Disordered: Anxiety Help

Send a question or comment via text message Depersonalization and derealization (DPDR) can feel like not recognizing yourself in the mirror, or like living behind a pane of glass. This week, clinical psychologist Dr. Claudia Hallett joins us. She leads a specialist DPDR clinic in London and works with this condition full time. We talk about why the experience is so hard to describe, and why that makes it fertile ground for catastrophic interpretation (“I’m losing my mind,” “I’ve broken my bra...

Send a question or comment via text message Cognitive reframing in anxiety disorders is not about arguing with a thought until it loses. This week we take some of the most common phrases we hear in this community and look at them from a slightly different angle, without trying to prove them wrong or talk anyone into feeling safe. We work through "I'm spiraling," "what if," "I'm back to square one," "I'm a burden to my family," and "what if I lose my progress," and talk about why a reframe you...

Send a question or comment via text message 175 episodes in, we're finally talking about medication. This week we get into questions we hear constantly: if I take medication for my anxiety, does that mean I'm failing, or that I'll never really recover? Is medication cheating? Is it evil? Is there even an answer to these questions? We talk about why these questions don't even really hold up, why medication combined with therapy is genuinely the gold standard for treating some anxiety dis...

Send a question or comment via text message Exposure isn't about proving you can sit in traffic, go to the supermarket, or make it through dinner with a friend. This week we talk about what exposure is actually for: practicing being uncomfortable, on purpose, without trying to fix or manage the feeling once it shows up. We get into why the specific trigger, whether it's a bridge, a dentist's office, or a work presentation, barely matters compared to the discomfort underneath it, why reaching ...

Send a question or comment via text message Once you're better, desensitized, and living your life again, a different feeling can show up: guilt over the years you lost, the plans you canceled, the people you pushed away. This week we talk about the urge to "make it right," and why that instinct deserves a closer look before you act on it. We get into the difference between amends that actually help and rumination dressed up as responsibility, why some of that guilt simply has to be carried r...

Send a question or comment via text message "I tried CBT and it didn't work" is a lot like saying "I tried food and it didn't work." CBT is a massive umbrella, and what you actually got depends heavily on which version of it you were given. This week we break down what CBT for anxiety disorders actually looks like, from the older, content-driven approach built around thought challenging and thought replacement, to the third-wave, mindfulness and acceptance-based approach we rely on most, whic...

Send a question or comment via text message "Yeah, but." Two words that show up constantly in anxiety recovery, right after a win. You did the thing, and before it can count, the mind adds a condition: yeah, but I had my water bottle with me, yeah, but I still felt anxious, yeah, but a real doctor might find something the others missed. This week we break down why "yeah, but" is one of anxiety's most effective tools, using misapplied logic, hypothetical scenarios, and stories that have nothin...

Send a question or comment via text message Not everything is an anxiety disorder, but people pleasing and low self-esteem feed into it constantly. This week we talk about why the two overlap so heavily, and why learning to desensitize almost always requires putting yourself first, which can feel like the least safe thing in the world if pleasing people is how you've kept yourself safe. We get into what people pleasing actually looks like, from constant scanning of other people's moods to gui...

Send a question or comment via text message This week we go through the most common mistakes people make while trying to recover from anxiety disorders, the ones that feel intuitive in the moment but end up keeping the cycle going. We cover minimizing your own wins, thinking a place or situation is the actual exposure instead of the feeling underneath it, overestimating anxiety's importance while underestimating your own ability to handle it, and treating a thought that feels true as if it is...

Send a question or comment via text message Is distraction the same thing as running from your feelings? This week we answer a listener question about where that line actually is, and why the answer isn't as simple as always sit with it. We talk about why attention plays such a big role in anxiety disorders, why getting caught up in your life is not automatically avoidance, and why the real question isn't am I distracting myself but what am I actually running from. We also get into why ever...

Send a question or comment via text message Anxiety recovery attracts an entire industry, and not all of it is safe. This week we talk about popular but dangerous anxiety cures, the methods and trends that get recommended constantly but that our community says actually made things worse. We cover the trauma narrative that convinces people their panic and OCD are rooted in trauma stored in the body, nervous system regulation and vagus nerve claims built on debunked science, tapping and EFT m...

Send a question or comment via text message This is our anxiety latest questions and answers episode, where we go straight to the community and tackle real listener questions about panic disorder, OCD, GAD, and health anxiety. We get into what to do when anxiety symptoms show up all day without fitting a specific diagnosis, why worrying about something you live with, like an aging house, does not count as exposure on its own, and how to tell the difference between doing real exposure work a...

