131: 5 Things That Are Preventing You From Healing Anxiety

What if the very things that feel like they’re protecting you are actually keeping you stuck?In this episode, I break down the five unconscious strategies that block healing from anxiety. I call it MADDS: medication, addiction, distraction, dissociation, and suppression. Each of these starts as a survival tool, but over time they numb us, disconnect us from our bodies, and cut us off from the younger self that needs our attention. I get real about the role medication plays, why worry itself can become addictive, and how dissociation becomes a default setting for many of us. Most importantly, I show how awareness, acceptance, and compassion can start to break the cycle so we can finally move toward real healing instead of just coping.You’ll Learn:The five nervous system strategies that quietly block anxiety healingWhy medications can help in crisis, but often numb long-term emotional recoveryThe surprising link between worry and the brain’s dopamine reward systemHow addictions form as self-medication for the body’s stored alarmThe subtle ways distractions like social media pull you further from your bodyWhat it feels like to live in dissociation and why it’s so hard to stopHow suppression of emotion can lead to deeper anxiety and physical illnessThe role of awareness and acceptance in breaking the anxiety coping cycleA simple ABC method to reconnect with your younger self and release the need for coping strategiesTimestamps:[00:00] Introduction[03:30] The role and limits of medication in healing anxiety[09:17] How addictions and worry become coping mechanisms for anxiety[13:00] How distraction masks anxiety and deepens disconnection[14:58] How dissociation protects us from pain but blocks healing[17:10] How suppression of emotions leads to disconnection and illness[19:11] How awareness and self-compassion break the cycle of anxiety coping strategiesFind more from Russell:Russell Kennedy | LinkedInRussell Kennedy | Facebook The Anxiety MD | WebsiteThe Anxiety MD | InstagramThe Anxiety MD | YouTube

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