Anxiety Road Podcast

Gena Haskett
  • 4.1 (31)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This is the Anxiety Road Podcast, the involuntary journey in finding treatment options for people that have anxiety and panics attacks with side trips into related mental health disorders. This podcast is treatment agnostic.

  1. Mindful Walking Without Your Phone

    DEC 8

    Mindful Walking Without Your Phone

    In this episode I talk about what is a mindful walking meditation, the difference between meditation and mindfulness and a few resources to help you get more information about it. I know that in some places in the world you cannot walk freely or without consciousness of your immediate area. Some places in the U.S. do not have sidewalks. Other cities are actively hostile to pedestrians.    The good news is that you can walk at home, in the back yard or visually in your mind.   It is okay, main thing is moving your body or your spirit.   Resources Mentioned:  Serene Madani article on the Woman's Health Magazine website about walking outside phoneless.   Duke Health has an infographic called Mastering Box Breathing: A Simple Technique to Relieve Stress. It shows you visually and in text how to do it.   Mindful.org has a page on A Guided Walking Meditation for Daily Life. There is an audio recording as well as text to help you reconnect with the existing world.   If you really, truly cannot leave home without your phone then you do have the option of adding a meditative podcast or download one of the many guided meditations.   The Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Canada has a 10 minute guided walking meditation in a .m4a audio format. Android users might have problems opening this audio format.   And from Michigan State University  Extension Mindfulness for Better Living is an audio .mp3 recording by Dr. Roxane Chan with more of a emphasis on mindfulness walking.   On the Jack Kornfield website, he has an audio walking meditation you could use as you walk and it might be challenging if you are new to meditation, but if you are further along the path and struggle with wondering attention, this is a good one.   Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    8 min
  2. A Look at the Opera Air Browser

    NOV 18

    A Look at the Opera Air Browser

    Well, I have a new to me and probably to you do-dad to help with anxiety symptoms. It is the Opera Air Mindfulness browser. In addition to the standard browsing features it has tools to help you breath and relax, guided meditations and a musical audio mode that can help you focus. Is this a good or bad thing? The TLDR: Some of the tech bros say it is a gimmick and who in their right mind would use it? In my bad times, I would have glommed on to it because I was looking for help. Lots of people are looking for mental health support and aren't too picky where they find it. (we should be, but when a person is in pain they are going to do what they think they need to do.)   I like many of the features but there is a cost. Free ain't free especially online.   Opera Air, like many other browsers is ad supported or allow third party extensions to be used in the browser. Many browser allow ads and cookie tracking to be passed onto those third party data collectors.  A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can hide your location and computer. You generally need to tell it what you want. A free VPN can be problematic. Who is operating it, where is the data passing through and what if it is down and you don't know it? Or it is blocking you from seeing certain web sites?   The security features require users to turn them on. If you don't, oopsie? Also, if you use those third party vendors extensions, you are subject to their terms of service which might include things you in no way agree to.  Again, I am not bashing the browser. I like the reminders about getting up and moving or taking a breathing breaks. But I do want folks to know what the benefits to you is versus cost of your privacy and personal information.     That will be up to you to decide. Resources Mentioned:  If you would like to see how Opera Air works, Brett in Tech has an overview video of the features of the software.   Before you download, I would suggest reading the Opera Help Page and read the FAQs so that you understand what you gain and give up when you use the browser.   If you are interested in giving it a try the address is https://www.opera.com/air   Emergency Resources   The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    9 min
  3. ARP 389 What is Situational Anxiety?

    NOV 2

    ARP 389 What is Situational Anxiety?

    If your are an adult human being, you have experienced situational anxiety. It is when you know that this specific thing is making you upset or anxious. It could be about money, your job, the lack of prospects of getting a job. Housing insecurity. Your car breaks down and you do not have cash or credit for the repair bill.   In this episode, a look at situational anxiety. Resources Mentioned:  To learn more about situational anxiety you can take a look at the page on VeryWell Mind. They do tend to go long with their description on the condition, symptoms and treatment options.  VeryWell Mind is a commercial site. It is advertiser supported. If possible, I would suggest that you use a browser like Duck Duck Go in fire mode or Vivaldi in anonymous mode.   Dennis the Anxiety Guy has a video from six years ago about handling situational anxiety.    Dr. Andrea Dinardo, Ph.D has an extract from a longer video on the experience.  The University of Michigan on five red flags you are dealing with situational depression.    Emergency Resources:   The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    8 min
  4. No Joke About Dental Anxiety

    OCT 7

    No Joke About Dental Anxiety

    There is a video about a dentist joking about giving less medication to people not of her political persuasion. To her audience, I guess they found it funny.  There is a larger story than the dentist and the joke. I waited. I hoped someone would bring a non-political reason what the joke was bad, very bad and unprofessional.    For the record, there are million of us that have some form of dental anxiety or dental phobia.  We need the skills of a professional, qualified and compassionate dentist.   We are scared out of our skulls because we don't know what a few bad teeth yankers of the profession will do to us. Or we clearly remember what a few of them have done to us.   In this episode, a brief definition of dental anxiety and phobia and resources for you to empower yourself.    Resources Mentioned:  There is a website associated with the American Dental Association website called Mouth Healthy. It offer three tips on dealing with dental anxiety.  Cleveland Clinic page on what is dental phobia, the symptoms, causes and treatment options.   The University of Pennsylvania Dental Medicine has a page on how to get over dental anxiety   For those of you in the United Kingdom, the Dental Fear Central page has some good information and suggestions on dealing with dental anxiety.   Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or use WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    8 min
  5. What is Fear?