Send a question or comment via text message Anxiety always seems to have a strategy for you, doesn't it? Check it, prepare for it, watch it closely so nothing bad happensStay on top of things so you can be the fixer, the predictor, the protector, the engineer of experiencesDo not take your eyes off the worry because worry is proof of how good you are and how loving you are. This week we're picking that strategy apart and showing why it almost never holds up. We're talking about: The nocebo e...

Send a question or comment via text message Everyone tells you to release tension. But if you live with panic disorder, OCD, or health anxiety, that advice can backfire fast. This week we're digging into why chasing relaxation as a goal often makes tension worse, and what actually helps instead. We're talking about why physical tension is a normal response to stress and fear, not a problem to fix. Why techniques like jaw stretches, massage, and meditation can turn into more monitoring and c...

Send a question or comment via text message Anxiety has a favorite move. It doesn't argue that acceptance and exposure don't work. It just convinces you they don't apply to you specifically. This thought, this sensation, this situation, is the one exception to every rule you already understand. This week we break down what fuels that exception: possibility, intensity, and importance, plus the urgency that makes an unlikely outcome feel like it's already happening. A 1 in 5,000 chance means ...

Send a question or comment via text message It's your heart. Or the dizziness. Or the one thought you can't get to leave you alone. If you could just solve that specific thing, you'd finally be okay. This week we push back on that. The subject of your fear, the heartbeat, the health scare, the intrusive thought, the situation you're avoiding, is the content. What's actually running underneath it, the same threat response, the same doubt, the same physical symptoms no matter what story your ...

Send a question or comment via text message You want to do the acceptance thing. You've read the books, you've listened to the podcasts, you intellectually get it. And then you get triggered, and suddenly the version of you that's anxious, scared, or doubting gets the door slammed in its face. That version of you is broken. That version shouldn't be here. That version needs to go. But that's the version of you that actually has to learn the lesson. In this episode we dig into one of the m...

Send a question or comment via text message This week we're talking about attention. Specifically, how where you place your focus directly impacts your anxiety and your recovery. We discuss how an anxiety disorder naturally hijacks your attention, pulling it inward to scan for threats inside your own body and mind. While checking in on how you feel might seem like the safest thing to do, it actually feeds the sensitization process. We look at the role of the locus coeruleus and the cognitiv...

Send a question or comment via text message Improving vs. Optimizing in Anxiety Recovery In this episode of Disordered, Drew and Josh tackle a topic suggested by the community: the hidden trap of the "optimization culture" and how it intersects with anxiety and OCD. There is a distinct difference between wanting to improve your health and falling into compulsive, perfectionist territory where every metric must be flawlessly managed. For an anxious mind fixated on certainty, the modern wel...

Send a question or comment via text message What do you do when your anxiety finally quietens down for a few days? For many of us, a calm day triggers a completely new set of anxious habits. We treat the absence of panic as a fragile victory, freezing in place so we do not ruin it, or constantly checking around the corner to see if the fear is returning. In this episode, we address why the work of anxiety recovery continues even when you are feeling calm. When we spend our quiet days monitori...

Send a question or comment via text message Can distraction be a compulsion in anxiety recovery? It is a question that comes up constantly in the anxiety community. Many people are told to simply "distract your mind" when they feel anxious, but if you are doing it specifically to escape a feeling, it can quickly turn into a safety behavior or a compulsion. In this episode of Disordered, the guys break down the crucial difference between using distraction as an urgent escape mechanism and choo...

Send a question or comment via text message Asking for help can be difficult, especially when you are struggling with anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, or agoraphobia. In this episode, Drew and Josh break down the nuances of asking for anxiety help. There is a fine line between asking for genuine support and looking for compulsive reassurance or soothing to make the discomfort disappear. Drew and Josh discuss why so many people feel like a burden when asking for support and how anxiety often twis...

Send a question or comment via text message OCD is a difficult condition to navigate, but it becomes significantly more challenging when obsessions center on taboo topics. Themes involving harm, pedophilia (pOCD), sexual orientation (HOCD), or moral and religious failure often carry a heavy burden of shame. This shame frequently drives people into silence, preventing them from seeking the help they need. In this episode, Drew is joined by Jess Marriner, an OCD specialist based in the UK. They...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode, Josh and Drew discuss a common hurdle in anxiety recovery: the desire to "win" against your anxiety. For many, especially those with perfectionist tendencies, anxiety is viewed as an adversary that has taken something away. This leads to a constant, habitual checking to see if the anxiety is gone, which inadvertently keeps you stuck in a cycle of monitoring and frustration. We look at why defining recovery as a "win" can be counte...

Send a question or comment via text message Let's start with a success story from the UK. While being medically monitored for four hours, our listener realized how much attention she was giving to her physical symptoms. Her story highlights the difference between noticing a sensation and compulsively monitoring it. Which leads us to a conversation about the urge to ALWAYS talk about how you feel - either out loud or silently in an internal dialogue. We discuss the "telling compulsion," which ...

