Anxiety Road Podcast

Well, you learn something every day. The words of the day is Ruck as in rucksack and rucking as it is known in the UK. Around these parts most people refer to a rucksack as a backpack and rucking is walking intentionally with a heavy pack.  I bring this up because there was an article about rucking to help with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)  To my limited understanding, this is also a trai...

In this episode, a look a the non-profit website of the National Alliance on Mental Health. What does it offer for those of us that have mental health challenges? There is good stuff on the NAMI website. Eh, there is a problem in the episode: I said the word of when I should have said on. I've fixed the visuals but... yeah I goofed. There are websites that claim to provide mental health informatio...

This is a story about how a bad jar of peanut butter reminded me of some basic life lessons. The ones we say we know but don't implement.  It is like when Cab Calloway sings St. James Infirmary Blues.  Cab gets ahold of a note and pitches it to the heavens before bringing back to earth. You might need to do your own pitching. Maybe it will come back to you. Maybe not.    Take a deep breath, reasse...

This is a short episode that briefly talks about social anxiety and three resources that might be helpful when it comes to making decisions about treatment. Resources Mentioned:    The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has a brochure on what the disorder is, the symptoms and treatment options   The Social Anxiety Association is a non-profit that specifically helps those with the condit...

In this episode, a simple definition of inflammation and the book Immune Health, A Myth Busting Guide. One of those myths is about the relationship between inflammation and mental health. Some days it is a struggle. Facing your known mistakes and dealing with current ones. Not what the episode is about but the name of the book is Immune Health. I said the correct name all but once in the show. I'm...

In this episode, a look at what you can do if you have excessive startle response or you are extra jumpy around certain sounds or experiences.  Resources Mentioned:    What to Eat for Better Mental Health on the Sutter Health website.   Cleveland Clinic on Eat These Foods to Reduce Stress and Anxiety The Mayo Clinic FAQ on coping with anxiety . Harvard Sleep Medicine page on Sleep Hygiene  and a p...

This is our third example of how some people think when faced with a problem. Max, who just found out that he has a panic disorder. He accepts that he's in trouble. Yep, time for action. Max is gonna solve this problem. Shouldn't take more than a week or two. Reactive thinking is certainly goal focused. Skim and plug in the proper words so that you sound like you know what you are talking about. E...

When a person has OCD there can be a lot of questions. Sometimes there is overthinking which can lock you into a loop.  This is part two on a few of the ways that people deal with problems with a resource that might help you to find your path to treatment. Resources Mentioned:  The International OCD Foundation website. has information about the different types of OCD, the treatment options and pos...

In this episode, a look at how a person with an anxiety condition might deny they have a problem but wants to take care of their symptoms. When there problem to solve, there are a few of us that walk down the road of denial. This is a defense tool, a bad one, but designed to give the illusion of being safe.  This isn't a criticism of people who are in denial. Sometimes it takes time and experience...

How much worry and gloom can you stand? To the point where it becomes expected. This is what we call in the biz erroneous thinking. It doesn't have to be this way. In this pebble on the anxiety road, a look at generalized anxiety disorder. Resources Mentioned:  The non-profit Helpguide.org has a page explaining  Anxiety Disorders and Anxiety Attacks   The World Health Organization as a downloadabl...

There are medical doctors, osteopathic doctors and naturopathic doctors. You don't hear as much about the NDs but they are a part of the healthcare system. The question is, can they help or assist you if you have an anxiety condition? In this episode, a look at the licensed naturopathic doctors, the services offered and can they be another healthcare resource? Resources Mentioned:  The U.S. Nation...

If you are a senior or elderly person taking benzodiazepines there are things you need to be aware and informed about. Not from a place of fear but of safety.  In this episode, a quick look at how benzodiazepines can affect older adults and a few resources.   One more thing. There is a high number of AI Slop videos on this topic. Some of the presenters are not human. We have a new generation of gr...

