Many people struggling with scrupulosity, religious OCD, and anxiety believe their suffering is a sign of deep faith.But what if the real issue isn’t faith at all?

In this episode, I break down the hidden cost of treating fear as faith—and how this misunderstanding keeps people trapped in guilt, reassurance-seeking, compulsions, and chronic inner conflict.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ Why scrupulosity is driven by fear, not God

✅ How compulsions unintentionally block peace

✅ Why answering “what if” questions never resolves anxiety

✅ The real cost of operating from fear while calling it faith

✅ How recovery begins by changing the lens, not the belief

The irony of scrupulosity is that the very behaviors meant to bring peace are often the ones blocking it.

👉 Register to the Scrupulosity Workshop here: https://www.restoredminds.com/reg-live-workshop-feb-2026

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:📥 FREE Recovery GuideStart your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to UnstuckLearn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) ProgramLearn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Peace vs Happiness (The Real Goal of Faith)Why faith is about peace—not constant emotional reassurance.

01:01 – Why Scrupulosity Isn’t About FaithHow fear hijacks belief systems and mimics devotion.

02:04 – Fear Projects Onto God (All Religions)Why scrupulosity looks different in content but works the same across faiths.

02:49 – The Mirage Analogy (Why You Feel Stuck)How fear creates convincing illusions that keep you chasing certainty.

03:58 – Why Understanding Isn’t EnoughWhy insight alone doesn’t break the OCD and anxiety loop.

04:33 – If God Is the Cause… Where Is the Peace?The key question that exposes fear-based faith.

05:16 – Fear Is the Real Problem (Not the Thoughts)Why solving the content of fear never works.

06:09 – Chasing Certainty Keeps You LostHow reassurance-seeking guarantees more doubt.

06:36 – Faith vs Trust (Why Doubt Feels So Painful)How fear splits trust and creates inner conflict.

07:28 – What a Healthy Relationship With God Feels LikeWhy peace—not fear—is the indicator of alignment.

08:18 – The Hidden Cost of Treating Fear as FaithThe core message: why fear blocks the very peace you’re seeking.

08:56 – “Maybe I’m Not Seeing This Correctly”The mindset shift that opens the door to recovery.

09:20 – Fear Can Be TranscendedWhy changing the lens—not your beliefs—changes everything.

09:43 – Free Scrupulosity Workshop (Next Steps)How to go deeper and break the loop.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychological advice. Please consult a licensed professional for personalized care.

Scrupulosity is often misunderstood as a faith problem — but treating it that way is one of the biggest reasons people stay stuck.

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, licensed therapist Matt Codde, LCSW explains why scrupulosity isn’t about faith, belief, or not trying hard enough — and how fear hijacks religious themes and projects onto God, salvation, and belief systems.

If you’ve been told to pray harder, believe more, or do more religious behaviors — yet still feel anxious, distressed, or disconnected from peace — this episode will help you understand what’s really happening and what actually leads to recovery.

Rather than trying to solve scrupulosity through faith-based reassurance, Matt explains why healing comes from addressing the fear loop and nervous system state, not the content of the fear itself.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ Why scrupulosity is driven by fear — not a lack of faith

✅ How fear projects onto God, religion, and belief systems

✅ Why peace (not effort or certainty) is the real marker of trust

✅ How religious compulsions accidentally reinforce the fear loop

✅ The difference between faith as trust vs faith as fear management

✅ What actually allows scrupulosity to release and resolve

This episode is for anyone struggling with religious OCD, spiritual anxiety, or scrupulosity — and for those who feel trapped between faith and fear.

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:📥 FREE Recovery GuideStart your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to UnstuckLearn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) ProgramLearn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:

✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461

✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:

🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/

📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Peace vs happiness: the real measure of faith

00:56 – Why religious effort often comes from fear

01:06 – Why scrupulosity is not about faith

02:16 – Scrupulosity across Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism

03:02 – The mirage analogy: chasing certainty in the desert

04:09 – “If God is the cause… why don’t you feel peace?”

05:51 – Why content-based fears can’t be solved at the content level

06:29 – Scrupulosity as endless chasing, not lack of devotion

07:26 – Why peace is the byproduct of genuine faith

08:58 – You’re not failing or lacking faith

09:42 – Final encouragement & next steps

⚠️ Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychological advice. Please consult a licensed professional for personalized care.

For years, I tried everything to recover from OCD and anxiety — books, therapists, programs, techniques — yet nothing truly changed.

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, I share the moment where everything shifted for me — the point where once I did this, I healed. Not overnight. Not magically. But permanently.