Send a question or comment via text message Have you ever felt like a supermarket was a high-stakes obstacle course you just couldn’t wait to escape? In this episode of Disordered, Josh and Drew dive deep into a struggle that almost everyone with an anxiety disorder knows well: anxiety in the supermarket or grocery store. Whether it is the harsh fluorescent lighting, the narrow aisles, or the trapped feeling of standing in a long checkout queue, the grocery store is often a primary trigger ...

Send a question or comment via text message This episode of Disordered dives into the concept of sneaky compulsions. Many people struggling with anxiety or OCD often find themselves performing behaviors that they do not immediately recognize as compulsions. These can look like productive research, seeking reassurance through a joke, or even "checking" to see if you still feel calm. Drew and Josh discuss how these behaviors are often avoidance or escape mechanisms in disguise. Whether it is ...

Send a question or comment via text message In this milestone episode of Disordered, we discuss the concepts in Josh's upcoming book. The conversation focuses on the gaps in anxiety recovery and the modern hurdles that prevent people from effectively practicing desensitization. They break down how the obsession with "optimization" and the "wellness brosphere" often becomes a distraction from the actual work of recovery. Using case studies from the book, they examine the different ways peopl...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode, Josh and Drew tackle a common hurdle in anxiety recovery: what happens when an exposure feels like a "failure" or when you choose to "bail." An exposure is the deliberate act of evoking an anxious response. It is a way to rewire the brain by intentionally lighting up the threat response and practicing response prevention. The goal is to teach your brain that you are safe even when you feel scared, rather than trying to force yoursel...

Send a question or comment via text message This episode of Disordered addresses the experience of constant, simmering anxiety that fluctuates in intensity throughout the day without fully disappearing. We refer to this as undulating panic or a loop of peaking anxiety. The Nature of Rolling Anxiety: Many people that they are different because they don't have anxiety that appears, then disappears. It rolls and undulates throughout the day. This is the rule, not the exception. We explain how an...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode of Disordered, we celebrate the "Global Edition" of Did It Anyway. We're sharing inspiring stories from our community members around the world who chose to face their fears and take action despite experiencing intense anxiety. From navigating health anxiety at a drum and bass gig in London to managing emetophobia while being physically ill, these stories highlight the power of psychological flexibility. We discuss how recovery ...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode, Josh and Drew break down the "Stress Jug"—a metaphor designed to explain why anxiety and panic often seem to appear out of nowhere. The guys discuss how accumulated stress, both positive and negative, can cause your "threat response" to overflow, leading to sensitization and the search for a threat where none exists. The Mechanics of Overflow: How the amygdala misinterprets a full "stress jug" as immediate danger, triggering unexpec...

Send a question or comment via text message This week we're discussing the relationship between anxiety and self-compassion. Self-compassion is often dismissed as a way to avoid difficult tasks or "whine" about struggles, but it is actually a functional part of the desensitization process. Drew shares how he originally viewed self-compassion as a weakness that would lead to more avoidance, only to realize that berating himself was not actually an effective motivator. Josh explains how a lac...

Send a question or comment via text message This episode of Disordered explores the vital role of attention in anxiety recovery. Josh and Drew discuss the core skill of moving your attention while feeling high levels of fear. Many people struggling with anxiety disorders feel their attention is glued to symptoms or intrusive thoughts. Josh describes this as "threat-induced attention," which is a survival mechanism where the brain locks onto perceived danger. You always have agency over your a...

Send a question or comment via text message After many months of building and planning, the Disordered Community space is now live. We could not be more pleased about this! Check out the community space here: https://disordered.fm/community Why did we do this? Endless scroll, algorithm-driven, attention focused platforms that only want to monetize your struggle are awful places to support anxious people.A smaller, more focused, intentional community where we can interact in a meaningful way a...

Send a question or comment via text message This episode of Disordered examines the fundamental "Golden Rules" of anxiety desensitization. Josh and Drew break down two core principles designed to guide long term desensitization for those struggling with panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, and health anxiety. They move away from promising cures or quick fixes, focusing instead on changing the listener's relationship with discomfort. Rule One: Do what non-anxious you would do while anxious. The...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode of Disordered, guest co-host Kimberley Quinlan joins Drew to pull back the curtain on one of the most persistent hurdles in anxiety recovery: rumination. Whether you call it overthinking, worry, or mental "problem solving," the process is a universal constant across panic disorder, OCD, health anxiety, depression, and other related issues. We examine why rumination feels like a productive tool when it is actually a mental compulsio...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode, Drew and Josh discuss the world of anxiety cures and the "miracle" solutions often marketed to those struggling with panic, OCD, and health anxiety. They share personal stories of the various methods they tried during their own recoveries and explain why many popular trends fail to provide long-term relief. The Magnetism of the Miracle Cure: Why we are drawn to supplements like magnesium or specialized "breathing devices" when we ar...

