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

WHY Did I Have A Panic Attack? I NEED To Know!
"Why did I have a panic attack?" is a question asked many many times every day in the community surrounding this podcast.  People early on in the anxiety journey labor under the assumption that in order to get better they must uncover and decode their panic triggers and understand WHY panic attacks are happening to them repeatedly. This might make sense at face value, but it's often quite unhelpful or even harmful. People down the road to recovery might go a long time between panic attacks, then experience once, then immediately get dragged down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out why it happened and what it means. Again, not terribly helpful and not necessary.  Let's look at why.

While we're at it, let's do the first in my mini-series visiting places that I used to be terrified to go, starting with the end of my own driveway.  True story.  I was afraid to go that far from my front door at one time. That's why this episode was recorded there.

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/251

---

My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links 

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

Afraid During A Panic Attack ... Or Afraid OF Panic Attacks?
This is one of those recovery concepts what will make you tilt your head and wonder what I'm talking about.  But there is a difference between being afraid during a panic attack, and being afraid of panic attacks. That difference matters because it speaks to the mechanics of issues like panic disorder and agoraphobia.

TL/DR: EVERYONE is afraid during a panic attack. That's normal.  That's natural.  You can't get rid of that.  The problem is the fear that persists BETWEEN panic attacks, where you're afraid of the next one.  That's the part we're working on in recovery. See how that can be subtle, but important?

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/250

---

My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links 

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

Examining Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a condition in which a person sees - and becomes excessively focused on - problems or "defects" in their appearance that nobody else sees. This can become overwhelming when the person with BDD starts to see themselves as completely defined by this problem that nobody else would call a problem. This week therapist, BDD and OCD specialist Robyn Stern dropped in to talk about body dysmorphic disorder and how it can exist alongside conditions like OCD and other anxiety disorders.

I learned so much in this conversation, and I'm hopeful that you will too!

For full show notes on this week's episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/249

---

My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links 

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

Scary And Difficult Do Not Mean Ineffective
Recovery by way of facing fear is scary and difficult. When people choose to recover by learning how to accept, tolerate, surrender to and move through anxiety panic and fear, sometimes they will declare that it doesn't work for them.  They'll say that because they are afraid and they are challenged. They accidentally equate being afraid with recovery not working.  They'll decide that being challenged means that they're not getting better or can't get better this way. These are logical errors.

Today lets talk about how recovering in this manner means you WILL be scared and you WILL be challenged, but that neither of those facts means that this doesn't work. Let's talk about accidentally selling yourself short and abandoning hope simply because you are afraid or encountering difficulties.

For full show notes on this week's episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/248

---

My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links 

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

Anticipatory anxiety - the anxiety you feel when you have an event or challenge coming up that you know will make you anxious and therefore fear - is a common type of anxiety that many struggle with. This week on the podcast two giants in the anxiety community, Martin Seif and Sally Winston joined me to explain in the ins-and-outs of anticipatory anxiety, worry, and what they call fear of fear of fear.   

This is a GREAT episode full of amazing information so check it out!

Show notes for this episode: 

https://theanxioustruth.com/247

---

My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links 

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com

The state of mental health care - at least in the west - is such that many in our community have a difficult time either locating a therapist that specializes in treating anxiety disorders, or accessing professional mental health help for economic and other reasons.  This leads many to ask, "Do I need a therapist to recover?" While the help of a trained, experienced professional is certainly helpful, we have to look at what happens when that isn't possible.  Lauren Rosen and Kelley Franke from the Purely OCD podcast join me this week to talk about this problem and to explore options, alternatives and possibly helpful strategies for when accessing professional therapy proves difficult.

Disclaimer: In this podcast episode we attempted to address a problem we all know exists and to be realistic in our assessment of what options there may be for someone that has to "do recovery" on their own.  We simply cannot provide you with a definitive answer as to if you need a therapist or not. That answer is based on so many individual variables that without knowing you there's just no way to provide black and white answers to that question.  What you read, hear, and see in this episode is meant as general guidance and for informational purposes.  Only you can judge what is right for you in the end.



For full show notes on this week's episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/246

---

My books, social, and other links: https://theanxioustruth.com/links 

Support The Anxious Truth: https://theanxioustruth.com/support 

Music Credit: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission) https://bendrakemusic.com