Anxiety Road Podcast

It has been a few days and some of us are struggling hard. I want to give just a few ideas on how to deal with Class A, what the heck kind of pain is this?   For this space in time, find a moment to just be. For some of us, disassociation is not a bad thing. I don't recommend it for a day-to-day experience but if it gets you to the store and back, score.   For other, you might have a crying jag or two. It is okay. I understand.    When you are ready, we will start again and work our way to better health. In the meantime, don't be ground down.    Don't give your time and attention it to the assholes. Keep it moving in a positive direction.   Monitor your news flow. I'd suggest you go cold turkey on it, but that is just me.   Stay with the basics, eat, bathe and find your internal safe place.   If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255.   The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for infor

Seems like everybody is catching a little hell. We need to do something about that. Chip at that rock. For folks that are going through Postpartum Depression, there are resources that can help you get through the challenges of having this disorder. This is a short episode that list two or three resources, depending on how you count them on contacting assistance. If I find more, I'll add them to the resource lists or create another episode. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Postpartum Support International has a helpline, a provider directory and community to assist folks with the condition.   PSI also has a page for Queer/Trans parents experiencing postpartum depression.     The site has an app that provides access to information, the helplines and the a community that truly understands the problems of folks that experience PPD or miscarriage.   PSI App via the

With attacks on mom and non-mothers, it is easy to forget there are dads that might need assistance too. Giving birth can be a challenging experience.  There are anxiety conditions that can occur because of pregnancy. In this very short episode, I have a resource from Postpartum Support International (PSI) that might be helpful to the fellas that are finding themselves on the Anxiety Road. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Postpartum Support International (PSI) has a page specifically for dads needing assistance with anxiety or depression generated by pregnancy or birth of a child.   There is also a telephone helpline in English and Spanish 800-944-4773, or you can text help to the same number. The helpline is operational from 8am to 11pm Eastern time.   I also has an app that can help parents access help and support as well as a community that understands

There are a lot of books about anxiety, stress and related conditions. There is junk, AI junk, books that don't work for you and the ones that can change your life. The book You Will Get Through This; A Mental Health Tool Kit may or may not work for you.  But you won't know until you first know about it and read a sample chapter. The book is written by two psychologists and a licensed professional counselor.   The style is clear and they get to the point with good suggestions.  If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  You Will Get Through This; A Mental Health Tool Kit—Help for Depression, Anxiety, Grief, and More by Julie Radico, Nicole Helverson, Charity O’Reilly published by The Experiment Publishing.    You can read the table of contents, introduction and a sample chapter that I found on the book page at Kobo.com  Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided

In this episode, I want to do a dive into what you should know before buying a book on anxiety support or treatment. Depending on how and where you get that book, there could be a certain amount of misrepresentation.    The topics in this episode include Private Label Release/White Label books, personal narratives and self-help/support and workbooks. One of my goals for 2025 is find current books that help specific populations.    The music for this week's show is from Logan at www.musicformakers.com. I mispronounced the name of the website and had to take it out.   Wee bit of housekeeping.    I am a real person. This is a 95% human generated podcast. I do use search engines. Many of them now have embed AI features. I write my own scripts and use an image editor that to my knowledge, doesn't use AI (yet). I use a company called Auphonic that does have AI sound cleaning features.    Long time listeners know I need all the help I can get in regard to sound quality.   I need to say all of that because there is

A quick pebble in the road on those in the population that know what a party line is, not to be confused with the groove line and the collective horrors of swallowing Cod Liver Oil. Anxiety does not have an age limit or time out feature. Age doesn't necessarily protect you from having an anxiety condition.    This is just a brief look at some of the things you should consider if you are take a swig to deal with your symptoms.   P.S, really not a good idea.   If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  The U.S. National Institute on Aging has a facts information page about aging and alcohol.   The (UK) Royal College of Psychiatrists on Alcohol, Mental Health and the Brain   The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Mental Health in Canada page on Alcohol Use in Older Adults   And from the U.S. Veterans Health Library, Unhealthy Alcohol and Drug Use and Mental Health, th

This is a quick look at the Healthy Minds Program App and what can do for you to help you chill out. One way to think about mindfulness it is an intentional period of time that you practice of grounding yourself in the moment.    Meditation is a method that you use to help you get to a mindful space.  Some of those tools include breathing, movement, or a specific mental practice to create healthy pathways and move out the muck.   What can it do for you: Meditative practice Audio education on training the brain and understanding the mind. Tracking your wellness level. Helps to reduce anxiety levels. There is no charge to use the app but they would not mind if you made a donation to support the non-profit that created it.   This app is available on Android and iOS devices. Just a reminder, I do not accept advertising or have affiliate links. I seek out the resources and products.    In eight years, I have never done an interview. I don't want to. I'd rather have a conversation.  But not necessarily via the