Send a question or comment via text message Have you ever felt anxious about admitting you're doing better? Like saying "I'm okay" out loud might somehow jinx your progress or tempt fate? In this episode, Drew and Josh explore that uncomfortable feeling when someone asks "How are you doing?" and you're caught between wanting to acknowledge improvement and being afraid that talking about it will make everything fall apart again. What we discuss: Why the question "How are you?" can feel trigger...

Send a question or comment via text message In this listener participation episode, Drew and Josh tackle your questions about recovery while celebrating inspiring stories from the community. Questions explored in this episode: Why does my anxiety disorder feel like it's protecting me? When you're struggling with OCD, panic disorder, or health anxiety, your threat response can feel like a cult leader in your head—insisting it has your back, showing you "the truth," and making it incredibly ris...

Send a question or comment via text message When you're at your child's birthday party, your wedding day, or on a much-anticipated vacation, do you find yourself feeling anxious instead of joyful—and then getting frustrated with yourself for "not feeling the right way"? In this episode, Drew and Josh explore one of the most common traps in anxiety recovery: judging yourself for having the "wrong" emotions. You'll hear about how people struggling with panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, and ot...

Send a question or comment via text message One of the most terrifying fears in anxiety disorders is the fear of losing your mind. In this episode, Drew and Josh explore dementophobia - the fear of insanity - and why it's so common among people experiencing panic disorder, OCD, agoraphobia, and health anxiety. The guys discuss how the brain's threat response can turn inward when it can't find an external danger, creating the believable (but inaccurate) story that you must be going crazy. Th...

Send a question or comment via text message Drew and Josh announce the release of their first co-written book, The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety, and dive deep into the many faces of health anxiety. From the resource gatherer constantly Googling symptoms to the optimizer obsessing over perfect health metrics, they explore how health anxiety shows up differently for different people - and why it's fundamentally about the anxiety, not the health itself. You'll hear real stories from listen...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode of Disordered, the guys delve into the common anxiety symptoms of dizziness and lightheadedness. They share personal experiences, discuss the impact of these symptoms on daily life, and explore coping mechanisms such as interoceptive exposure and mindfulness. The conversation also highlights community wins, listener questions, and the importance of awareness in managing anxiety. The hosts encourage listeners to challenge thei...

Send a question or comment via text message Agoraphobia. Is it fear of open spaces? Do people with agoraphobia always fear open spaces? What even is agoraphobia and how to I overcome it? This week we're looking at the complexities of agoraphobia, exploring its definitions, connections to panic disorder, and the fear of open spaces. We're sharing some personal experiences and insights on how navigate through these challenges, emphasizing the importance of exposure therapy (what a surprise) and...

Send a question or comment via text message Sometimes life throws real challenges at you. Medical issues. Loss. Uncertainty. The kind of stuff that makes anxiety feel completely justified. So how do you move forward when you're genuinely scared AND dealing with actual difficult circumstances? In this episode, we share some of the most powerful "did it anyway" stories we've ever received. From someone facing serious health challenges to a marathon runner dealing with panic attacks, these lis...

Send a question or comment via text message Panicogenic Relaxation: Why You Feel Anxious When Feeling Calm You're finally feeling better. The anxiety has lifted. You're relaxed and calm for the first time in months or even years. So why does that feel so weird? And why are you suddenly anxious about feeling calm? In this episode, Drew and Josh explore "panicogenic relaxation". This is a common experience in anxiety disorder recovery where feeling normal, neutral, or relaxed can trigger concer...

Send a question or comment via text message When anxiety and its relentless inner critic take hold, one of the most profound losses is the belief and trust in your own capability. In this episode, Drew and Josh explore how to rebuild self-trust after anxiety disorders erode your confidence in handling life's challenges. The conversation centers on stories from listeners who confronted their worst-case scenarios—from emergency medical situations while struggling with agoraphobia and panic diso...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode, Drew and Josh explore the powerful role of the internal critic—affectionately named "Craig"—in maintaining anxiety disorders and interfering with recovery. They discuss how this nagging inner voice criticizes, questions, and doubts us, often telling us we're doing things wrong or that we'll never be who we hope to be. Let's examine where Craig the Critic comes from, including family dynamics, conditional affection, societal pressure...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode of Disordered, Drew and Josh tackle one of the most frightening anxiety symptoms: air hunger - that terrifying feeling that you can't get a deep enough breath or fully fill your lungs. Drew and Josh draw from both their clinical expertise and personal recovery experiences to explain why this sensation happens, why trying to "fix" your breathing often makes things worse, and how the compulsive need to control your breath can actually ...

