Anxiety Road Podcast

I know that some of you are in a really bad spot.    You're looking for an answer, a short way out of your problems and, and your predicaments.    Some of you openly declare that you don't have time for this thing and what it dealt with quick, fast, and in a hurry.   I do understand. I was in your shoes too. There was so much, I didn't know about having a mental health.   There are people and comp...

Denial is not good or bad. It is a defense mechanism. When you don't want to deal with the scary or hard thing. Especially when it seems that thing is so big. So dangerous. Humans will do all kinds of things to avoid pain. Including accepting a small amount of pain to delay the bigger potential pain. Doesn't have to be real. Doesn't even have to have a direct connection to you. In this episode, a...

This podcast has always talked about treatment options and resources. I always will.    And sometimes that includes talking about uncomfortable things. Or boring things, things so boring they make your eyes glaze over.     This is definitely true cuz I have been known to go long winded. But if this helps you in your treatment process or understand possible resources process, I'll do it.    Because...

No sane or crazy person would.  But that doesn't stop the market place and the uninformed from saying stupid stuff.  This is a pebble in the road about what is depression. I'm thinking if I make enough pebbles, I'll get an episode out. It is hard when you have to fight for every single word.    There are people writing articles, books and podcasts. Many of those people want you to spend money on t...

There are going to be a lot of tips, suggestions and survival posts about dealing with mental health problems the holidays. I don't normally do it because everyday to me is a struggle.  Some days it is very minor. Other days, it is a big deal.   And then there is navigating life problems during a time of enforced hypocritical joy and happiness.   The episode is about acknowledging the feelings. It...

Last time I gave a very brief description of misdiagnosis and an example or two. This is a follow-up to last week's pebble in the road.    If you have a health, medical phobia or descriptions of medical conditions make you anxious, you might want to skip this episode. If you have cardiophobia, stop, do not go on, this is not the episode for you.   Honestly, I got overwhelmed with the number of sim...

This is a quick pebble in the road about misdiagnosis. Ran out of time and have too much to talk about to do a half ass job. So think of this is just a short introduction to the topic of misdiagnosis.  Misdiagnosis can mean a couple of things. Like having a physical health problem but your doctor thinks it is an anxiety condition.   Or you are treated for a physical problem and it really is an anx...

This is the podcast sharing the medical, behavioral health, meditation/relaxation and x=the unknown treatment options for those of us on the anxiety condition or disorder spectrum.   Everything is a story. If you listen to enough marketing people, the story is what makes the sale. Craft a good story and then herd them doggies down the sales funnel to rake in the dollars.    That concept isn't nece...

Hi folks, this is a pebble in the road about finding helpful aids for a better sleep. Being the anxious folks that we are, sleep is not always obtainable or consistent. Especially if you are living the chaotic life.   So there is this product called a Sleep Pod by a company called Hug Sleep. (I think, there may have been a name change) Oh, by the way this is not a sponsored or promotion product. R...

I don't know if you have experienced this but either people are telling you that you are overthinking, underthinking or not thinking in the right way. There are reams of books about how to think the "right" way. Especially if you have an anxiety condition. And I know the depression folks catch double hell on it too.   And let's not forget that freak flag that get's waived when someone expresses an...

There is a study reported by the medical journal The Lancet about the increase in levels of anxiety and depression during the pandemic.  The first sentence in the report got me thinking.  Mental disorders are among the leading causes of the global health-related burden I have to look up the meaning of burden because I've never thought of my anxiety as a burden. A thorn, a pain in the ass, or at be...

There are thinking people on the planet and that gives me some hope. I recently learned about turning a pot pie upside down on a plate or bowl.  This is some genius level thinking that I aspire, to but will never have it the way I want it.    Because the gravy part will seep down to the back of the lid or the top of the pot pie. Then, depending on how fast or slow you eat it, you got gravy and a c...

This is just a quick pebble in the road about what happens to your brain if you drink booze to chill out or control your symptoms. Just a head's up, I did complete the longer version of the Serotonin episode. Has a bit more details and more context.

Well, I did manage to get it down from 20 minutes to about 12 minutes. Essentially the same but with more about specific foods you can eat, more resources and just a touch less snark. Resources Mentioned:  San Diego Union Tribune article about men ignoring their mental health issues .   The Dana Foundation is a non-profit that provides information about the brain and brain health for kids and adul...

I was reading an article that said I should eat pineapple to increase my serotonin level.   I also seen other articles about kiwis, avocados and other foods.   In those articles you might find something about serotonin ability to calm you down.    Or to help with anxiety. Or depression.   This one got me a little twitchy. Because the article mentioned the pineapple should be inside of a sugar cake...

This episode was inspired by my real life experiences. Of which I have a bunch of them.  So, so many of them. One of the things that I've learned it to not to be dragged down into a spiral.   I still have negative thoughts but I don't have to hug and kiss up on them. 97.4% of the time, it is just a thought. It isn't a measurement of my worth.    I am still in the remembering that thinking error ar...

Grounding is a way to help you calm down. To get a grip on whatever caused your symptoms flare up. Meditation beads could be a way for you to have a tactile or touch means of centering yourself.   You can use it to remember an affirmation, incorporate it into your breathing practice, or to remember that you are not defined by a random thought. You are a person in the here and now.   There are all...

In this week's episode is a look at some of the reasons why we need to look at taking medication. What is the reason? Number one has to be symptom management and control.  Them SOB's have made me do things I'd never thought I'd do. Pour water on my head in a parking lot? Yep. And don't think that won't get folks attention. It will.    Being clear about taking or not taking medication is a process...

This is the sixth year of the podcast. Nothing like I envisioned it would be. The podcast was inspired by a lot of things.   Many years ago, I went searching for a podcast to help me understand what was going on. I found one but the gentleman was ending the show because the anxiety of creating and producing was too much for him.   I found others that were created by doctors using medical language...

I'm still in vacation mode until September. One of the things I hoped I've emphasized in the podcast is that you should have a medical evaluation and diagnosis from a health care professional.   The symptoms for anxiety are very similar to other physical health conditions. Having a medical examination would help to take some of the load off your shoulders.    That is the topic of the show. If you...

An iceberg belief is a self-limited thought. And one of the strange things about it is that some of those self-limiting thoughts can come from your family, broadcast and social media or your culture. Anxiety and anxiety symptoms can amp up or bring to the surface some of those embedded thoughts.   Those thoughts can pop up as you watch a video. A car racing down the street. A song that brings up a...

Still in vacation mode but have plenty to talk about. Part of today's episode deals with digital and health literacy. Well, truthfully I try to sneak it in whenever I can.    Digital Literacy is "is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills."   Health Literacy is "the degree to...

So many people do not accept that athletes and entertainers are real people with issues. Being an athlete or rich person does not exempt you from being human.   You have to deal with like depression, anxiety or being an introvert being in the public realm. Broke or rich, having an anxiety disorder is rough.   Depression is also no joke. But both are treatable.    And I truly want to do an episode...

In this episode, a quick look at what is self-calming and self-medication.   Words are tricky . In this context, I'm speaking about a psychological concept of self-medication to seek relief from emotional or mental health symptoms.   There is another meaning of the term about the necessity of self-treatment when you do not have access or can't afford healthcare services. That isn't the topic of th...

The short answer is no. It is a medical condition. It can be treated 99.5 times out of a 100.  But many people do not know that they have an anxiety disorder or seek treatment. Some of the reasons for this is what they are being told in certain houses of faith.    The good news is that is slowly changing. More faith based institutions are working with mental health professionals. There are practit...