeling better, experiencing less panic and anxiety, and having a “normal” life is something that happens over time, and it only happens when we learn the lessons of recovery.Where do we find those lessons?The PROCESS of recovery teaches us those lessons.  It would seem obvious to state that the process leads to the outcome, but this is often overlooked by anxious people that want to skip the process and go right to “no more panic”.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/196My books, social, and other links:https://theanxioustruth.com/linksSupport The Anxious Truth:https://theanxioustruth.com/supportMusic Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission)https://ben

Send in a question or comment via text.Today we will tackle the paradox of letting go in the anxiety recovery process.The concept of letting go - giving up the struggle - is a key concept in anxiety recovery.  But in the context of recovery, letting go is not a thing designed to create instant calm or tranquility.  In fact, the initial act of letting go will do quite the opposite.  It will likely increase tension and discomfort. Over time we find a reduction in tension. As we progress, we do find increased contentment and calm. This is achieved through the repeated, long-term practice of letting go, even when letting go may increase discomfort at any given moment.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/195My 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.comSupport The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to supp

Send in a question or comment via text.Making up your anxiety recovery as you go along is not a good plan. An anxious person will wait to see how they feel before deciding what to do, so avoidance and taking the more comfortable way can accidentally become the default. Anxious people are also not very good at making productive decisions about what to do while anxious. Building structure and having a plan to execute without assessing how one feels or having to think about it is a very useful tool in recovery.In today’s podcast episode we’re going to discuss three reasons why it’s important to make an anxiety recovery plan.---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/194My 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.comSupport The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. This

Send in a question or comment via text.So much of the anxiety and fear struggle is based on what we feel, what we think, and what we think about what we feel. What if thinking and feeling were NOT the most important things in the universe all the time?  What if you could learn to pay attention to other things instead? How would that help you in your anxiety recovery journey? ---For full show notes on this episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/193My 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.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 podcast. Informati

Send in a question or comment via text.“I’m doing things, but it doesn’t seem to be working! Why?”If you feel like you’re doing all the exposures but nothing is changing, you may be doing “half exposures” without even knowing it. Let’s look at what full, effective exposures really require.Exposure is what we do when we intentionally place ourselves into situations that purposefully trigger anxiety, panic, fear and all the things that come with them. We do this in order to learn a new way to relate to anxiety and fear so that we no longer fear it.Successful and effective exposures require two primary ingredients:Willingness: You must work to get to the point where you are willing to intentionally do these scary and challenging things consistently to get better. This does not mean you’re happy about doing them consistently, just that you are fully willing.Acceptance: You must be fully accepting of the fact that doing scary and challenging things will - in fact - be scary and challenging. You must accept that th

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