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

EP 143 - Hidden Gems: Starting Recovery INSIDE Your Safe Zone

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.We often talk about starting recovery by taking small steps, but did you know that those small steps can often ...

EP 142 - Anxiety Success Stories: Donna Kicks Her Blood Pressure Monitor To The Curb

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Donna grew up surrounded by discussion of cardiac health and blood pressure.  When she started experiencing pa...

EP 141 - Uncertainty, The True Path Of Recovery, and The Truth About Reassurance w/Dr. Sally Winston

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.In the field of anxiety disorders and the treatment of anxiety disorders, you will not find anyone with more st...

EP 140 - We Do NOT Accept And Float Through Abuse (w/Joe Ryan)

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.I am often asked an important question. "How do I learn to float and accept when one person makes me anxio...

EP 139 - Using ALL The Recovery Resources Available To You

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Building your own personal recovery from an anxiety disorder means using ALL the resources you have available t...

EP 138 - Gender Issues In Mental Health and Anxiety Recovery w/ Dr. Bridget Cooper

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Today Dr. Bridget Cooper (Dr. B) and I talk about gender issues in mental health and anxiety recovery.  There ...

EP 135 - Success Stories: Ben Drake Learns That "Powering Through" Is Not The Way

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Everyone loves a good anxiety success story and today we have one from our friend, and someone you hear all the...

EP 134 - Stages of Anxiety Recovery

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.When you interact with the number anxiety disorders that I do, you have the opportunity to see patterns emerge ...

EP 133 - Why "Trusting Your Gut" Is A Bad Plan

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.One of the more common bits of advice passed around for the last zillion years or so is ... "trust your gu...

EP 132 - Christia's Emetophobia Success Story

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.So, here’s some great news if you deal with emetophobia. Bet you didn’t think you’d ever hear that, did y...

EP 131 - Peter Shankman And Why His ADHD Is Actually A Superpower

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.When Faster Than Normal author and podcast host Peter Shankman was officially diagnosed with ADHD, he decided t...

EP 130 - Why Hasn't My Therapist Explained Anxiety Like This?

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text."I've been seeing my therapist for years and she never explained this the way you do!""How ...

EP 129 - Kyrsty's Agoraphobia Success Story In Progress

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Kyrsty spent 12 years in her house, trapped by agoraphobia and panic.  That's all changing now. In this p...

EP 128 - Is Anxiety Your Enemy Or Your Teacher?

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Ask yourself a question.  Is your anxiety your enemy, or is it your teacher?  Most of you are going to immedi...

EP 127 - Accepting Anxiety Does NOT Mean Liking It

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.This is common misconception for many, and it's keeping some folks stuck!  When we talk about accepting a...

EP 126 - Learning To Sit Still And Be Alone With Your Anxiety

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Is your worst-case scenario being forced to sit quietly with your own thoughts and sensations?  Are you one of...

EP 125 - Surgical/Medical Procedure Anxiety w/Dr. Frank Catanzaro

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For many, having to undergo a surgical or major medical procedure is "worst nightmare" territory anxi...

EP 124 - You Can Overcome Anxiety No Matter How Long You've Suffered

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.I often here people saying that recovery becomes harder - or even impossible - if you've suffered too long...

EP 123 - Holly's Benzodiazepine Anxiety Experience

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Holly is back in this episode, sharing her long experience using benzos as part of her anxiety management strat...

EP 122- Thoughts, Memories, Sleep, Depression, Parenting and My Story - Listener Q&A Part 2

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.In this episode I answer listener questions about: Returning to "normal". Handling thoughts, memories...

EP 121 - Listener Anxiety Q&A Part 1

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.This week and next I will take time to answer questions submitted by by Instagram friends.  I had over 130 que...

EP 120 - An OCD Story With Shelley Hohe

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Shelley Hohe has struggled with OCD for many years.  Her contamination obsession and the accompanying compulsi...

EP 119 - Generalized Anxiety Disorder With Dr. Dave Carbonell

12 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.One of the most common topics I am asked to address is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).  GAD is generally c...

EP 118 - Expecting The Struggle And Making Your Bad Day Playbook

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.The recovery process will - unfortunately - include days where you still struggle.  This is to be expected.  ...

EP 117 - Fear Is Not A Failure - With Dr. Bridget Cooper

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Recovery from an anxiety disorder gets even harder when you judge the presence of fear as an immediate failure....

EP 116 - Ignoring Anxiety vs. Non-Reactive Acknowledgement

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.One of the concepts that confuses people more than any other is understanding the difference between accepting ...