I walk through the two internal shifts that moved me from endlessly trying to recover… to actually living in a calm, regulated, trusting state.

If you’ve been consuming content, searching for the “right answer,” or hoping something external will finally fix this, this episode will help you see why healing doesn’t come from trying harder — but from deciding differently.

Rather than managing symptoms or coping with fear, recovery came from changing my relationship to outcome, identity, and implementation.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ The difference between trying to heal and deciding to heal

✅ Why consuming more information doesn’t create recovery

✅ The internal decision that changes everything

✅ Why structure, support, and guidance matter more than content

✅ How healing becomes inevitable once the outcome is decided

✅ What “recovered” actually feels like in daily life

This episode is about clarity, responsibility, and reclaiming your life — without shame, pressure, or false hope.

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:

📥 FREE Recovery Guide

Start your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to UnstuckLearn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) ProgramLearn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:

✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461

✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – From trying to recovered

01:45 – Why content doesn’t heal

03:00 – The decision that changes everything

05:10 – Letting go of “trying”

07:30 – Why structure and support matter

09:40 – What recovery actually feels like

⚠️ Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychological advice. Please consult a licensed professional for personalized care.

Mindfulness is often recommended for OCD and anxiety — but for many people, it doesn’t work the way they were told it would.

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, licensed therapist Matt Codde, LCSW explains why mindfulness fails for OCD and anxiety disorders when it’s misused — and how it actually fits into real recovery.

If you’ve tried mindfulness, meditation, or grounding techniques and felt frustrated, guilty, or like you “failed,” this episode will help you understand what really went wrong — and why it wasn’t you.

Rather than seeing fear, intrusive thoughts, or anxiety as problems to eliminate, Matt explains how misunderstanding the role of mindfulness often turns it into a distraction, a coping strategy, or another form of avoidance — which keeps the anxiety loop going.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ Why mindfulness often backfires for OCD and anxiety

✅ The difference between awareness and distraction

✅ Why trying to “get rid of” thoughts and feelings keeps the loop alive

✅ How misusing mindfulness creates shame and hopelessness

✅ Where mindfulness actually fits in anxiety and OCD recovery

✅ Why fear isn’t a disease — and why that matters

This episode is designed to help you feel grounded and clear — without blaming mindfulness or yourself.

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:📥 FREE Recovery GuideStart your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to UnstuckLearn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) ProgramLearn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:

✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461

✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:

🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/

📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Why mindfulness often doesn’t work for OCD

01:45 – Fear isn’t a disease

03:30 – How mindfulness becomes distraction

05:20 – Why symptom control backfires

07:10 – Where mindfulness actually fits

08:55 – Reducing shame and “I failed” thinking

⚠️ Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For personalized support, consult a licensed professional.

Scrupulosity can feel terrifying — especially when OCD and anxiety latch onto God, faith, salvation, or religious beliefs.

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, licensed therapist Matt Codde, LCSW explains what scrupulosity really is, why it has nothing to do with a lack of faith, and what actually allows people to recover.

If you’re constantly doubting your salvation, fearing you’ve committed an unforgivable sin, or feeling trapped in religious fear loops, this episode will help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface — and why trying harder spiritually often makes it worse.

Rather than treating scrupulosity as a faith problem, Matt explains why it’s a fear-based nervous system issue — and how shifting your internal state, not seeking certainty, is the path to healing.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ What scrupulosity really is — and what it isn’t

✅ Why scrupulosity is a fear issue, not a faith issue

✅ How OCD projects fear onto God, religion, and salvation

✅ Why reassurance, prayer-for-certainty, and overanalysis backfire

✅ What real faith actually looks like in a regulated nervous system

✅ How changing your internal state changes everything

This episode is designed to help you feel safer, calmer, and more grounded — without questioning your beliefs or forcing certainty.

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:📥 FREE Recovery GuideStart your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to UnstuckLearn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) ProgramLearn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:

✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461

✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:

🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – What scrupulosity really feels like

01:20 – OCD projecting fear onto faith

03:10 – Why doubt splits attention and creates torment

05:00 – Why scrupulosity is not a faith problem

07:20 – What real faith actually looks like

09:10 – Why reassurance and certainty-seeking fail

11:20 – How shifting state leads to healing

⚠️ Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For personalized support, consult a licensed professional.

Choosing a process vs choosing a result is one of the most overlooked reasons people stay stuck in anxiety, OCD, and mental health struggles for years.