Send a question or comment via text message One of the most common questions we hear from people working through anxiety disorders and OCD is: "How long is this going to take?" In this episode, Drew and Josh tackle the timeline question head-on—but probably not in the way you're expecting. We explore why asking "how long until I recover?" might be the wrong question, and why shifting to "how long until I'm desensitized?" can be a game-changer in how you approach your anxiety journey. We discu...

Send a question or comment via text message Can your focus on getting better actually make things worse? In this episode, we explore what happens when the recovery process itself becomes an obsession - coining the term "Recovery OCD" to describe the fixation many people develop around their anxiety recovery journey. We dig into the counterintuitive reality that constantly checking "Am I recovered yet?" or "Am I doing this right?" can actually signal to your brain that anxiety is still somethi...

Send a question or comment via text message How do you handle anxiety when the news feels overwhelming? With constant exposure to current events, political tensions, and global crises through social media and traditional news sources, it's no wonder many people with anxiety disorders find themselves struggling. This week on Disordered we're talking about the complex relationship between news consumption and anxiety, discussing when avoidance might be helpful versus when it could be prob...

Send a question or comment via text message Welcome to another inspiring round of "Did It Anyway" stories, where we celebrate real wins from our community members who chose to move forward despite their anxiety. In this episode, Drew and Josh share powerful listener stories that illustrate a fundamental truth about anxiety recovery: you can take meaningful action even when you feel scared, uncertain, or overwhelmed. From someone driving to the gym after a panic attack at work, to a listener...

Send a question or comment via text message In this essential episode, Drew and Josh are joined by Dr. Birthe Macdonald, a psychologist and neuroscience researcher who's become a vital voice in combating mental health misinformation on social media. The conversation tackles the overwhelming sea of questionable advice that anxious people encounter online, from vagus nerve stimulation devices to "nervous system regulation" quick fixes. Dr. Macdonald shares her journey from neuroscience research...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode, we explore how the language we use to describe our anxiety experiences can either fuel our struggles or support our recovery. We examine the difference between helpful and unhelpful ways of talking about panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, and anxiety symptoms. We discuss why saying "it feels like I'm dying" versus "I'm experiencing intense physical sensations" can dramatically impact your recovery journey. We challenge common phrase...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode, Josh and Drew tackle one of the most counterintuitive concepts in overcoming panic attacks: learning how to panic better, rather than trying to avoid panic altogether. When facing a new job triggers familiar panic patterns, many people focus on preventing anxiety rather than developing a healthier relationship with it. Drew and Josh explore why "learning how to panic" is often the key to breaking free from panic disorder and agoraph...

Send a question or comment via text message When you're struggling with anxiety disorders, you often do things that don't reflect who you really are - avoiding social gatherings, canceling plans, or making demands on loved ones that you normally wouldn't. As you start to recover, it's common to feel overwhelming guilt about how your anxiety affected the people around you. In this episode, Drew and Josh explore the complex journey of self-forgiveness after anxiety recovery. They discuss why an...

Send a question or comment via text message When anxiety takes hold, one of the first casualties is our natural sense of wonder and openness to new experiences. In this episode of Disordered, lets explore how anxiety disorders systematically erode our curiosity about the world around us and our own capabilities. Drew and Josh discuss how anxiety creates a rigid, self-focused mindset that asks only "How will this make me feel?" rather than "What might I discover?" They examine how this shift...

Send a question or comment via text message When something shocking or difficult happens, we're often told we need to "process" our emotions. But what if that endless loop of replaying events in your mind isn't actually processing at all? In this episode, Drew and Josh explore the crucial difference between healthy emotional processing and anxious rumination that keeps us stuck. How to distinguish between genuine emotional processing and OCD/GAD-style ruminationWhy that "urgent" feeling to th...

Send a question or comment via text message In this episode of Disordered, the guys tackle one of the most misunderstood concepts in anxiety recovery: healing. Sparked by a listener question about balancing relationships with anxiety recovery work, the hosts dive deep into what healing anxiety really means - and what it doesn't. The Problem with "Healing" Language Drew and Josh explore how the word "healing" can be problematic in anxiety recovery, often implying that people are broken a...

Send a question or comment via text message Ever feel trapped in cycles of rumination, overthinking, and constant mental chatter about your anxiety? In this episode, Drew and Josh tackle the challenging question of how to "get out of your own head" without turning it into another exhausting battle. Starting with a thoughtful question from a listener who has built an impressive life despite ongoing anxiety and DPDR but still struggles with constant internal focus, the hosts explore why simply ...