EP 115 - Breaking Free From The Past w/Dr Bridget Cooper

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Dr. Bridget Cooper is a cage rattler. Her penchant for confronting old beliefs and challenging thought patterns...

EP 114 - The Paradox Of Seeking Certainty And Safety

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Here is a paradox. So much of this anxiety complex revolves around a desperate attempt to find 100 percent iron...

EP 113 - Sarah Doan Peace Talks Medical PTSD And Overcoming Adversity

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Sarah Doan Peace is amazing.  Having been born with VATER syndrome and after 35 surgeries and years of serious...

EP 112 - Fearing Your Emotions And Seeing Them As Threats

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Do you fear your emotions? Do you see them as threats, or indicators that you are failing in recovery, or desti...

EP 111 - Overcoming Anxiety: All Your Fears Are Only ONE Fear

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.You may think that you are afraid of an ever-growing list of places, tasks, people and situations.  You are no...

EP 110 - Anxiety Success Stories: From Black Friday to Sunny Skies With Nick

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.My friend Nick Maynard is an almost textbook example of how to recovery from panic disorder and agoraphobia.  ...

EP 0109 - Relax, Breathe and Focus : A Beginner's Tutorial and Exercise

27 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For full show notes and a link to download this tutorial as an MP3, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/109.HOW D...

EP 0108 - Changing Your Reaction To Anxiety, Fear and Panic - BOOK PREVIEW - Chapter 3.6

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.This Is Chapter/Lesson 3.6 from my book "The Anxious Truth". I wanted to release a chapter to give ev...

EP 0107 - Forgiving Yourself And Letting Go Of The Past

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Many people are struggling with letting go of anger, guilt and bitterness over time lost to anxiety. Learning t...

EP 0106 - Building A Sense of Safety and Security After Trauma or Abuse

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.(For full show notes on this episode, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/106)Today I was joined by my friend Mon...

EP 0105 - Highway/Freeway Driving With Anxiety and Panic

29 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For many, the fear of driving on the freeway, highway, or motorway is a big problem.  Often I am told that thi...

EP 0104 - Health Anxiety and Uncertainty With Dr. Ingvard Wilhemsen

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Today I was fortunate to have spent 25 minutes on a Zoom call with Dr. Ingvard Wilhemsen, a respected expert in...

EP 0103 - You Don't Have to Feel OK To Be OK

15 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Inspired by a post I made on Instagram, here's 25 minutes or so on the difference between feeling OK and a...

EP 0102 - Fear Of Insanity Or Going Crazy

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For full show notes on this episode:  https://theanxioustruth.com/102One of the two most common fears of anxie...

EP 0101 - The Selfish Nature of Anxiety and Fear

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For full show notes on this episode, go to https://theanxiousgroup.com/101Anxiety disorders are selfish disorde...

EP 0100 - Learning To Believe In Yourself

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.My friend Kendra Beavis has an amazing story.  This is a story about making major life changes, solving life p...

EP 0099 - The Habit Of Words

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/99We naturally develop habits with respect to ...

EP 0098 - STOP Checking In With Yourself!

04 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Full show notes for this episode are at https://theanxioustruth.com/98Telling someone in the grips of a raging ...

EP 0097 - Anxiety and Abusive/Controlling Relationships (w/Long Island Against Domestic Violence)

26 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Full show notes for this episode can be found at https://theanxioustruth.com/97Being in an abusive or controlli...

EP 0096 - Addressing Perfectionism w/Dr Tara Sanderson

19 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For full show notes on this episode, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/96Perfectionism.  It's a label I h...

EP 0095: Anxiety Success Story - Martine Changes Direction

12 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For full show notes on this episode, visit https://theanxioustruth.com/95Just six months ago, Martine was exper...

EP 0093 - Dizziness and Unsteadiness Due To Anxiety

29 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.For the full show notes on this episode including a link to the diaphragmatic breathing video I mentioned:https...

EP 0092 - Monophobia (Fear Of Being Alone)

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Monophobia - the fear of being alone - is a common component of the panic, anxiety and agoraphobia complex.  W...

EP 0091 - Worry and Worrying

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Worry and worrying are problems that many people struggle with along road to recovering from an anxiety disorde...

EP 0090 - What If It Comes Back? Examining The "Acceptable Bubble"

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.One of the common worries while recovering from an anxiety disorder is the fear that it might "come back&q...

EP 0089 - Breath and Breathing Centered Anxiety

01 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text."What if I forget how to breathe?""What if I just stop breathing?""I can't get en...