    SEP 22

    What is Fear?

    This is a quick definition of fear, why it is an important emotion and two informational resources to help you learn more about. Fear is an emotional response to real or imaginary danger.    Your body enters into protection mode. It is not as some would describe it, a weakness or lack of backbone. You are in trouble and your body is helping you do deal with it.   When you understand what fear this can help you find the tools and skills needed to make healthy adjustments to your natural defense system. Those tools can be food or nutrition, therapy, exercise, education or other things you might not be aware of. Resources Mentioned:  For the TLDR folks, on the Psychology Today blog there is a page on the basics of fear. it talks about what it is, some of the causes and its relationship to phobias and social anxiety. The website Simple Psychology has an explainer page on The Psychology of Fear: Definition, Symptoms, Traits, Causes, Treatment   Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    5 min
  6. Evaluating Anxiety Herbal Supplements

    SEP 7

    Evaluating Anxiety Herbal Supplements

    I've done episodes about dietary supplements. I didn't take into account the ones sold at the gas station or corner store. People with an anxiety condition or disorder should be very careful about promises of herbal supplements treatment.    I don't want to be elitist here. There is bad stuff in U.S. pharmacies that do not work, known not to be effective or dangerous and yet still on sale. I have examples from Ethan Melillo. PharmD and Grant Harding, PharmD.   It is one thing to buy Slim-Jims from the gas station. I've bought water, two cans for three dollars then I get to the counter where the person looks at me like I'm less than dirt as he rings me up. Then I remember not to go back into that store for the next eight months or so.   I would never, ever purchase an herbal supplement from the gas station store, a convenience store or the 99 Cents or 150 Cents Store-ish variations.   You might decide otherwise. If you do want to risk it, pack a magnifying glass because you have to read the label.    What is the dosage? It might not be the full bottle.    And most important, have the contents been verified by an independent industry respected testing organization?   We need to be careful out in the wild. Just my two cents. This is my opinion which ain't worth a bucket of salt. Which does not stop me from this episode on how to evaluate herbal health supplements.   Resources Mentioned:    Operation Supplement Safety is intended for folks in the military that have restrictions on the kind of supplements they can use. However there is a non-military consumer version of the OSS Postcard that is a PDF download that gives guidelines on how to evaluate a supplement.   U.S. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know updated January 2023.   National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health page called Herbs at a Glance and Using Dietary Supplements Wisely   U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)   FDA page on Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements, updated 2022.    FDA page on Health Fraud Products Database. You can search by name, vendor, website or a specific action taken by the FDA.   Emergency Resources   The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    12 min
  7. ARP 365 What is Fright?

    AUG 26

    ARP 365 What is Fright?

    Living in a place with non-human beings can give you an appreciation of the unexpected. I've had encounters with possums, coyotes and skunks. Main skill is be aware of your surroundings, back up and give them a path to exit.   Haven't had a bear encounter yet. Do not want one either. Part of the inspiration of this episode is an old video of a man leaving his home, preoccupied on getting to work only to discover a big ole bear in his driveway.  This can cause most people a wee bit of fright.  That is the topic of this pebble in the anxiety road. Resources Mentioned:  On the Psychology Today blog is a post called Is Anxiety Psychological or Physical?   The National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI) has a post from 2021 on Anxiety And Fear: What's The Difference? There is an explanation of what is fear and anxiety, the symptoms and some ideas on how to process those experiences.   Emergency Hotline Resources   The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.   Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.   National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 hotline and users can text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.    Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    4 min
  8. Changes to 988 Suicide Hotline

    AUG 11

    Changes to 988 Suicide Hotline

    I had a flashback. What generated it was that I watched a video of a congress person telling his constituents that only the truly deserving should have access to free health care. Those that work are worthy. That is my understanding of what he said. I could be wrong. The example he gave was that a 28 year old person who refused to work. Once upon a time, I was truly ill. I had no savings. I owed bills. I couldn't work. The congress person would have deemed me unworthy.  Just like the Department of Health and Human Services did with the removal of LGBTQ+ access to the 988 suicide hotline. In this episode, what has happened and alternative hotline options. P.S. to the hot fingered. This is a mental health issue.  Resources Mentioned: The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.   Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.   National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of 988 and users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact. There are also text/chat services available to folks in Canada, the UK and Ireland. Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

    8 min
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About

This is the Anxiety Road Podcast, the involuntary journey in finding treatment options for people that have anxiety and panics attacks with side trips into related mental health disorders. This podcast is treatment agnostic.

Information

  • Creator
    Gena Haskett
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2025
  • Episodes
    406
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Gena Haskett
  • Show Website
    Anxiety Road Podcast