Anxiety Road Podcast

November 2022 Update : Amazon Care telehealth service will shut down on December 31, 2022. Pulled the plug on it due to large corporations not signing on and the cost of running a commercial health service is expensive. I've have more in a future episode. I'll keep the episode up but it is gone, as in history. It is late and I typed out a long passage about how entrepreneurs and corporation lookin...

This is an Anxiety Road Podcast pebble in the road with a quick look at the book called The Body Keeps the Score Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of trauma by By Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. Published by Penguin Random House. This book is about how trauma affects the body and mind. I know many of you don't believe that your anxiety is trauma based. And you are telling the truth. If that is the cas...

I hate giving up but sometimes a retreat is necessary. Wish I could go to a retreat but that ain't happening. I know when I'm licked and I'm licked.  Not one but two computers have me on the ropes ducking punches.   So this is just a brief update of what's going on with me.    And what's going to be happening for the next couple of weeks. So in housekeeping news, I'm on summer slowdown mode until...

I'm having some technical difficulties and having trouble getting a full episode out. So I just thought I'd do this little quick episode. This is just a quick informational post on traveling with your medications. There is some concern that allegedly there are some agents that are confiscating medication. Below is the link to the official TSA.gov webpage where they publicly states that you are all...

In this episode, a look at some of the words that get confused with hoarding.  I mentioned that there are U.S.and UK television programs about hoarding. Also, there are multiple Youtube channels where a young person buys a the contents or acquires a hoarders property to find hidden treasures and money.    There is also a sub-genre of professional housekeepers being paid to clean the home.   I can'...

I think when I was starting out, I probably would not have considered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.  I was really focused on stopping my symptoms and I was not the introspective person.    More bullheaded and introspective. I was much more focused on making my symptoms stop.   While doing the things that caused them in the first place.    I can tell you, that's probably not the way to go, but...

Before talking about Dialectical Behavior Therapy,  I want to give a brief reminder of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy aka CBT. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a short term treatment that provides skills on how to transform negative thoughts and behaviors.   Traditionally, CBT is offered to people with an anxiety disorder, depression and other mental health conditions.   There are a number ways to do...

Sometimes we look for the thing to deal with our symptoms. The thing that is hard to get, access or is expensive. Or requires another person for delivery.   Not that kind of delivery, the whole structural system of good, services, materials and processing type of delivery. Not to mention that we all another person to do something.   Anyway,   We are looking for the thing that knocks some sense int...

The verbal poison for profit business that is coursing through the system is killing people. Both passively and in actuality.   And I can tell you from experience that the let's pretend balm of dismissing this as a mental health issue has been put into play.   Or a one-off action of a lonely man.    Sometimes all you can do is state the obvious.   We are alive.    And you can take pride that being...

There isn't one path to healing.  There can be dozens but when you are in the thick of it you only care about what works now.   So you might decide, you have stuff to do, you don't have time for introspections, give me the pill.   And it might work for you. Until it doesn't. Or your symptoms change. Or your anxiety expresses itself as anger. Or overeating. Or hording.   It can happen that you do m...

It is May it is U.S. version of Mental Health Awareness Month. Treating mental health concerns is just as important to treat as conditions for physical health. The need for mental health care is needed across all levels of society. Neither poverty nor wealth should be a barrier to access quality mental health treatment. Suicide is not something I want to talk about. I always want to focus on what...

Anxiety symptoms are pesky. We spend a lot of time trying to deal with them.    In addition to our daily task duties and responsibilities.    In this episode, I want to share a few tips that can restore a sense of stability and calm.    I don't want to turn anyone into a time robot.    There are some evil time technological oppressors that are rising in the workforce or the corporate marketplace. ...

This is a pebble in the road about the definitions of dreams, bad dreams and nightmares.    If you are an highly anxious person this is one of many possible symptoms of stress and anxiety that you might experienced.    Vivid dreams and nightmares can be a sign of anxiety symptom. Or not.    It could be just your brains way of taking out the neural trash floating around the joint.    But you might...

Not all anxiety, workbooks are created equal or even readable.    Many of them are designed to be used with a therapist or our therapist directed.   If you flip to a random page and can't figure out or understand what the heck they're talking about, that might not be the right workbook. There are a number self-directed anxiety workbook that are specifically designed so that you, as the consumer ca...

This is a pebble in the road about some of the free resources that are out there for people that have an anxiety condition or disorder.    While we're trying to obtain services and hopefully work our way through the process sometimes the people that we encountered don't have the kind of information that we need.   There are resources that we can take advantage of from the anxiety and mental health...

This episode is about a rock, actually a crystal, that caused me to think about the multiple times a day someone is trying to sell me something. A thing they think I want.  Or need.  And if I am vulnerable, like I might just want that scoop of designer ice cream as an adventure in tasting, I'll go along with the bit. Men's shaving and grooming kits. Not so much. That happens if I'm watching a wood...

There are a lot of grounding techniques but one of the most accessible is to breathe. Specifically deep breathing. Breathing is a  I went to the eye doctor to get my eyes checked. Unlike the dentist, I'm much more calm about the examination. I want my eyes taken care of and make sure they get what they need.   I'm an active participant. I can gamify the target test. It doesn't mean I'm not anxious...

Some symptoms are hidden inside the body. And some symptoms are very visible.    There are different reasons why people pick at their skin and not everyone that does. This has an anxiety condition. There are some skin conditions like acne that causes folks to pick at it. They shouldn't, but their skin condition is caused by an organic physical problem with.   And then there are those that cannot b...

It happens that I start in on an idea and think I've done my research. Only to get whacked in the head about a question I did not ask. Like how to find the specific vendor on a state website.   For example, I start to think about the episode and then a thought came into my head.    "How are they supposed to do that?"    And because I'm hardheaded and I don't listen to the spirits from up on high,...

There is a lot of craptastical thinking about therapy. Everything from religion is therapy to "put this device on your wrist and use our app and bingo-bango, you are cured.   Fear and confusion running amuck, and that is mainly from the people who don't have the medical form of an anxiety condition or disorder giving advice.   An episode or so ago I wrote about the treatment option of medication....

Burnout is when it is really hard to put two sentences together and have them make sense.   Burnout is all you want to do is stay in bed under the covers. Because it is safe. They can't get to you there.    Except that you can't. You have to go to work, do that thing. Complete the task. Make nice to people who may or may not deserve it.   Dr. Candance Good in a post on Psychology Today states:   "...

There is an attempt, a progress or reintegration taking place found in small pockets of modern medicine. Some of our national health systems are looking at it, but not near enough now.    Sure. There are things that don't require a mental health therapist. You accidentally break your leg and you need a cast and maybe physical therapy. No mental health professional required.   But for mind and body...

Ok, I talk to much and then frustrated when I have to edit. Trying to think with an exhausted brain. I  pulled out the section on this new fangled service and will post it as quickly as I can.   Still working on chopping the main topic down. I have a mental block about it. Like I so want to get it right that I'm mucking it up.   Resources Mentioned:  To find out the best practices for selecting an...

The headline version for 2022 is medication, therapy, nutrition, body support and environment. Yes, I've changed things up just a bit.   But before we can get to that, I feel that we need to have an understanding about symptoms.    Most people tend to think of treatment as getting rid of their symptoms. Totally valid. And understandable.   I know I felt that way, if I could just get rid of the bug...

Not all treatment plans are the same. What works for Betty will not work for Veronica before I can do that. I need to start at a place.  Many people won't start a treatment unless they recognize that they need to make a change. I like to refer to this as the, "What The Hell phase."    In this episode, more about the What the Hell phase and the Oh, Snap phase that happens before you start your heal...