Those of us that want to find solutions or treat their anxiety have a lot of things to think about. We also need resources and practical things that can help us deal with our symptoms.  You might need a centralized place to keep track of treatment, apps, concepts and skills to improve your health. A toolbox is a container for those items that help you with a project. An anxiety toolbox is a real or metaphorical container for the things you need to help control your symptoms and treat your condition.    In this episode, I want to talk about the idea of what an anxiety toolbox could be. I can't define what your toolbox would look like. But I can tell you, especially when you are at high tide, it could be very helpful. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:    KFF News story about a non-therapist spouse providing mental health session via an on-line service. CCI Fact S

This is the second part of a look at some of the mental health treatment options in 2024. There have been changes since the creation of the podcast in 2015.   For example, in 2015 there were limited telehealth options, no entrepreneurial mental health apps and service providers. No A.I enhanced apps. And mental health services was primarily provided face to face or in a group setting. There have been changes in technology and access to care.   For my overseas listeners, I'm sorry but this one is going to be U.S. centric. There are cultural, governmental and way too many differences in access to treatment.  Please continue to listen and glean from it what you can.   Before I get to that, it helps if you know the terms, vocabulary and some of the science based options for your anxiety.    One of the resources that is accessible is located at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health - Booklets and Fact Sheets. Consider this a starting point in your treatment, so that you have a understanding of what is go

I'm coming up on the anniversary for the podcast. I started in 2015 because even with the internet at the time, it was hard to find accurate information about having an anxiety or mental health condition.    I also felt that limiting treatment just to medication or therapy didn't necessarily take into consideration the needs of a diverse group of people with the disorder.    There are people that have symptoms and just want them to stop. Those folks need to know you might stop one set of symptoms but if you don't address the problem, they will come back.   I also have folks that will not, cannot and should not take medication. Therapy can help but you might have to do other things, like learn to meditate, breath for symptom control and manage you sugar intake.   Movement is important. Proper amount of sleep is essential. Work/Life balance isn't a dirty concept, it is what our bodies need to function and thrive.   So I'm breaking this up into a series of post. The first one is about Medication in 2024.   If yo

Nutmeg has been around for centuries being used for good and for evil. The evil part comes in when traders who couldn't get their hands on the actual spice would make wooden balls out of anything and sell it .    The TLDR is that you have to be careful with nutmeg. You can have it in small amounts. And I do mean small. A pinch, a dash or maybe just a quarter of a teaspoon.    Anyway flimflam goes way back. And it does move forward.    My email got flooded with news about nutmeg for anxiety symptoms and treatment. The truth is out there but with AI writing blog posts and SEO spamification it is getting harder to know if you reading accurate information.   So in this episode I want to present to you some information you can use if you come across an ad for a website stating this spice is a viable for anxiety symptoms. There is no medical proof that it does but that won't stop a lot of people from trying it. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevo

There are times when you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. You will get to a destination. Hopefully the one that you intended to get to.  In this episode I wanted to help make clear the difference between mindfulness and the practice/tool/application of meditation. I have to be honest, it isn't for everybody. There are people that have weaponized the terms. Or feel that it isn't strong enough for what they are going through.    Or they don't have time to sit and breathe. They have real life problems and asking them to take an hour to take care of themselves it a bit much.   I understand.    I would submit that you have to be ready to do this. I think there can be great benefits in reducing symptoms. I do think it should be in your anxiety tool kit.   But only if you are ready to take it on.  If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Image Comi

This is a quick pebble in the road about the differences between a panic attack and a panic disorder. I got distracted by an ad for psycho-neutrients but I got there eventually. Just a bit of housekeeping. I will be making short recordings for the month of June. I have things to attend to and time is going to be a challenge. Might do more recording on my phones to keep up with the doings and the responsibilities.   Well, today I had to do a recoding on my phone. My audio is jacked up again after updating my system.   Happens every three or four months. Don't know why.  Pixel 6 to the rescue.   Panic disorder is when you have panic attacks on a regular basis or you have the fear of having them again.    So what can you do about it?    First you need to rule out any physical health problems. You need to see a doctor and get examined to rule out other physical conditions.    Second, you need to get educated about it to understand what is happening. You have many options on treatment. .    The U.S. National Inst

