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

What triggers your anxiety? Billy and I discuss anxiety triggers, how to identify your triggers, and what you can do about them. As usual, we answer listener questions near the end of the episode. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow" by The Ben Drake Collective.  Used with permission.  Find Ben Drake on Facebook or at bendrakemusic.com . Send in a qu...

Following up on our initial talk about the basics of exposure therapy, Billy and talk about how repetition and practice are so important. We discuss how practicing the small things and continually expanding your scope will make it easy to tackle larger tasks that are harder to practice (i.e. flying, or visiting the dentist). Finally, we take some comments and questions on previous episodes. My Lin...

Billy and I were both a bit under the weather for this episode, so we thought a discussion of health anxiety and how illness impacts your anxiety was in order. We discuss health anxiety in general, our reactions when feeling ill, and how dealing with health anxiety is more about cognitive work than physical exposure. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow&qu...

Today Billy and I talk about the basics of what exposure therapy is, how it fits into the overall scope of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and how its important to have proper expectations for what exposure can do for you. Near the end of the episode we take some time to answer questions and comments from past episodes. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow&quo...

A panic attack isn't always a bad thing. In fact, when you're doing exposure work and trying to learn how not to be afraid of panic and anxiety, having a panic attack is virtually a requirement at some point. Only be experiencing panic without bracing, fighting, avoiding or fleeing can we truly learn that while our fear is real, the danger is not. This is the key to success, so welcome y...

Today Billy and I answer some of the most common questions we've received while doing the Anxiety 101 series. Did we answer your question? Tune in to find out! My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow" by The Ben Drake Collective.  Used with permission.  Find Ben Drake on Facebook or at bendrakemusic.com . Send in a question or comment via text. Supp...

Lifestyle choices can influence your panic disorder positively or negatively. Eating a healthy diet can go a long way toward making you feel better overall. Avoid alcohol and mind-altering substances like recreational drugs. Anything that changes your mental state can be an anxiety trigger when you’re in a hyper-sensitive state (as many in the grips of panic disorder are). Get regular exercise and...

Today Billy and I talk about the different types of therapy and professional help available for anxiety disorders both from a US and a UK perspective. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is hands down the most effective current long-term treatment for panic disorder and related anxiety disorders. If you’re seeking professional help, look for a therapist that specifically specialized in CBT and anxiet...

Finding the causes of your panic attacks is a good thing, but not by itself. Stress, negative thinking, reactions to past traumas and emotional issues are just some of many possible panic and anxiety triggers. We’re all different, our life circumstances are all different, and that means that there is no one “cause” for panic attacks. Learning to identify your triggers and deal with them is an impo...

There is no comfortable way to recover from panic disorder. The very heart of recovery lies in learning not to be afraid of panic. The only way to do that is to fully experience panic without fleeing, avoiding, or adding more fear to the situation. You have to be afraid before you can not be afraid. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow" by The Ben Dra...

Learning to not fear how you feel is a huge part of truly overcoming your anxiety and panic issues. Its important to not react physically to the symptoms of anxiety and panic. Reacting in fear only leads to the belief that something you did somehow made you “safer”, when in reality there is no danger at hand. Lets talk about how to just let your anxiety symptoms be without engaging with them or fo...

Lets talk about avoidance and safety behaviors and how they're a bad thing when it comes to dealing with anxiety and panic issues. Avoidance and safety rituals reinforce the mistaken belief that you need to be "saved" from your anxiety. We contract this with the use of positive coping techniques that help teach you that you're in no real danger to begin with. My Links https://t...

Billy and I discuss the role of coping techniques in dealing with anxiety and panic issues. We touch on breathing, muscle relaxation and meditation techniques designed to quiet the mind on demand. Coping techniques are designed to limit the duration and intensity of a panic attack, not to stop it dead it its tracks. Coping techniques must be learned and practiced all the time in order to build the...

When it comes to anxiety, fear feeds the beast! We discuss the idea that symptoms and sensations are not anxiety. Rather, your reaction - the fear you create in your own head- fuels the cycle of anxiety. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow" by The Ben Drake Collective.  Used with permission.  Find Ben Drake on Facebook or at bendrakemusic.com . Send...

Today Billy and I discuss the fact that the fear we feel when dealing with panic and anxiety is real, but the danger is not. There's no real danger underneath that fear. Understanding that this is false danger is a key toward making forward progress in recovery. We discuss false danger during periods of high anxiety and "future perceived danger" that drives the lifestyle changes whi...

Lets look at the basics of recovering from anxiety, panic and agoraphobia related issues. First in a series. Billy (from Anxiety United) and I talk about the need to accept that the recovery process will include feeling afraid and uncomfortable, and about building a recovery plan based on acceptance, courage, persistence and patience. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  ...

Once you understand that exercise isn't really making things "worse", you can work on solving this common problem.  Lets review what's really going on, and look at how to re-introduce exercise into your life in a step-by-step way.  As with everything we walk about, this isn't necessarily easy, but its absolutely worth the effort! My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links...

Holly and I discuss chapter 5 of Hope and Help For Your Nerves. The cornerstone principles of Facing, Accepting, Floating and Letting Time Pass are covered in detail. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow" by The Ben Drake Collective.  Used with permission.  Find Ben Drake on Facebook or at bendrakemusic.com . Send in a question or comment via text. Su...

Holly and I go through chapter 4 of the Claire Weekes Hope and Help For Your Nerves book. This chapter is entitled "The Commonest Simplest Forms of Nervous Illness". We discuss common anxiety symptoms and triggers, the role of fear, why knowledge and understanding is so important, and why fighting is not really the best approach. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Mus...

In this episode Holly and I go through chapter 3 of the Claire Weekes Hope and Help For Your Nerves book. This chapter is entitled "What Is Nervous Breakdown". We discuss what defines anxiety disorders, two types of "breakdowns" and some basic strategies for dealing with the issue. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow" by The Ben D...

In this episode, Holly and I review chapter 2 of Claire Weekes' Hope and Help For Your Nerves. We discuss the fight or flight response, its involuntary nature, and the idea that your panic and anxiety symptoms are normal, natural, not dangerous, and not to be feared. You cannot stop your body from doing what it's designed to do, but that you can change the way you interpret and react to...

Holly and I review chapter 1 of Hope and Help For Your Nerves by Dr Claire Weekes.  This book is what I consider to be the gold standard when it comes to self help for anxiety, panic, agoraphobia and other anxiety disorders.  If you don't have a copy, get one and follow along with us. Its very inexpensive and WELL worth it! My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "...

For many dealing with anxiety and panic issues, exercise can be a real struggle because it may lead to INCREASED anxiety or even full-blown panic. Lets take a look at this problem, what causes it, and why its so worth taking the time to solve. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow" by The Ben Drake Collective.  Used with permission.  Find Ben Drake on...

Depersonalization is one of the most disturbing and hard to grasp anxiety symptoms. If you're dealing with panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or agoraphobia it really is just another anxiety symptom and we should deal with it like we deal with every other symptom. Let's look at what it is, why it happens, and how to engage in "active nothingness" to deal with it effec...

The dissociative states - derealization and depersonalization - are possibly the most common yet misunderstood and under-discussed anxiety symptoms. For many, they’re the most difficult symptoms to fully accept and not fear. My Links https://theanxioustruth.com/links Intro/Outro Music:  "Afterglow" by The Ben Drake Collective.  Used with permission.  Find Ben Drake on Facebook or at bend...