Anxiety Makes Me Poop

Some memories don’t disappear - they just never get stored the way we expect them to. The brain can prioritize survival over detail, which sometimes leaves gaps, blur, or whole missing chapters. But even without perfect recall, growth still happens, and your story keeps moving forward in the present.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps us creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life. Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

This episode breaks down why some people feel driven to always be the best, from perfectionism and learned self-worth to the brain’s need for constant achievement. It explains how that pattern can keep the finish line moving, making it hard to ever feel satisfied. And it offers a simple shift: you can keep climbing, but you also deserve to pause, recognize your wins, and say, “I did that.”

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps us creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life. Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

Menopause marks a powerful shift in which women in their 40s and 50s step into a no-nonsense phase filled with clarity, confidence, and stronger personal boundaries. During menopause, many women stop over-apologizing, trust their instincts, and prioritize their mental health and emotional well-being. This stage isn’t about becoming difficult - it’s about empowerment, self-respect, and finally putting themselves first after decades of caring for others. Understanding menopause and supporting women through this transition leads to healthier relationships, better communication, and a more fulfilled, balanced life.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps us creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life. Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

In this episode, we talk about the art of giving feedback without insulting the person on the other side. From annoying AI sales emails to past craft show conversations, we explore why criticism hits harder than praise, how to offer support respectfully, and why a simple “thank you, but no thanks” can go a long way.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps us creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life. Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

Meredith has lived most of her life with angioedema, a condition that made everyday moments unpredictable and heightened anxiety over sudden swelling. The uncertainty fueled stress, while medical guidance was sometimes helpful and other times frustrating. Through remission, she’s discovered ways to stay calm during flare-ups, explain her condition to others, and maintain perspective, always taking serious reactions like anaphylaxis seriously. Even amid unpredictability, she’s found a balance of control, humor, and hope.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that allows us to keep creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life: Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

Cassandra has had quite the two weeks, and she’s ready to share them with you. After not feeling well one Monday morning, a trip to the emergency room turned into an unexpected hospital stay. Here’s her story.

Also, discussed in this episode:

A1C (also called hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c) is a blood test that shows your average blood sugar level over the past 2–3 months.

It works by measuring how much glucose (sugar) is attached to your red blood cells. Since red blood cells live about 90 days, the test gives a long-term picture — not just what your blood sugar was that morning.

1. Below 5.7% → Normal
2. 5.7%–6.4% → Prediabetes
3. 6.5% or higher → Diabetes

So instead of a snapshot, it’s more like a season recap.

It’s one of the main tools doctors use to diagnose and monitor diabetes, and it helps show how well blood sugar has been managed over time.

Daily glucose (or blood sugar) is your blood sugar level at a specific moment.

It’s the short-term number — compared to A1C, which is the long-term average.

People check their daily glucose with:

1. A finger-stick glucose meter
2. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM)

1. Fasting (before eating): about 70–99 mg/dL is typical without diabetes
2. After meals (1–2 hours): usually under 140 mg/dL without diabetes

For someone with diabetes, target ranges can be different depending on what their doctor recommends.

Think of it like this:

1. Daily glucose = today’s weather.
2. A1C = the climate over the last 3 months.

One tells you what’s happening right now. The other (A1c) shows the bigger trend.

Here are the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes — and the tricky part is that many of them build slowly, which is why people sometimes don’t realize what’s happening.

1. Increased thirst
2. Frequent urination (especially at night)
3. Feeling very tired
4. Blurred vision
5. Increased hunger
6. Slow-healing cuts or sores
7. Frequent infections (yeast infections, UTIs, skin infections)
8. Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
9. Unexplained weight changes

Type 2 often develops gradually. Someone might think:

1. “I’m just tired.”
2. “I’ve been drinking more water.”
3. “I’m getting older.”
4. “Work’s just stressful.”

The body gives subtle hints before the lab work confirms it. Please get your yearly physicals and have the doctor test for glucose.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that allows us to keep creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life: Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

I had a moment at work when I felt watched and second-guessed, and I quietly wondered whether being 30 instead of 50 would have changed the way I was treated. That question opened the door to something bigger — the reality that while youth bias exists, so does the powerful perception of competence, authority, and steadiness that comes with experience. What I realized is this: when outward attention shifts, it doesn’t mean your value has — it just means the energy has changed. And your confidence in this season isn’t about being the most noticed in the room… It’s about being the most confident and grounded.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that allows us to keep creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life: Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

Seek out a professional if you are feeling 'off' and keep advocating for yourself. Surround yourself with people who will offer support and encouragement.

As mentioned in the episode, here is what I was prescribed by my Midi Health professional:

1. Estradiol 0.0375 mg/24 hr DIS MYLA (patch)
2. Progesterone 100 mg CAP XIRO (promotes better sleep for women without a uterus, aka me)
3. Iron supplement 325mg (also prescribed by my PCP)

Again, I am not sponsored by anyone mentioned in this episode; I am sharing my experience to help others.

More notes on this episode: Over the last three months, my iron levels dropped significantly. While one doctor missed it because it wasn’t her specialty, the second and third opinions immediately indicated that I needed supplementation. Around the same time, I learned from my gynecologist that I was in menopause, even though I had no classic symptoms and had never realized I’d gone through perimenopause. Both experiences showed me that advocating for your body and seeking the right expertise is crucial, because information without guidance can leave you anxious and floating.

I also sought a third opinion, and here is how I am feeling three weeks later.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps us creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life: Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

Some people go through life blaming jobs, food, partners, or circumstances without noticing they are the only constant in every situation. While we can offer support, repeatedly rescuing someone who refuses self-reflection only drains our energy and keeps the cycle going. Growth begins when we examine our own patterns, and peace begins when we stop trying to fix what others refuse to face.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that allows us to keep creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life: Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.

This wasn’t really about an airplane seat. It was about how easily we give up our comfort to avoid social discomfort. How quickly politeness turns into pressure. And how often we absorb the consequences of someone else’s lack of planning because we don’t want to look like the bad guy.

What stuck with me wasn’t the smell of the bathroom, the broken recliner, or even the frustration—it was the realization that I said yes when I meant no. And that quiet resentment afterward? That’s your internal boundary alarm going off.

So if you take anything from this, let it be this:

Other people’s situations don’t automatically become your responsibility. Empathy doesn’t require self-sacrifice. And “no” doesn’t need a justification to be valid.

Being kind should never mean being uncomfortable on someone else’s behalf.

Sometimes the real work isn’t fixing the moment—it’s understanding why it stayed with us, forgiving ourselves for how we handled it, and deciding how we’ll protect our peace next time.

And hey—if this episode made you rethink a moment where you said yes out of pressure instead of alignment, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there. The growth is noticing it… and choosing differently next time.

All the links: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

We are so grateful you’re here. THANK YOU for your monthly support. Your $2 a month helps us cover editing tools, hosting fees, equipment costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that allows us to keep creating meaningful episodes for listeners like you. Your support truly helps us continue important conversations around mental health, anxiety, and the real, unfiltered parts of life: Support us here! https://anxietymakesmepoop.captivate.fm/support

Building Resilience in the Workplace course online! https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

Meredith's author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CSF3812J/allbooks

This episode contains content that some may find emotionally challenging. This is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health support. If you are struggling with persistent or severe mental health challenges, it's essential to reach out to a qualified mental health professional for guidance and assistance. Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards lasting positive changes. Seeking professional help is a proactive step toward overall mental well-being.

All original content, unless otherwise stated, and music written and performed by Anxiety Makes Me Poop.