A Healthy Push

Would anyone be anxious in this situation?

It's a question Brittany and I keep coming back to, and it's the thread running through this whole episode. I'm four and a half months into life with Colin and running on pure caffeine and love, so please have grace with me if I'm not making sense. Brittany's been through a lot herself, including a scary week in the hospital with her daughter, and we talk about what it's really like to stay calm through the hard stuff, have your panic moment in the bathroom afterward, and learn to stop being so hard on yourself for it.

We also get into how to measure progress in recovery (hint: it's not by how much anxiety you feel), the incredible things happening inside the Recovery Room right now, why accountability and being around people who get it change everything, and how to handle holiday stress without making it harder than it needs to be.

Grab your coffee and come ramble with us.

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Have you ever felt a sudden wave of dizziness, a strange skip in your heart, or a bizarre sense that you’re "floating" outside of your body and immediately thought, Something is seriously wrong with me?

If you have, I want you to know you aren’t alone. I spent a decade convinced my body was broken and working against me. These sensations are incredibly loud, chaotic, and terrifying in the moment, but here is the truth that not enough people tell you: Even the scariest anxiety symptoms are actually completely harmless.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the three most common "danger" symptoms—Dizziness, DPDR, and Heart Palpitations—to help you understand exactly what is happening in your body. When you understand the why, it becomes much easier to move from "I’m in danger" to "This is uncomfortable, but I am safe."

HERE'S WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU'RE SPIRALING: https://ahealthypush.myflodesk.com/calmpanic

TAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quiz

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GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/symptoms

Have you ever Googled a symptom and convinced yourself something was seriously wrong, even after a doctor told you everything was fine?

Trust me, I get it. And so does today's guest. I'm joined by Leeor Gal, therapist and anxiety coach, and owner of The Therapy Gal group practice in Philadelphia and South Jersey. Leeor specializes in health anxiety, burnout, ADHD, and relational issues and she brings both clinical expertise and a deeply personal understanding of what it's like to live with anxiety.

We talk about why health anxiety feels so convincing in your body, what's really underneath the checking and reassurance seeking, and why the cycle is so hard to break — even when you logically know what you're doing isn't helping. Here's what I love most about Leeor's approach: she doesn't tell you to stop going to the doctor or to just push through the fear. She talks about learning to "live in the maybe" — that gray space between rushing to urgent care and avoiding your health entirely. And she's honest that progress doesn't mean never worrying about your health again. It means building trust in yourself that you can handle the uncertainty.

If you've been feeling alone in this, I hope this episode reminds you: what you're experiencing is real, it makes complete sense, and you are not broken.

Connect with Leeor Gal: thetherapygal.com | Instagram & TikTok: @thetherapygal

HERE'S WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU'RE SPIRALING: https://ahealthypush.myflodesk.com/calmpanic

TAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quiz

A HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/

GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/health-anxiety

Why do we think recovery has to be forced?

In this week's Recovered & Rambling, Brittany and I catch up on everything: her totally unplanned (and so relaxing) trip, my almost-four-month-old and my urge to control every part of his sleep, and my full-circle caffeine moment from drive-thru avoider to drive-thru regular.

We also get into the real stuff. How do you know you're actually healing? Why feeling "back to square one" doesn't mean you are. Why ordering your groceries is not avoidance. And why force can backfire when your nervous system is already overwhelmed.

Plus: Real Housewives, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and a coloring blanket that's sneakily the best mindfulness practice.

Grab your coffee (or decaf, no judgment) and come ramble with us.

HERE'S WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU'RE SPIRALING: https://ahealthypush.myflodesk.com/calmpanic

TAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quiz

A HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/

GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/rr8

Do you ever feel like you're living inside a "safety bubble"—where you can do the things you have to do, but everything else feels like a monumental risk?

For a long time, I thought agoraphobia meant you never left your house. Because I was going to work and seeing friends, I didn't think the label applied to me. But internally? I was in constant chaos. I was scanning for exits, negotiating with my anxiety, and restricting my travel to a very small radius. In this episode, I’m breaking down the "hidden" side of agoraphobia and why it’s actually a fear of sensations, not places.

HERE'S WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU'RE SPIRALING: https://ahealthypush.myflodesk.com/calmpanic

TAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quiz

A HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/

GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/homebound

What if I'm the exception?

That's one of the questions I hear the most, and it's exactly why I'm jumping on for this quick, impromptu episode. I've been getting so many questions about Panic to Peace, and instead of answering them one by one, I figured it'd be easiest, and most helpful, to just answer them all here.

Quick disclaimer: Colin is asleep in the next room and Marbles is doing his own thing next to me, so if I sound like I'm whisper-talking or you hear a plastic bag crinkle in the background, that's why.

