The 18 Minutes Podcast

Amanda Claessens
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Self-Improvement

18 minutes is the average duration of a panic attack. That's all you need to start your recovery journey! The aim of this resource is to help sufferers of anxiety disorders move from fear to freedom, and rediscover the parts of themselves they thought anxiety had taken away. The 18 Minutes community helps each of us step into the world with more courage, more clarity, and more heart - becoming the kind of presence that inspires growth in others. TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes

  1. 4d ago

    What To Do When Anxiety Comes Back

    What do you actually do when anxiety comes back after you thought you'd put it behind you? In this episode I talk about why recovery was never a straight line to zero, and why I measured my own recovery by "widening the gaps" between panic attacks instead. I get into why a single anxious moment usually isn't the "setback" you think it is (and what a real setback actually is), the science of why anxiety can resurface even years later, and a story from a trip well into my recovery when panic showed up at the worst possible moment. Plus the exact response that keeps a hard day from snowballing, and why taking care of your basics is maintenance, not a safety behavior. If you've ever thought "I'm right back where I started," this one's for you! SOURCES: -Reinstatement of extinguished fear by an unextinguished conditional stimulus. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3343277/ -Enhancing Inhibitory Learning: The Utility of Variability in Exposure. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6884337/ (Why practicing across varied situations helps the new learning generalize and stick.) -Delayed Extinction Attenuates Conditioned Fear Renewal and Spontaneous Recovery in Humans. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2749460/ (Repeated, spaced practice reduces the return of fear over time.)  FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com

    25 min

  2. May 22

    What Partners of Anxious People Need to Know

    If you love someone with disordered anxiety, your most loving instincts are often what's keeping their disordered anxiety alive. I unpack the research on family accommodation, why reassurance is a long-term harm even when it feels kind in the moment, and the caregiver burden conversation we shy away from. Includes real examples from my own recovery and how my partner showed up alongside me. If you're an anxious person who has been trying to figure out how to talk to your partner about all this, send them this one!  SOURCES: -Spouse and Partner Help - Anxiety & Depression Association of America https://adaa.org/finding-help/helping-others/spouse-or-partner -Measuring Family Accommodation of Childhood Anxiety: Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Validity, and Reliability of the Family Accommodation Scale - Anxiety: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6881529/ -Subjective caregiver burden and anxiety in informal caregivers: A systematic review and meta-analysishttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247143  FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com

    24 min

  3. May 15

    Agoraphobia 101: What It Is and How To Recover

    Has your world been gradually getting smaller? Fewer places you'll go, more cancellations, a mental map of where it feels safe and where it doesn't? You might be dealing with agoraphobia. In this episode I unpack the real definition (it's not "fear of open spaces"), the panic-and-avoidance loop that builds it, a little entry-level neuroscience on what your amygdala and sympathetic nervous system are doing along the way, and exactly how recovery works using a four-phase framework I created for you. Plus, specific exposure ideas you can actually use. Enjoy!  Sources:  -https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/agoraphobia -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554387/ FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com

    24 min

  4. May 8

    Overpreparing Is Making You Anxious

    Overpreparing might be the most socially acceptable safety behavior there is. It doesn't always look like anxiety, it looks like being responsible! In this episode I unpack what overpreparing actually is, why our brains love it so much, and the mental and physical cost we pay for it. Then we talk about how to gradually let go of it without flipping your whole life upside down, and what life looks like on the other side. If you're tired of running the worst-case version of every situation in your head before it happens, this one is for you!! SOURCES:  - LaFreniere, L. S., & Newman, M. G. (2019). [Exposing Worry's Deceit: Percentage of Untrue Worries in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32044024/). *Behavior Therapy*. - Companion episodes referenced: "Safety Behaviors," "Reassurance-Seeking," and "How To Practice Acceptance" — The 18 Minutes Podcast. FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com

    23 min

  5. May 1

    How To Prepare For a Panic Attack

    You're probably going to have another panic attack. Sorry!! But what if you could prepare for it in a way that actually moves your recovery forward? In this episode, I walk through the mindset shift that changed my own recovery, the neuroscience of why you can't think your way through panic in real time, and a practical toolkit for setting yourself up before the next adrenaline surge hits, including how to talk to the people closest to you, why language matters, and what to actually do in the moment. If panic attacks have been running your life, this is your starting point! Sources: Heart Attack or Panic Attack | American Heart AssociationHow to tell the difference between a heart attack and panic attack | American Heart AssociationHeart Attack vs. Panic Attack: Key Differences | Cleveland ClinicPanic Attacks & Panic Disorder: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment | Cleveland ClinicMayo Clinic Q and A: Panic attack isn't life-threatening, but can be frightening experienceP.S. Thank you Jenny Matthews from State of Mind Therapy for the term "adrenaline surge"! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com

    23 min

  6. Apr 24

    Why Anxiety Feels Worse at Night (and what to do about it!)

    Ever wake up at 2am in panic mode? This episode is for you! Today I'm talking all about nighttime anxiety. How to recognize it, why it happens, and practical steps to move past it. Thanks for listening!  FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com

    18 min

  7. Apr 17

    Why Can't I Calm Down?!

    On this episode of The 18 Minutes I get into the science behind why it feels IMPOSSIBLE to calm down during an episode of intense anxiety or panic, and what we can do about it. Enjoy!  FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com

    12 min

  8. Apr 3

    What Not To Do During Panic

    Today's episode is a list of things that you might be doing that are keeping you stuck with disordered anxiety. Enjoy!  FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com

    13 min
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5
out of 5
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About

18 minutes is the average duration of a panic attack. That's all you need to start your recovery journey! The aim of this resource is to help sufferers of anxiety disorders move from fear to freedom, and rediscover the parts of themselves they thought anxiety had taken away. The 18 Minutes community helps each of us step into the world with more courage, more clarity, and more heart - becoming the kind of presence that inspires growth in others. TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda Claessens
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The 18 Minutes Podcast
  • Show Website
    The 18 Minutes Podcast

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