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, licensed therapist Matt Codde, LCSW breaks down why trying tools, techniques, and processes without deciding on a clear outcome keeps people cycling — and what actually creates lasting transformation.

If you’ve tried ERP, mindfulness, ACT, coping strategies, books, or programs but still feel like nothing truly sticks, this episode will help you understand what’s missing.

Rather than focusing on eliminating symptoms, Matt explains why recovery and transformation begin with choosing an identity and a destination — and then building the structure, skills, and support that align with that result.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ The difference between choosing a process vs choosing a result

✅ Why eliminating symptoms is not the same as creating mental health

✅ How identity drives behavior, not willpower

✅ Why “trying things” keeps people stuck in cycles

✅ How clarity of outcome makes the right process obvious

✅ What it actually takes to create sustainable mental and emotional health

This episode is for anyone who feels like they’ve been doing “all the right things” — but still isn’t getting where they want to go.

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:

📥 FREE Recovery GuideStart your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to UnstuckLearn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) ProgramLearn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:

✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461

✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:

🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/

📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Why people stay stuck for years

01:10 – Choosing a process vs choosing a result

03:00 – Why removing symptoms isn’t an outcome

05:30 – Identity, beliefs, and mental health

08:00 – Why “trying things” doesn’t work

11:00 – How deciding the result changes everything

14:10 – The process follows the decision

⚠️ DisclaimerThis content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For personalized support, consult a licensed professional.

Why you’re stuck isn’t random — and it isn’t because you’re broken, resistant, or missing the right information.

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, licensed therapist Matt Codde, LCSW explores why people stay stuck in anxiety, OCD, and fear-based loops — and what actually creates real change.

If you’ve tried coping strategies, therapy, tools, or information but still feel trapped in the same cycles, this episode will help you understand the missing piece that keeps progress from sticking.

Rather than focusing on managing symptoms, Matt explains why transformation begins with responsibility, internal ownership, and changing the patterns that maintain fear — not blaming circumstances, genetics, or the outside world.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ Why you’re stuck even after trying many tools

✅ The hidden beliefs that keep anxiety and fear loops active

✅ Why information alone never creates transformation

✅ How responsibility becomes the catalyst for real change

✅ The difference between coping and true healing

✅ What it actually takes to break the loop long-term

This episode is for anyone who feels frustrated, exhausted, or discouraged by repeated setbacks — and is ready to stop cycling and start changing.

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:📥 FREE Recovery GuideStart your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to UnstuckLearn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) ProgramLearn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:

✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461

✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Why people stay stuck

02:10 – The illusion that the problem is outside of you

04:00 – Responsibility vs. blame

06:20 – Why information doesn’t create change

08:00 – The decision that unlocks transformation

10:00 – Looking within instead of outside yourself

12:00 – Breaking the loop for real

⚠️ DisclaimerThis content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For personalized help, consult a licensed professional.

Feeling scared for no reason is one of the most unsettling anxiety experiences — especially when you know nothing dangerous is happening, yet your body reacts as if it is.

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, licensed therapist Matt Codde, LCSW explains why anxiety feels so real even when there is no external threat, and why trying to argue with or suppress the feeling often keeps you stuck in the anxiety loop.

If you’re experiencing sudden fear, panic sensations, or anxiety that feels urgent “out of nowhere,” this episode will help you understand what’s actually happening inside your nervous system — and how to respond in a way that allows anxiety to release.

Rather than trying to fix or eliminate fear, Matt breaks down how healing comes from changing your relationship with the feeling itself, not fighting the experience or projecting it onto the outside world.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode✅ Why feeling scared for no reason is a real internal experience✅ How anxiety comes from within the nervous system — not external danger✅ Why projection makes fear feel threatening when it isn’t✅ The difference between real danger and perceived danger✅ Why fighting anxiety keeps it active✅ How to stop reacting to fear and start breaking the loop

These insights are designed to help you feel safer in your body and stop chasing reassurance — without endless coping strategies or symptom management.

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:📥 FREE Recovery GuideStart your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to UnstuckLearn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) ProgramLearn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461

✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Why anxiety feels real even when nothing is happening01:40 – Why fear doesn’t come from outside of you03:10 – How beliefs and past emotion activate anxiety05:20 – Projection and distorted perception07:40 – Why fighting fear keeps anxiety alive09:15 – How to respond differently to anxiety

⚠️ DisclaimerThis content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For personalized help, consult a licensed professional.

Anxiety and mental stress tips are everywhere — but most of them keep you stuck in the anxiety loop.