There is a lot of turbulence in the mental health space. All kinds of mischief is going on and a portion of Americans who are trying to go back to 1862.   It is crazy but I don't think that is a strong enough word for it.  In this episode, I have a very simplistic definition of what is an AI Language Model and what is a scripted AI chatbot and a wee bit on what is or could be a generative A.I. chatbot or treatment option.   We need to understand what is happening in the entrepreneurial mental health market place.   There is a collision of problems; Not enough mental health providers. Financial access to mental health care. Geographical and transportation access to mental health care. and a whole bunch more.... There are serious, thoughtful ethically motivated research into using new technologies to provide access to anxiety and other types of mental health treatment.    And then there is the bum rush of companies and private investors wanting to slap something up against a wall and hopes it sticks around

This is a pebble in the road about the ADAA On-line Support Group.    Sometimes you need to connect to an actual human being. Or a group of people that share your problem or have similar questions.    Lots of things happening and I'm trying to adjust to them. In future episodes, probably starting with this one, there will be a transcript available. It will be 90% accurate. If your podcast player supports transcripts, it should be visible.   Meaning, that most of what I mention in the episode is present but after I do a bit of editing, tweaking and finding out that I made a big honking mistake it might be a little different.   It is the right thing to do but I have to find a way to consistently do it. And then go back and do it for the older episodes as well.    It is humbling. So many typos and lapses of thought.    Yikes.   If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Anxi

In this episode a look at breathing necklaces, which are supposed to help you control your breathing. These things irk me. It isn't that they don't have a purpose. But you don't need them.   It is ok to want one or have it around your neck as a touchpoint or you really do understand how to use them. That is what I wanted to communicate in the recording.   I had to cut a lot of stuff out of the episode. I was going on and on about anxiety gizmo advertorials in traditional and on-line magazines.     Somebody told them about affiliate links and the blurring of editorial and advertising content.  Some of them did not get the memo on the correct way to do this.   A lot of blurring and smudging going on. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  National Health Service has a page on breathing exercises for stress.   From Harvard Health Publishing, Relaxation techniques: Bre

For some of us, imposter syndrome is an anxiety generator.  It goes to the heart of feeling worthy, being competent or having the right to be in a particular space.   Doing this episode made me feel like an imposter. I can hear slurred words, tangents and howlers of editing.    But here is the thing.  I don't allow it to keep me from trying and doing. Sure, I could not do the show. Or hire and editor. Or let a freaking non-human try to emulate my speech patterns.    I need to do this in order to get better. And it might take another eight years for that to happen. I have the time.    If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  There is a short TED-X explainer video called What is imposter syndrome and how can you combat it?   National Public Radio has a 2021 Life Kit piece on 5 Steps to Shake Imposter Syndrome.   Helpguide.org article on Imposter Syndrome, causes, types

There is a spectrum of decisions between I can and I can't. Part of our healing journey is to understand the concept of acceptance.    A video popped up called "A Panic Attack Ended My Winter Backpacking Trip" from the Miranda Goes Outside!! YouTube channel.    I absolutely wanted to view that video. Spent a chunk of it nodding in agreement. Not to mention that I learned a little bit about not sleeping under a tree if there is snow.   I felt validated in that there is actual video proof of the experience in real life. Sometimes you can move past it. Sometimes you can't.   So I wanted to address that aspect of that experience with a few resources to help folks understand some of the concepts about acceptance and self-care.    I'm not going camping anytime soon. I need plumbing and an assurance of no bear contact.    I like bears.   I respect bears. Don't need to see one in the wild.     If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-48

Treatment options are evolving and this one is a pip. An expensive one, but it might be just what is needed in the middle of  a cold dark night of the soul.   Xaia aka eXtended reality Artificially Intelligent Ally is designed to work with the Apple Vision Pro.VR device.   You can talk with it. Share your concerns and get feedback about your issues. That is the topic for a quick look at the mental health support VR app. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Marques Brownlee review of the Apple Vision Pro and his take about some of the pros and cons about this product. He brings up really good points.    Xaia from VRx Health. You can read about the device and learn about the creators and the FAQ.   Wired article about Apple and digital privacy concerns.    And from the Mozilla Foundation, are mental health apps better at privacy in 2023?   Disclaimer:  Links to

In 2024, of the things we have to change is the active cultural block against men seeking mental health treatment. We don't have time for it.    All hands on deck or at least pull the ropes trying to point the ship in the right direction.    This episode is a little different because it is resource focus. Go to Helpguide.org to learn about therapy or to Heads Up Guys to learn about stress. Or use the Mettle app from Bear Grylls.   What I don't want you to do is suffer, grit your teeth and take it. Because that is causing some good people to reconsider their time on the planet.    If the assholes won't go, why should you?   Just saying.   In this episode, a look at a few men's mental health resources. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  U.S. National Institute of Mental Health page on Men and Mental Health and their page on What is Anxiety? Infographic from Mental