The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast

I can't stop thinking, "What if it comes back?"

This is one of the most common issues I hear almost daily from people traveling along the path toward anxiety recovery. This week on the podcast we look at why we often overlook a very important aspect of the recovery process that renders this question almost irrelevant. The important part is that YOU change in recovery. Anxiety doesn't change at all, and that makes your fear of it "coming back" far less important and worthy of attention.

For full show notes on this episode: ⁠https://theanxioustruth.com/256

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

Support The Anxious Truth: ⁠https://theanxioustruth.com/support ⁠

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) ⁠https://bendrakemusic.com

When I was struggling with anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia, I was terrified to go just 3 or 4 miles from my house the the business I owned. Anxiety made it really difficult for me to go there or stay there for any length of time. This is the second in a series of podcast episodes where I'll take you to places that anxiety, panic, and agoraphobia used to tell me I should never go. This week we're at my old office where I'll share what that experience was like, and how I conceptualize it today as a fully recovered person. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/255

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

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

For many in our community, addiction coexists alongside an anxiety disorder. Maybe one precluded the other, or maybe they developed concurrently. Regardless, this can often add additional shame and a sense of hopelessness. This is a topic we'll talk more about going forward so today my friend Adam Jablin stopped by to talk about his addiction story and how it related to his struggles with anxiety, both then and now. Adam speaks openly about his struggles with addiction and is an excellent advocate for those struggling with this problem. If you are struggling with an anxiety problem and also find yourself struggling with dependency on alcohol or drugs, this episode may help you see that you're not broken and you're not alone. I hope you find it helpful in some way.

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/254

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

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

This week I want to introduce you to a new anxiety and mental health resource. Disordered: Anxiety Help with me and Joshua Fletcher (aka "AnxietyJosh"). Josh popped in to chat about why we started Disordered, what we hope to achieve with it, and why we think its a resource everyone should take advantage of. To learn more about Disordered, to contact us with questions or comments, and to hear all the episodes, visit us online at https://disordered.fm

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/253

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

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

Trauma And Anxiety. Are There Conflicting Messages In Recovery?

Trauma and anxiety often co-exist.  That's not news.  For many in this community, the lingering effects of traumatic experiences are real, and they can impact the anxiety recovery process.  Today I want to take a look at something a little out of the ordinary.  I want to talk about how some of the core principles of anxiety recovery might cause confusion and even conflict for those working to overcome trauma.

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/252

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

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

No new podcast this week, but we'll be back next week with episode 252.  I asked my Facebook group which of the old podcast episodes they like the most and these are a few that came up often in the discussion:

• Episode 150: How Do I Talk TO My Anxiety
• Episode 51: Panic Attacks - The Critical Moment of Decision
• The Exposure Episodes: 13, 17, 192 and 226
• Related to Exposure: Episode 116 - Are You Trying To Ignore Your Anxiety?
• I did a short series detailing my personal experience with medication in episodes 145 through 147, and Jenn Swantowski stopped by to share her experience with benzo withdrawal on episode 223.
• Finally, the success story episodes are popular.  Search "success story" on my website, on my YouTube channel, or in your podcast app to find those.

And ... check out the new podcast with Joshua Fletcher at https://disordered.fm

I'll see you next week!  :-)

WHY Did I Have A Panic Attack? I NEED To Know!

"Why did I have a panic attack?" is a question asked many many times every day in the community surrounding this podcast.  People early on in the anxiety journey labor under the assumption that in order to get better they must uncover and decode their panic triggers and understand WHY panic attacks are happening to them repeatedly. This might make sense at face value, but it's often quite unhelpful or even harmful. People down the road to recovery might go a long time between panic attacks, then experience once, then immediately get dragged down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out why it happened and what it means. Again, not terribly helpful and not necessary.  Let's look at why.

While we're at it, let's do the first in my mini-series visiting places that I used to be terrified to go, starting with the end of my own driveway.  True story.  I was afraid to go that far from my front door at one time. That's why this episode was recorded there.

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/251

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

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

Afraid During A Panic Attack ... Or Afraid OF Panic Attacks?

This is one of those recovery concepts what will make you tilt your head and wonder what I'm talking about.  But there is a difference between being afraid during a panic attack, and being afraid of panic attacks. That difference matters because it speaks to the mechanics of issues like panic disorder and agoraphobia.

TL/DR: EVERYONE is afraid during a panic attack. That's normal.  That's natural.  You can't get rid of that.  The problem is the fear that persists BETWEEN panic attacks, where you're afraid of the next one.  That's the part we're working on in recovery. See how that can be subtle, but important?

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/250

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

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

Examining Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a condition in which a person sees - and becomes excessively focused on - problems or "defects" in their appearance that nobody else sees. This can become overwhelming when the person with BDD starts to see themselves as completely defined by this problem that nobody else would call a problem. This week therapist, BDD and OCD specialist Robyn Stern dropped in to talk about body dysmorphic disorder and how it can exist alongside conditions like OCD and other anxiety disorders.

I learned so much in this conversation, and I'm hopeful that you will too!

For full show notes on this week's episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/249

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

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

Scary And Difficult Do Not Mean Ineffective

Recovery by way of facing fear is scary and difficult. When people choose to recover by learning how to accept, tolerate, surrender to and move through anxiety panic and fear, sometimes they will declare that it doesn't work for them.  They'll say that because they are afraid and they are challenged. They accidentally equate being afraid with recovery not working.  They'll decide that being challenged means that they're not getting better or can't get better this way. These are logical errors.

Today lets talk about how recovering in this manner means you WILL be scared and you WILL be challenged, but that neither of those facts means that this doesn't work. Let's talk about accidentally selling yourself short and abandoning hope simply because you are afraid or encountering difficulties.

For full show notes on this week's episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/248

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

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com