EP 0088 - Anxiety Success Stories : Joyce Gets Angry ... And Gets Better!

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.My friend Joyce joined me to talk about her slide into severe panic disorder and agoraphobia, which was followe...

EP 0087 - Being Yourself Again : Hope and Help For Your Nerves Chapter 9

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Holly and I discuss chapter 9 of Claire Weekes' "Hope And Help For Your Nerves". This chapter di...

EP 0086 - Stop Arguing With Your Anxiety and Trauma (w/Joe Ryan)

14 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.When confronted with uncomfortable and scary feelings of anxiety, panic or emotions based on past trauma, the i...

EP 0085 - Heart Anxiety Issues and Interoceptive Exposure

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.If you are a regular listener of the podcast, odds are that you've had anxiety, worry and fear focused on ...

EP 0084 - Anxiety and Autism/Neurodiversity Issues w/Christa Holmans

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Today I chatted with Christa Holmans about some of the overlapping issues found in both anxiety disorders and a...

EP 0083 - Intrusive, Unwanted, Obsessive Thoughts - w/Dr. Martin Seif

16 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Today I was fortunate to spend about 30 minutes with Dr. Martin Seif, a psychologist and author specializing in...

EP 0082 - Stop Reading. Start Doing.

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Reading, listening to podcasts, watching videos, and otherwise educating yourself about your anxiety disorder i...

EP 0080 - Anxiety Success : How Raven Got It All Together

20 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.How my friend Raven went from homebound agoraphobic, crippled with panic and intrusive thoughts and fears, to l...

EP 0079 - Dealing With Emotions And Anxiety At The Same Time (w/Joe Ryan)

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.One of the most common issues that seems to pop up for people doing the work to overcome an anxiety disorder is...

EP 0078 - Anxiety Recovery - What Should You Do When You "Fail"?

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Recorded from YouTube Live August 19, 2019 What do you do when you “fail” at an exposure, or when you have...

EP 0077 - Anxiety Recovery - Common Exposure Misconceptions And Mistakes

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Today I'm joined by my friend Holly to talk about common misconceptions and mistakes surrounding exposure....

EP 0076 - I Feel OK ... And I'm Not Sure What To Do Now (w/Joe Ryan)

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.You've been doing the work.  You've been working the process.  You're facing your fears and le...

EP 0075 - Issues of Competence, Confidence and Self-Esteem in Anxiety Recovery (w/Joe Ryan)

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Often, issues of self-esteem, confidence and competence can get in the way when recovering from anxiety and pan...

EP 0074 - How Trauma And Pain Do NOT Have To Ruin Your Day (w/Joe Ryan)

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Its possible to work through anxiety, panic, trauma and pain without having it ruin every day.  Today I'm...

EP 0073 - Sunday Night Anxiety Q&A - July 7, 2019

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Q&A from my Facebook group including questions about dizziness, driving, doctor visits, airports, neck spas...

EP 0072 - Dealing With Anticipatory Anxiety

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Anticipatory anxiety isn't a special or different kind of anxiety. It's not a mysterious external for...

EP 0068 - Dealing With OCD and Obsessive Thoughts (w/Kimberly Quinlan (LMFT))

05 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Today I had a chat with Kimberley Quinlan (LMFT) about OCD, obsessive/intrusive thoughts, and how to deal with ...

EP 0067 - How Should You Talk About Your Anxiety?

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.The way you talk about your anxiety matters.  More than you think. Are you always speaking passively and just ...

EP 0066 - Anxiety Success : How Sarah Overcame Her Health Anxiety

05 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.If you’re suffering with health anxiety – no matter how severe – Sarah’s story will inspire you and giv...

EP 0065 - Anxiety Success : How Andrew Is Taking His Life Back

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.My friend Andrew has gone from "contented agoraphobic" to well down the path to full recovery and was...

EP 0064 - Near Panic On-Air and More Viewer Questions (w/Billy from Anxiety United_

27 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text."Drew, are you cured?  Do you ever have panic attacks?"  I get this question all the time.  The an...

EP 0063 - Dealing With Stress (W/Billy from Anxiety United)

26 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Billy and I discuss the relationship between stress and anxiety and why stress doesn’t have to automatically ...

EP 0062 - Part 2 : Someone I Care About Has Anxiety Problems - How Can I Help?

16 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.If you have someone in your life that you care about that’s dealing with serious anxiety issues to the point ...

EP 0061 - Part 1 : Someone I Care About Has Anxiety Problems. How Can I Help?

15 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.If you have someone in your life that you care about that’s dealing with serious anxiety issues to the point ...