Send a question or comment via text message What If I Want To Control My Anxiety Holistically? In this episode, Drew and Josh examine tension between wanting to control anxiety through holistic approaches and recognizing when that desire for control becomes part of the problem itself. Key Topics Discussed: The difference between actual control and the illusion of controlHow the wellness and self-optimization industry can exploit anxiety sufferersWhy treating anxiety as a threat teaches your...

Send a question or comment via text message Am I Doing Too Much Recovery/Exposure? This week Drew and Josh tackle a common question in anxiety recovery: "Am I pushing myself too hard with exposures?" The guys explore the nuanced balance between challenging yourself and recognizing when you might genuinely need rest. In this episode: How to distinguish between being genuinely depleted versus being scaredWhy feeling anxious after successful exposures doesn't mean you've done "too much"The diffe...

Send a question or comment via text message This week Drew and Josh are answering questions from listeners. Questions addressed in this episode include: Is it "normal" to feel a letdown after completing and big successful exposure/challenge?What work can we do to address the fawn response?Isn't a panic attack a medical emergency? How can it possibly be safe to experience panic?!Staying off social media is good for mental health, right? But is that anxiety avoidance?How can I learn how to NOT ...

Send a question or comment via text message Death anxiety - an obsessive fixation on death, dying and existence driven by intense fear of the inevitability of death - is a very common experience for listeners of Disordered. This week Josh and Drew were lucky enough to have a chat with Professor David Veale, one of the leading authorities in in the UK on the topic of death anxiety and mental health issues related to death and existence. David helped spread some light and some much-needed hum...

Send a question or comment via text message What's the difference between rumination and reflection? Ruminators, worriers, and over thinkers often struggle to recognize the useful limits of thinking. They can become unsure when they are engaging in helpful reflection or problem solving .... and when they are ruminating and worrying with no good outcomes and often actual negative outcomes. This week on Disordered Drew and Josh are digging in to the difference between rumination and reflectio...

Send a question or comment via text message This week on Disordered we're discussing the all too common narrative in wellness circles that demands that we ascribe all anxiety or suffering of any kind to unhealed or unprocessed trauma. And while its certainly a good thing that we are more concerned with life experiences than structural defects now, this narrative can be unhelpful or even harmful in the context of anxiety disorders. All humans experiences crises. Some of those crises remain u...

Send a question or comment via text message "Help! I started doing exposures and trying to accept my anxiety and its getting worse!" This is a very common experience in anxiety disorder recovery. Its been spoken about at great length in the community surrounding the Disordered podcast. This week we're tackling the "worse before better" issue. When you stop running, hiding, avoiding, escaping, distracting, and otherwise drowning out your anxious thoughts, fears, and sensations, you will fi...

Send a question or comment via text message When we struggle with chronic or disordered anxiety, we regularly experience powerful emotions that tend to look like fear or tension. We may experience intense feelings of being vulnerable, or doomed. We talk about these things all the time. But what about when you have emotions about having those emotions? Struggling to overcome an anxiety problem that is creating disruption in your life is going to trigger actual emotions beyond just fear.&...

Send a question or comment via text message "Hey ChatGPT. Please tell me how I'll know if I'm accepting my anxiety or avoiding it." "Hey ChatGPT. When I get anxious my vision gets weird. Can anxiety do that? " "Hello Reddit. Does anyone else feel like ...." The guys are back after a short break to talk about the use of ChatGPT, AI, Reddit, Google, and the Internet in general in the context of anxiety and mental health issues. There's no doubt that large language models - software that agg...

Send a question or comment via text message We're taking a short two week break, so no new episode of Disordered for April 18 or April 25. We'll be back again on May 2! In the meanwhile, head over to disordered.fm and check out our back catalog of episodes. We've done some cool (and fun) stuff over the last two years so check it out. Thank you for all your support. We really appreciate all of you guys! ---- Want to talk about this episode, interact with us, and communicate w...

Send a question or comment via text message When working on anxiety recovery, sometimes we're DOING. Other times we have to focus on NOT doing. How confusing is that!? This week Drew and Josh are chatting about how DOING things specific to anxiety recovery and NOT DOING things specific to anxiety recovery are related and how these two concepts work together. In a nutshell, doing is about activating and engaging in behavior that anxiety says you should avoid. On the flip side, not do...

Send a question or comment via text message Emetophobia - an intense fear of vomiting and any thoughts or sensations associated with vomiting - is a more common struggle among anxious people than anyone might initial think. But Emetophobia can make its way into virtually every aspect of life, often resulting in a highly restricted lifestyle and a dramatic decrease in the ability to function. This week Dara Lovitz and Dr. David Yusko join Drew and Josh to talk about emetophobia. Dara suffere...

