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

By Drew LinsalataHealth & Fitness Mental Health

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

October 21, 2020EP 128 - Is Anxiety Your Enemy Or Your Teacher?
Send in a question or comment via text.
Ask yourself a question. Is your anxiety your enemy, or is it your teacher? Most of you are going to immediately tell me that you see anxiety as an enemy. It lurks in the shadows, stalking you day and and day out, always ready to attack. Your anxiety drives you to do things you do not want to do. It drives you to eliminate and avoid parts of your life that desperately want back. Anxiety is clearly your enemy, right?
(For full show notes on this episode visit theanxioustruth.com/128)
It is not. Anxiety - when dealing with the anxiety disorders I am always addressing - has never been your enemy regardless of how much you may hate and fear it.
How do we learn once and for all to “believe” that we are safe even when afraid? By allowing the fear and the anxiety themselves to be your teachers. That’s right. Anxiety and fear MUST be your teachers if you are to achieve true and lasting recovery. We must be willing to face our anxiety and the associated fear, building a new relationship with it based on dropping all the old fight or flight responses. When we face it fully and allow it to do the worst we can imagine, we learn through real experience that it cannot. When we do this, anxiety becomes our teacher. It teaches us clearly that he has no teeth. The lesson we must learn is that the dragon breathes no fire and cannot kill us. We can only learn this lesson by letting the dragon show us. The dragon - your anxiety - must teach you how to recover. You must embrace it as your teacher and stop declaring it your enemy.
Takeaways:

You’ve positioned fear as a threat that you need to run from or fight, but there is a third option--embracing it and learning from it.

Your fear is real; the basis for it is not. This is why anxiety is NOT your enemy and never has been.

Do not try to erase your fears. It is human to fear, and you will never succeed in erasing fear from your life! Our goal here is not to become fearless, but to learn that the fear you’ve been hiding from and fighting has been baseless.
My books, social media, and other links: theanxioustruth.com/links
Music Credit: "Afterglow" by Ben Drake (facebook.com/BenDrakeMusic) with permission
Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
31 min
October 14, 2020 EP 127 - Accepting Anxiety Does NOT Mean Liking It
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This is common misconception for many, and it's keeping some folks stuck! When we talk about accepting anxiety as the path to recovery, and when we talk about surrendering to anxiety, we are not saying that you have to LIKE or LOVE your anxiety. You do not. If you've been struggling to find a way to like your anxiety because you think accepting and liking are the same thing, then this episode is for you.
Of note is a discussion about people dealing with OCD and intrusive, obsessive, disturbing thoughts. Acceptance in this case does NOT mean accepting that those thoughts are predictive of the future, will come true, or will represent who you are. It can be scary for someone to accept intrusive thoughts for this reason, but accepting just means acknowledging that they are here and that fighting them has been fruitless. Accepting is just a way of giving up the old ways of coping so that you can learn a new way that leads to freedom from the thing you hate - and will continue to hate - so much.
For full show notes on this episode visit https://theanxioustruth.com/127
My books, social media, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Music credit: "Afterglow" by Ben Drake with permission (https://facebook.com/BenDrakeMusic)

Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
21 min
October 07, 2020 EP 126 - Learning To Sit Still And Be Alone With Your Anxiety
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Is your worst-case scenario being forced to sit quietly with your own thoughts and sensations? Are you one of the many that declares that they are "OK" so long as they are up and about and occupied? Learning to sit quietly with oneself is a challenge for many people, with or without anxiety. For those recovering from an anxiety disorder, this presents a serious challenge, but a challenge that must be met on route to full recovery.(For full show notes on this episode visit https://theanxioustruth.com/126)It is well worth the time to solve this problem just like it is with all of your anxiety related problems. First you learn that being quiet and still is NOT a catastrophe, then you learn how to use quiet/still time positively and productively.This is a hard thing to overcome and a hard thing to learn to do. As always, you can do hard things.My social media or and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/linksMusic Credit: "Afterglow" by Ben Drake (with permission) - https://facebook.com/BenDrakeMusic
Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
28 min
September 30, 2020 EP 125 - Surgical/Medical Procedure Anxiety w/Dr. Frank Catanzaro
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For many, having to undergo a surgical or major medical procedure is "worst nightmare" territory anxiety-wise. There are quite a few fears at play here. Fear of being out of control. Fear of being away from safe places and people. Fear of sedation and anesthesia. Fear of complication or problems cause by the procedure in question. It can add up to an almost tragic level of avoidance in some cases, even when surgery or other medical procedures are critical to one's well being.
Today I was joined by practicing anesthesiologist Dr. Frank Catanzaro. Dr. Catanzaro has been practicing for over 25 years in the Rochester, New York area and has encountered all these fears in his patients. Frank was kind enough to take some time to share his knowledge and experience with us.
Takeaways:
1. EVERYBODY has anxiety or nervousness going into surgery or other major medical procedures. Anesthesiologists and other healthcare providers encounter this situation all the time. They are experienced in dealing with it.
2. If you are worried or anxious because you're not sure how things are going to go, ASK. Rather than playing the "what if" game in your head, speak your concern to your surgeon or other members of your healthcare team. Dr. Catanzaro's team is always happy to answer patient questions to help ease anxiety and worry. Odds are your team will be willing to do the same.
3. Pre-surgical treatment with a benzo is EXTREMELY common. This will likely be made available to you. Take advantage of it. Taking a benzo to lower your pre-surgery anxiety level is NOT avoidance and will not lead to addiction in any way. Dr. Catanzaro explains how refusing that option may mean a more difficult recovery post-surgery, so do your best to trust your medical team to give you good information and use the tools available to you.
4. Your anxiety and panic may change the parameters that your anesthesiologist will work within, but in the end even level 10 panic is no match for the medications used during surgery or other major medical procedures. A common fear is being "stuck" between awake and sedated because of severe panic. This does not happen.
Thanks to Dr. Catanzaro for taking the time to discuss this with us today!
For full show notes on this episode visit https://theanxioustruth.com/125
My social media, books, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Intro/Outro Music Credit:
"Afterglow" by Ben Drake (https://facebook.com/BenDrakeMusic) with permission
Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
28 min
September 23, 2020 EP 124 - You Can Overcome Anxiety No Matter How Long You've Suffered
Send in a question or comment via text.
I often here people saying that recovery becomes harder - or even impossible - if you've suffered too long with your anxiety problems. This is simply not true. In this podcast episode let's take a look at why this is a misconception that you're going to have to leave behind. There are three main reasons why you can recover no matter how long you've suffered.1. Anxiety disorders are not progressive degenerative diseases that take away your physical or mental abilities over time. If you're thinking of it that way, you're wrong and need to drop that notion.2. The past does not predict or govern the future. You are not powerless. If you begin to make new choices and engage in new behaviors and reactions, new things can and will happen. Just because you've done a thing for 20 years does not prevent you from doing a different thing tomorrow.3. You have not been digging an infinitely deep hole all this time. The hole got as deep as it was going to get early on. Now you're just jumping in and out of it. It's always the same hole, so your climb is no longer now than it was 10 years ago. You just have to stop jumping back in.For full show notes on this episode go to https://theanxioustruth.com/124My social media and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/linksMy books: https://theanxioustruth.com/booksClosing music: "Afterglow" by Ben Drake (https://facebook.com/BenDrakeMusic) with permission.
Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
28 min
September 09, 2020 EP 123 - Holly's Benzodiazepine Anxiety Experience
Send in a question or comment via text.
Holly is back in this episode, sharing her long experience using benzos as part of her anxiety management strategy. Holly shares how she started on benzos, what her doctor told her, and how she actually did use them. We talk about "as needed" use, daily use, dependency (addiction), effectiveness, and how the use of benzos interferes with learning recovery lessons. Holly shares her recovery story and how we gradually stopped taking benzos altogether after many years of use.
This is a topic that I know many want me to cover in greater detail. It seemed that this was a good first step in that direction.
Please note that neither Holly nor I are medical professionals. NEVER make changes to your medication without consulting your doctor(s) and NEVER just stop taking benzodiazepines on your own.
For full show notes please visit https://theanxioustruth.com/123
My social media and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
My books: https://theanxioustruth.com/books

Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
50 min
September 02, 2020EP 122- Thoughts, Memories, Sleep, Depression, Parenting and My Story - Listener Q&A Part 2
Send in a question or comment via text.
In this episode I answer listener questions about:

Returning to "normal".

Handling thoughts, memories and emotions.

Parenting issues in recovery.

Sleep anxiety.

My own progress in recovery and my issues with coming off medications.
For full show notes on this episode, go to https://theanxioustruth.com/122
My social media and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links

Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
42 min
August 26, 2020 EP 121 - Listener Anxiety Q&A Part 1
Send in a question or comment via text.
This week and next I will take time to answer questions submitted by by Instagram friends. I had over 130 questions sent in for this episode so lets break it into two episodes. This is part one. Part two will be next week in episode 122.Questions covered in this episode are: "I just started therapy, how do I make the most out of it to get the most out of it?" "What's the best way to deal with the urge to talk about feelings often and seek reassurance?" "I always think you need to go to A&E (the ER in the US) when you have a panic attack because you can't breathe. Any tips?" "Any advice on how to deal with pain due to a medical condition triggering anxiety?" "How do I tell the difference between anxiety and an actual medical issue?" "Benzo/antidepressant withdrawal issues." "What part do other approaches like teas, oils, crystals and inner child work play in the recovery process?" "How do I prevent or deal with setback or relapse?" "Is recovery harder when OCD is involved?"For full show notes on this episode visit https://theanxioustruth.com/121My links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
32 min
August 19, 2020 EP 120 - An OCD Story With Shelley Hohe
Send in a question or comment via text.
Shelley Hohe has struggled with OCD for many years. Her contamination obsession and the accompanying compulsions drove her into a very dark place. Her faith was questioned and shaken, her life was getting smaller, her relationships were suffering, and she simply wasn't sure where to turn for answers or help. A chance encounter with an old friend changed everything, setting Shelley on a path of renewed faith where recovery from OCD is not only a goal, but a real work in progress. Shelley was generous enough to share her story with us in the hope that she may shine a light that others struggling with OCD can follow. Shelley has made it her mission to educate, inspire, and advocate on behalf of the OCD community, and has even taken on the role of OCD Advocate for the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation.
Find Shelley on Instagram at https://instagram.com/theocdcafe
Find the IOCDF at https://iocdf.org
My Links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links

Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
46 min
August 12, 2020 EP 119 - Generalized Anxiety Disorder With Dr. Dave Carbonell
Send in a question or comment via text.
One of the most common topics I am asked to address is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is generally categorized with other anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD and social anxiety. Today I was lucky enough to spend 30 minutes with Dr. David Carbonell. A clinical psychologist specializing in treating anxiety disorders, Dr. Carbonell is the author of "The Worry Trick" and three other books on anxiety and phobias. We had a most excellent talk about GAD, what it is, and how it's treated.
For full show notes on this episode, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/119
Find Dr. Carbonell and his books at https://anxietycoach.com
My Links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links
Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
35 min

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

From the publisher's feed

Struggling with panic attacks, agoraphobia, or other anxiety problems? The Anxious Truth will educate you, empower you, encourage you, and inspire you to get your life back!

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