EP 0060 - Making An Anxiety Recovery Plan (w/Billy from Anxiety United)

05 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Overcoming anxiety problems means making a good recovery plan and executing it.  In this episode I'm join...

EP 0059 - Anxiety, Sex and Relationship Issues (With Leslie Gustafson)

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.A discussion of how anxiety disorders can impact sex, intimacy and relationships in general with licensed thera...

EP 0058 - Overcoming Anxiety : Taking A Leap Of Faith

18 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.At some point in this process, you MUST take a leap of faith.  All the talking and questioning and reading and...

EP 0056 - Anxiety and Dining Out / Social Situations (w/Billy from Anxiety United)

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Billy and I discuss anxiety and panic related to dining out, restaurants, bars, pubs and social situations. We ...

EP 0055 - Overcoming The Fear of Panic While Driving - With Billy from Anxiety United

24 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.In this episode Billy and I discuss driving anxiety, the fear of having a panic attack while driving, and what ...

EP 0054 - Anxiety vs Anxiety Disorders : Clarification and Different Approaches

11 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Lets to clarify the focus of my content on anxiety disorders as opposed to just being anxious about things. A q...

EP 0053 - Anxiety and Why Positive Self-Talk is Bullsh*t

21 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.One of the tools I hear people talk about often is “positive self talk”. Let me tell you why this is not a ...

EP 0052 - Anxiety Sucess Stories : How Jackie Got Her Mojo Back

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Jackie suffered from panic attacks and anxiety for years until she had a “lightbulb moment” and turned the ...

EP 0051 - The BIGGEST Panic/Anxiety Decision You MUST Make - What Nobody Wants To Hear

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.This is what nobody wants to hear when it comes to overcoming anxiety and panic related problems, because its t...

EP 0050 - Dealing With Panic : The Critical Moment of Decision

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.When panic strikes, we have a critical moment of decision. What will you do? How will you handle it? What is yo...

EP 0049 - How Can I Make My Family Understand My Anxiety?

24 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.This is a topic I get asked about all the time, so lets talk about what to do when your anxiety has a negative ...

EP 0048 - Chap 8 : Hope And Help For Your Nerves (About Agoraphobia)

15 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Holly and I discuss chapter 8 of the Claire Weekes book "Hope and Help For Your Nerves". Dr. Weekes e...

EP 0047 - Chap 7 : Hope And Help For Your Nerves (Cure of Recurring Nervous Attacks)

26 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Holly and I discuss chapter 7 of Hope and Help For Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes. This chapter really focuse...

EP 0046 - Anxiety 101 : Social Media and the Internet

21 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Social media and the Internet have had a major impact on those of us with anxiety disorders. In this episode Bi...

EP 0045 - Chap 6 : Hope and Help For Your Nerves (Cure of The More Constant Symptoms)

12 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Holly and I return for the next chapter of our series discussing "Hope and Help For Your Nerves" by D...

EP 0044 - Anxiety 101 : First Exposure Challenge

08 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Lets take on our first 30 day exposure challenge. For the next 30 days, start by making a short list of activit...

EP 0043 - Anxiety 101 : Where Will You Find Your Spark?

31 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text."Get busy living, or get busy dying." At some point in the journey to overcome anxiety issues, concep...

EP 0042 - Yes, My Anxiety Was As Bad As Yours

25 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.I've been asked many times over the years how bad my anxiety used to be. Yes, it was probably as bad as yo...

EP 0041 - Anxiety 101 : What Triggers Your Anxiety?

20 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.What triggers your anxiety? Billy and I discuss anxiety triggers, how to identify your triggers, and what you c...

EP 0040 - Anxiety 101 : Exposure Therapy and the Need to Practice

10 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Following up on our initial talk about the basics of exposure therapy, Billy and talk about how repetition and ...

EP 0039 - Anxiety 101 : Feeling Ill, Health Anxiety and Cognitive Tools

03 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Billy and I were both a bit under the weather for this episode, so we thought a discussion of health anxiety an...

EP 0038 - Anxiety 101 : Exposure Therapy Basics and Expectations

28 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Today Billy and I talk about the basics of what exposure therapy is, how it fits into the overall scope of Cogn...

EP 0037 - Anxiety 101 : Panic Isn’t Always A Bad Thing

20 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.A panic attack isn't always a bad thing. In fact, when you're doing exposure work and trying to learn...

EP 0036 - Anxiety 101 : Viewer Questions and Answers

13 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Send in a question or comment via text.Today Billy and I answer some of the most common questions we've received while doing the Anxiety 101 seri...