In this episode I'm answering the questions I get asked the most: what if I've been struggling for years, what if I've already tried everything, what if I'm in therapy or have already done therapy, what if my anxiety is more specific (driving, health, travel, or something else), what if I have a chronic illness or medical condition in the mix, what if I can't make the live calls, what if I'm scared to spend the money and it doesn't work, what if I really am the exception, and what if I want to join but I'm just anxious about actually doing it.

If you've been on the fence about Panic to Peace, or you've had one of these exact questions running through your head, this episode is for you

PANIC TO PEACE STARTS OCTOBER 2026. DOORS ARE OPEN: JOIN HERE

What if the story you've been telling yourself isn't actually true?

For years, Shannon was convinced she was the exception and that her anxiety was different, that she'd tried everything and nothing was ever going to work, and that panic and agoraphobia were just going to be part of her life forever. Sound familiar? In this episode, Shannon breaks down why "what if I can't recover" is a story anxiety loves to create, how that story quietly shapes everything you do (and don't do), and why your anxiety isn't as "special" or "different" as it feels.

She also shares real messages from past Panic to Peace students who spent years believing recovery wasn't possible for them and are now back to driving, traveling, and living lives they once thought were completely out of reach.

If you've ever thought "I've tried it all and nothing works," this episode is your permission to ask a different question: not what if I can't, but what if I can?

P.S. Panic to Peace opens September 22nd and starts October 4th: 10 weeks, live, with Shannon every step of the way. If you've been on the fence for months (or years), this is your sign.

PANIC TO PEACE STARTS OCTOBER 2026. GET ON THE WAITLIST HERE: https://www.ahealthypush.com/live-panic-to-peace

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GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/whatif

What if no recovery is ever perfect and whatever you're feeling right now is actually normal?

It's been a few months since our last Recovered & Rambling, and we're catching up on everything: the postpartum ups and downs nobody prepares you for, the hormone rollercoaster, feeling alone even when you're surrounded, and the realization that "high-functioning" can quietly hide a lot of struggle. We get real about what recovery actually looks like when life doesn't slow down for it, bad trips, when to push forward, learning to trust your gut, and what's coming next for Panic to Peace.

If you've ever felt like you're "fine" on the outside but not on the inside, this one's for you. You are not alone.

P.S. Panic to Peace is opening its doors the last week of September and this will be the only round until late 2027, so if you've been on the fence, this is your sign to join us.

PANIC TO PEACE STARTS SEPTEMBER 2026. GET ON THE WAITLIST HERE: https://www.ahealthypush.com/live-panic-to-peace

A HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/

GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/rr7

Have you ever had a thought pop into your head that felt so disturbing, so out of character, that you immediately wondered what it says about you?

You are not broken. And you are not alone.

Shannon sits down with OCD and anxiety therapist Katey Olson to finally break down intrusive thoughts in a way that actually makes sense. They cover what intrusive thoughts are, why some people get so stuck in them, and why trying to push them away or figure them out only makes things worse.

They also get into the overlap between anxiety and OCD — including how to tell the difference, why the treatment isn't exactly the same, and what inference-based CBT is for the people who aren't ready or willing to do exposure therapy. Plus, the one thing that matters more than getting rid of intrusive thoughts entirely: your relationship with them.

If intrusive thoughts have ever made you question your safety, your sanity, or who you are — this episode is going to help.

Find Katey:

• Instagram: @kateyolsontherapy
• Website: kateyolsontherapy.com

TAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quiz

PANIC TO PEACE STARTS SEPTEMBER 2026. GET ON THE WAITLIST HERE: https://www.ahealthypush.com/live-panic-to-peace

A HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/

GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/ocd

What does real recovery from panic disorder actually look like?

Today I'm joined by Tom: a musician, Panic to Peace student, and one of the most genuine humans I've had on this podcast. Tom's story isn't a cinematic highlight reel of overnight transformation. It's honest, messy, and exactly what recovery actually looks like.

At 28, Tom had a near death experience that triggered debilitating panic attacks and completely derailed his life. For years, freeways, movies, and even simple daily tasks felt impossible. Then he did the work, slowly, consistently, one small step at a time. And now at 40, he's about to release the song he almost never got to record.

We talk about what finally clicked for him, the blind faith it takes to keep going when progress feels invisible, why flare ups are part of the process and not a sign you're failing, and what it felt like to get on a freeway, drive four exits, and know everything had changed.

This one is for anyone who wonders if recovery is actually possible. It is. Tom is proof.

September 2026 is your last chance to enroll in Panic to Peace until September 2027.

GET ON THE WAITLIST: https://www.ahealthypush.com/live-panic-to-peace

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: https://www.ahealthypush.com/podcast

FOLLOW ME: @ahealthypush

GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/p2psuccess-tom