Send a question or comment via text message One of the perfect storms in the anxiety disorder world is the combination of existential related anxiety with the sensations/experiences of depersonalization and derealization. Unfortunately for many, this is a common combination and it can be so difficult to understand and address that it seemed an episode dedicated to this issue was in order. As you might expect, the overall message in this episode is that while this is a very scary combination...

Send a question or comment via text message Do you feel like you've "mostly" overcome your chronic or disordered anxiety issues but there are still challenges that linger? Maybe you've felt fully recovered once before, or even several times before, but you keep finding yourself back in the thick of it or unable to overcome a few specific challenges. If this is you, then tune in as Josh and Drew talk about the concept of "incomplete" anxiety disorder recovery. We're looking at the red zo...

Send a question or comment via text message When working to overcome an anxiety disorder, the biggest challenge many in our community can identify is flying. For chronically anxious people, the idea of getting on a plane, being trapped for hours, and being terrified or out of control for that long seems like something they will never be able to. Even for people that are well on the way to recovery, flying can still feel like the "ultimate test" of recovery. The fear that they will crumble and...

Send a question or comment via text message How can I learn to self-soothe when I get anxious and I'm terrified of my body or my thoughts? Well ... while it might seem like launching into a soothing technique designed to control the fight or flight response is a good idea, this week Josh and Drew are talking about why the concept of self-soothing doesn't automatically make sense in the context of anxiety disorders. Self-soothing, supporting yourself while you naturally work through diffic...

Send a question or comment via text message Breathing anxiety! This is such a common issue in the Disordered community. Breathing or breath focused anxiety often involves a few key concepts: "I feel like I can't get a deep enough breath!" "When I get really anxious it feels like I can't breathe." "I'm super focused on my breath all day long and I hate it!" Today we're joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Amy Janzen-Claude to chat about breathing and breath-focused anxiety, and the most effec...

Send a question or comment via text message To celebrate the 100th episode (and over a million downloads) of Disordered, we thought celebrating listener and community wins would be a great way to mark the occasion! Disordered would not exist without you, and when you guys do brave things, face your fear, learn lessons from that, and rise to meet challenges you previously thought impossible to meet, that needs to be acknowledged. If you find inspiration and encouragement in the victories o...

Send a question or comment via text message What is existence? What is the point of all this? Do I even really exist? The universe is so insanely huge! What even is time? What happens when we die? These are questions all humans ask - and have been asking since we developed language. They are normal. They can even be fun questions to ask. An entire section of the human race dedicates itself to studying and pondering these questions. But for people struggling with OCD and other anxiety diso...

Send a question or comment via text message When Drew and Josh form a band, they will call it "Willful Tolerance and the Sensitized State". Kinda like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble .... but way cooler. But before then, they're releasing this episode of Disordered, which takes a look at the relationship between a sensitized state - where everything seems scary and triggering and you feel stuck - and the principle of willful tolerance (acceptance, surrender, non-resistance, etc.). Th...

Send a question or comment via text message If being anxious means you are less than, defective, doing it wrong, or that you are at fault for not being able to control or stop your anxiety, you may be struggling to move forward in recovery. If you feel that being an anxious person is proof that you are unworthy or defective, or if you feel that you are bringing it all on yourself because you do not deserve a better life, you may be struggling with self-compassion. This is one of the primary...

Send a question or comment via text message I hate anxiety and panic. I hate my intrusive scary thoughts. I fear them. Why does everyone keep talking about "not judging". I MUST judge them! When addressing anxiety disorders, most modern, empirically validated effective treatments involve elements of mindfulness and acceptance. This means learning to experience anxiety without judgment or evaluation. That's difficult, isn't it! This week the guys are talking about "anxiety without judgment...

Send a question or comment via text message BUT THIS REALLY HAPPENED! You have an event in your past that you just can't stop thinking about and ruminating on, and the feelings you are getting about that event are incredibly intense and feel overpowering. Those feelings might include guilt, shame, embarrassment, anxiety, or worry about your status as a good person. But no matter how much you replay the event in your head or seek reassurance that it wasn't' as bad as you think, that never last...

Send a question or comment via text message This week on Disordered we're having a good old anxiety Q&A session, except the people answering the questions are legends in the area of anxiety disorders! Drs Sally Winston and Marty Seif are here this week to take questions from our listeners and to share some of the insights they gained over years of working with anxiety disorders. There's a reason why Sally and Marty are looked up to by so many in this field (including us!) so t...

Send a question or comment via text message "I MUST BE CALM OR ALL BETS ARE OFF!" If this feels like a rule you're living by, you may find that you're chasing calm all the time, looking for ways to force your way into the coveted parasympathetic "rest and digest" state. Anxious people tend to work very hard to create calm and to maintain it at all costs. This week on Disordered the guys are talking about "rest and digest" or the state of neutral calm that an anxious person would pay a lar...