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, licensed therapist Matt Codde, LCSW shares 5 practical, grounded anxiety and mental stress tips to help you stop fighting your anxiety and start breaking the loop that keeps fear, tension, and overwhelm in control.

If you’re starting 2026 feeling anxious, emotionally drained, or exhausted from managing symptoms, this episode will help you understand why anxiety persists — and what actually allows it to release.

Rather than trying to “fix” anxiety, Matt explains how healing comes from changing your relationship with thoughts, sensations, and emotional tension.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ Why trying to get rid of anxiety actually makes it stronger

✅ How resistance — not anxiety — is the real problem

✅ Why anxiety is not a disease, but a skill you can learn

✅ How to get out of your head and back into your body

✅ Why dropping the story matters more than controlling thoughts

✅ The difference between releasing tension vs. removing feelings

These anxiety and mental stress tips are designed to help you feel safer in your body and reclaim control — without endless coping or reassurance.

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal:

📥 FREE Recovery Guide

Start your journey to freedom from OCD and anxiety with expert tools and step-by-step guidance.

👉 Download now: https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 Get a Copy of Our Book: From Stuck to Unstuck

Learn practical strategies to overcome fear and reclaim your life.

👉 Buy now: https://a.co/d/1WEvonT

📘 Taking Back Control (TBC) Program

Learn how to apply these principles daily and dissolve anxiety at the root.

👉 Apply Now: https://www.restoredminds.com/tbc

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support:

✅ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly episodes, tools, and coaching content.

👉 https://www.youtube.com/restoredminds

✅ Leave a Review on your favorite platform to help others discover this life-changing content:

👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD

👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

✅ Ask a Question for a future episode:

👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessments/2147654461

✅ Download the Book – From Stuck to Unstuck

👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW on Social Media:

🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattcodde.restoredminds/

🔹 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/restoredminds/

📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Why anxiety and mental stress feel overwhelming

01:30 – Stop trying to get rid of anxiety

03:00 – Getting out of your head and into your body

05:10 – Dropping the story and urgency around thoughts

07:30 – Release tension, not the feeling

09:20 – Applying these anxiety and mental stress tips in daily life

⚠️ Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For personalized help, consult a licensed professional.

Holiday Anxiety: The Pressure to “Be Okay” (and Why It Makes You Feel Worse)

Do you feel like you should be happy, grateful, and “all good” during the holidays… but inside you feel anxious, numb, low, or overwhelmed?

In this episode of The Restored Minds Show, licensed therapist Matt Codde, LCSW talks about the hidden pressure to be okay during the holidays — and how forcing yourself to feel a certain way actually intensifies anxiety, OCD loops, and emotional pain.

Matt explains why comparing your inner world to everyone else’s highlight reel (or to how you “used to feel” in past holidays) keeps you stuck, and how learning to allow your current state—without self-judgment—can actually help your nervous system settle and heal.

If this season feels heavier, lonelier, or more stressful than you expected, this conversation will give you permission to be where you are, while still moving toward freedom.

🧭 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✅ Why the pressure to “be okay” during the holidays makes anxiety worse

✅ How resisting your current emotional state prolongs suffering

✅ The paradox of trying to force happiness, joy, or gratitude

✅ Why it’s okay if this season feels harder than past years

✅ How to allow your emotions without collapsing into isolation

✅ A healthier way to move through the holidays with self-compassion and honesty

🚀 Resources to Help You Heal

📥 Free Assessment & Recovery Resources

Start your journey to freedom from OCD, anxiety, and chronic stress.

👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/start

📖 From Stuck to Unstuck (Book)

Practical tools to overcome fear and reclaim your life.

👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/book

🌱 Programs & Support

For step-by-step guidance on breaking the loop.

👉 https://www.restoredminds.com

🎧 Subscribe & Connect for More Support

👉 YouTube: / restoredminds

👉 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NJI2zD

👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/46AiT30

💬 Ask a Question for a Future Episode

👉 https://www.restoredminds.com/assessment

Follow Matt Codde, LCSW

🔹 Instagram: @mattcodde_lcsw

🔹 TikTok: @restoredminds

🔹 Facebook: OCD Support Community

📸 If this episode helped you, share it on Instagram Stories and tag us!

⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – The pressure to “be okay” during the holidays01:30 – When joyful activities no longer feel joyful03:25 – The paradox: resisting emotions makes them stronger05:10 – “Will I ever feel normal again?”07:00 – Why it’s okay to feel how you feel09:30 – Releasing the pressure and returning to emotional honesty⚠️ DisclaimerThis content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For personalized help, consult a licensed professional.