People who are anxious or have an anxiety condition need to pay attention to things that harm their health. It does not mean you get to drink, get drunk and fly.  I learned that there are a sub-genre of police body cam videos that focus on airports.   I gotta go cold turkey on those videos. They got me sympathetic to Spirit Airlines, may it rest in peace. In this episode, a review of the anxiety m...

I'm still on summer slow down. I was more tired than I thought. But slowly getting back into the game.  It is one thing to know you need help but it is a whole other thing trying to get help.    In this episode, a few more tips on how to separate yourself from fraudsters non-human shams. The videos I posted in the resource section make some of the consumer health literacy process clear and easy to...

It is time for my summer slow down but the tricksters do not rest. So for a couple of episodes, I want to share with you some of the new fangled ways the underside of the bottom of the barrel will try to get you to read, click or share.  This time a look at busty thumbnails and Barney Google's type eyes in social media title cards and thumbnails. The TLDL is that there are all kinds of ways to get...

This brief episode is about mysophobia or germophobia. When I went to do my research, a lot of search engines wanted me to learn about misophonia .  The AI didn't believe that I wanted to learn about the fear of germs. It insisted that I wanted to know about the sensory brain problem where certain noise patterns are painful to hear or be exposed to for a person.    It is a very interesting conditi...

In this episode, a pebble in the road on a NAMI resource for military folks. As I mentioned in the show, this day is the Memorial Day observance and the start of barbeque season. Well, for the rest of the country.  Around these parts the sun shines almost all of the time so anytime is a good time to fire up the grill. Unless you live in a fire prone area. Then it is bad, very bad.    It is also th...

This is an episode on washing dishes mindfully. I have a pan that I've mucked up one time too many. I don't have patience with it any more. But maybe I need to slow down and care for it proper.  And by it, I mean me. Slow down and look at the pan. What does it need? Can it be saved from the land fill? Focusing it on being in the moment with that dang crusted up multi-ringed pan of hell.   Ok, I mi...

In this episode, I want to give an overview of what a mental health license is, why it is necessary and some of the types of providers that have a specific type of license. Part of the reason the podcast exist is to provide accurate, verifiable information.  So when I hear a statement like, "a license is only for insurance purposes," I have flashbacks of being that girl in class with her arms wavi...

This is a quick look at the book Beyond Anxiety by Martha Beck. I think most of us would like to be beyond it but our current reality is making that extremely hard to do.  Resources Mentioned:    I found two open chapters of the book Beyond Anxiety on Google Books . If you are interested in author Martha Beck, there is her main website where you can look at some of her social media history and con...

Caffeine is one of those substances that can be a friend-enemy. We all know of or experienced the friend-enemy, the one that seems to be supportive while doing dirt in the background.  In limited use like period relief medications, I have no problem supporting that use. Taking caffeine  daily when you have anxiety or depression, might not be such a good idea. It can amp up your existing symptoms o...

The way it is presented you'd think that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the only therapy treatment for anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. No, it isn't. It does work, but not for every person or every mental health condition.   In this episode, a quick review of what CBT is and some of the pros and cons. This isn't an attempt to praise or condemn the therapy. I just want...

Anhedonia is the inability to experience pleasure or enjoyment from activities that normally bring satisfaction. You can do things but you can't feel things. Your brain cannot process or have access to pleasure, reward or satisfaction.  This is a quick episode on what the condition is, some of the symptoms and a few learning and treatment options. Resources Mentioned:    Anxiety and Depression Ass...

Psychedelics are knocking on the door again. It is the generational visit of psychedelics with some people seeing the potential and others seeing the danger and consequences. In this episode, a look at Executive Order 14401 and what is proposed for the treatment of serious mental health conditions. Let me be clear about this. I take no position pro or con in the upcoming debates or discussions abo...

Mental health isn't just fixing one thing. It is more than stopping the symptoms. It is getting the parts back in alignment. Your brain, your spirit, your body and yes even neurotransmitters.     This episode is about the neurotransmitter Dopamine. What it is and the relationship between stress, anxiety and the fight or flight response. I hope understand that this is one of the many processes of r...