Send a question or comment via text message There is a default thought that stands as thread that weaves itself throughout the life of a person struggling with disordered or chronic anxiety. "How do I feel?" This week Josh and Drew are looking at this default thought and the impact it has on an anxious person. All living humans will ask this question probably every day in some form, but anxious humans ask it as their default appraisal and monitoring strategy. It becomes inflated and twi...

Send a question or comment via text message "When I am ill, my anxiety goes through the roof!" Does this sound familiar? Many people struggling with disordered anxiety will say that if they get sick or feel unwell (i.e. a cold, a sore throat, the flu, etc.) they find that they are extremely anxious. If you experience this struggle, its not just you. This week Drew and Josh are examining the mechanics behind your over-productive threat monitoring system and why being sick or unwell can oft...

Send a question or comment via text message "Spiraling" is one of the terms heard quite often in the community of people struggling with anxiety disorders. There's a trigger like a thought or a sensation, then in short order you feel completely out of control, being dragged down into the pit of fear where you thrash about trying to make it stop but failing and just feeling worse and worse. This week on Disordered we're taking a closer look at what it really means to spiral. Is it a ...

Send a question or comment via text message How important is the concept of attention in driving an anxiety disorder and influencing the recovery process? VERY important! This week on Disordered we're up to our usual hijinks but also we're digging into the idea that attention - choosing to pay very close attention to how one feels and what one is thinking - is the primary driver of disordered anxiety. And if this is true - which we say it is - then working on moving your attention elsewhere e...

Send a question or comment via text message The struggle in an anxiety disorder is seen in two almost automatic responses to anxiety - we either obey it and do what it tells us we must do, or we resist it by trying to fight it, argue with it, and wish it away over and over. This week on Disordered Dr. Russ Harris - one of the world's leading advocates for Acceptance and Committment Therapy (ACT) - is here to chat about the principles of ACT, how we get hooked by anxiety, fear, and anxious t...

Send a question or comment via text message How can you tell if you're getting better? How do you measure or at least see progress when working on recovery from an anxiety disorder? What happens if you're "doing it anyway" but not seeing progress? This week on Disordered we're looking at the "green flags" of anxiety recovery. What are the signs that tell you that you're making progress even when you might feel like you're not? How much of recovery is found in just doing it anyway? What if y...

Send a question or comment via text message Do you have to give up coffee, tea, wine, pizza and cake to recover from an anxiety disorder? Well ... if you ask the Internet and consult general wellness influencers this question you're going to get answers that tend to collide with best practices among well trained therapists and counselors. No, you do not have to give up your favorite foods and drinks to get better. You may choose to structure your diet and your lifestyle around making overal...

Send a question or comment via text message This week on Disordered we're starting with the assertion that all anxiety disorders are obsessive and compulsive in at least some way. Then we make our way through all the "usual suspects" Panic disorderHealth anxietySocial anxietyGADOCD (obviously) We're looking at the obsessional components of each anxiety flavor, and the corresponding common compulsions or rituals designed to easy anxiety and discomfort. If you're worried because you think yo...

Send a question or comment via text message This week Josh and Drew are answering questions from Disordered listeners. How to deal with the shame associated with anxiety and recovery when a partner or spouse isn't terribly supportive.How do re-gain confidence in oneself?What happens if you don't remember what non-anxious you was like?What about flushing, feeling hot, and getting goosebumps when anxious?I'm an introvert. What do I do when I want to go home to re-charge? Is that avoidance...

Send a question or comment via text message This week Drew and Josh are talking about secondary fear. When triggered into an anxious state by thoughts, sensations, or anything else, we ALL experience a jolt of fear or discomfort. This is primary fear and its simply part of being human. Overcoming an anxiety disorder is not about removing this natural, healthy response to possible threats. People struggling with anxiety disorders will often make the mistake of trying to turn off the pr...

Send a question or comment via text message Everyone that develops an anxiety disorder wants to know why that happened. Why do some people develop disorders while others are anxious and stressed all the time without ever developing a disorder issue? Excellent question, and one that nobody would blame you for asking. This week on Disordered we're exploring the origins of anxiety disorders, why they develop, what makes us more vulnerable to this, why symptoms and scary thoughts happen, and ...

Send a question or comment via text message Anxious people in recovery from chronic or disordered anxiety can find themselves bored ... and this is often a problem. This week on Disordered we're talking about learning to be bored. Yes, we have to learn how to be bored, which can be challenging if anxiety is a problem for you, but this is a skill well worth learning and practicing. Allowing yourself to sit quietly or to engage in random activities that may or may not have any purpose at all ...