Anxiety Road Podcast

Agoraphobia is the fear of having an attack in a place of in front of other people or in public. It is a kissing cousin of anxiety and panic disorders. Don't worry, there will be more botanical tea information coming down the road. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  MedlinePlus has a good information page about Agoraphobia with some treatment suggestions. National Institute of Mental Health page on anxiety and related disorders including phobias, social anxiety and other forms of the condition. Psychology Today page explores Agoraphobia with specific mentions of medication options.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for inf

Some people call it goatweed, Hypericum perforatum or St. John's Wort. It can be an invasive plant that has some medicinal properties. It is also a plant that has to be seriously evaluated before you decide to use it. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Physicians Steeped In Culture Of ‘Toughing It Out’ Often Fear Reporting Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Health Illness from the publication, Modern Healthcare. California Board of Pharmacy booklet on Health Notes Alternative Medicines. St. John's Wort Herbal Use and Medicinal Properties from AltNature.com National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement Label Database. You plunk in the name of the product, or you can search by ingredient or manufacture. This is the link to the St John's Wort list of products. Verywell Mind has a good write up of St John's Wort and some of the cautions about it's use. Kaiser Permanente has

In case you didn’t know or haven’t heard, there is traumatic stress. Some of us have been caught between a rock and a hard place. Especially when what we experience is being discounted, disrespected and used for power and glory. People who experience trauma have access to power, the power to engage in our healing and restoration. I have three resources once you get past the pre-ramble. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned and Not Mentioned:  Anxiety and Depression Association of America page on post traumatic stress disorder, talks about symptoms and treatment options. There is also a screening quiz to help you figure out if you have PTSD. You don't have to be a veteran to experience PTSD. Grounding is a way to center yourself in the moment. But if in the moment you want to throw a brick at your television or phone you might need to move something to help you get that a

As I mentioned in the show, you can have a cup of tea and take the time to do a breathing exercise. Or to meditate.  It is about taking the opportunity to take care of yourself.  This may not work if you have very young children or busy co-workers around you. But as soon as nap time happens then make yourself a cup of tea.    Resources Mentioned:  From NBCNews on New York state implementing mental health education as part of health and wellness; the goal is to help them be aware of concepts and health literacy. Mindful has a page on audio and podcast meditation resources. Works well with a cup of tea. Kaiser Permanente has an access point to the consumer version of the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. The link will take you to Kaiser and then you will need to click the link to the database. Case Adams at Heal Naturally has more about the plant and some of the studies that have been performed to confirm the effectiveness of the plant. VeryWell Mind has more information about how many cups of Cham

Depending on the type of anxiety you have, the intensity and frequency of your attacks teas and tisanes may or may not help you stop an attack but might help with symptoms management. It depends. For the teas and tisanes to work you might have to make food and lifestyle changes: reduction of sugar, caffeine or other stimulants like energy drinks. Just need to remind you that these are only suggestions. Please double check with your medical provider; especially if you are pregnant or are taking other medication. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Kaiser Permanente has an access point to the consumer version of the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. The link will take you to Kaiser and then you will need to click the link to the database. Karen Bergeron's AltNature.com page on Passion Flower. It is a commercial site but provide balanced information about the plant

First up, a look at sucker bait headlines and then a brief recap of the last show, then dive in to definitions and what is and is not a tea. Next, a look at where to buy your medicinal tea and resources on how to make teas and tisanes as well as some places to check out for the kind of beverages that might be of products that might be helpful. I promise and pinky swear next time specific tisanes that are helpful to ease symptoms. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  From Vox, an article on the growing niche marketing of selling products to people with mental health conditions. 2013 study in Gastro Journal on Consumption of Fermented Milk Product With Probiotic Modulates Brain Activity. The study was supported by Danone Research. There is also a press release version with plain English explanations by UCLA. From KQED a 2017 article about how probiotics might help with

Anxiety is necessary for healthy humans. It alerts you that there is a possibility of trouble or danger.  People with anxiety and panic symptoms have a response that is out of whack. I've seen the ads that are telling me that drinking chamomile lavender sugar blended tea is going to kill my anxiety symptoms. I know that is a bunch of hooey. But even before you think about sipping tea there are some other things to know about: 1. Do you have a treatment plan? 2. Do you know what ticks you off? 3. Have you created an effective symptom control kit? Some of these items I've touched on in prior podcasts and others I can't answer for you. I can give you a head's up about where to start to find answers. This is part one of a mini series about teas for anxiety, panic and phobia conditions. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Action Planning for Prevention and Recovery - PD

In this episode, a look at the possible causes of an anxiety disorder. I'm still on vacation light as I get some rest and plan out new episodes. I have a lot of good ideas in the hopper and I hope to start sharing them in a few weeks. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Helpguide.org has a page for those of you with panic attacks and panic disorders. The Mayo Clinic has a page about symptoms and causes of an anxiety disorder National Institute of Mental Health page about risk factors such as shyness, family members having a mental illness or financial hardship, The music selection this week is Lanquidity from PurplePlanet.com Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

Still on the vacation side of the fence for July and August. In this episode, I want to talk about how you can have a back-up plan to the back-up plan and how things can still go wrong. I also mention about acceptance. Because there will be times that you will do the best that you can do and it will not work. You will have an attack. Accept that it has happened and transition to taking care of yourself and doing better next time. The music in the episode is by Purple Planet at http://www.purple-planet.com. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Rhiannon Picton-James article in the New York Times Please Stop Merchandising Mental Illness. Louie Prima and Keely Smith in a spirited rendition of I A'int Go Nobody. National Alliance on Mental Health page about anxiety disorders, treatment and support. From 2017 on Anxiety.org post about the Link Between Experiences of Racism a

It is summertime and it is a time to get off the treadmill and have some fun. I've heard people say it but I doubt that they do it. Or to be clear, those of with an anxiety disorder tend to take our bug-a-boos with us. One of those bug-a-boos is depression. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Kaiser Permanente Finding Your Words site on Depression. You can take a self-assessment, learn more about depression symptoms or John Moe's The Hilarious World of Depression. Comedians, writers, musicians and all kinds of folks talk about being human with this thing called depression. You might also want to skip on over to the Making It Ok site. Johann Hari Now This opinion video on everything you know about depression is wrong. According to him. He is an author with a book to sell. My understanding is that he feels that it is not biochemical but loneliness. Social isolation. I

Our need for symptom relief and safety sometime overrides our ability to connect to solutions or treatment. Maybe it isn’t necessarily about grit but resilience. For us, our symptoms is that irritation that there is a problem. Symptoms will keep bugging us until we do something. Grit can be used as a weapon. We might have a stronger one. Resilience. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  Angeles Duckworth's book Grit, the Power of Passion and Perseverance. You can take the Grit Scale - how do you measure what you have on her site. Coursera has a free course on What is Grit, Why Do Gritty People Succeed, and How Can You Develop Your Grit. You can get a better understanding of the psychological/character related meaning of the term. James Clear has a lengthy post on grit in terms of mental toughness. Greater Good Magazine - What's Wrong with Grit? It not a cure and maybe

We tell people to go get help when there is a mental problem. But a reality is that doctors, who we hope would know better, don’t always do better. Not only the mental health symptoms but the physical ones as well. This is a quick pebble in the road on some of the things that could happen and what you can do to get the care you need. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  KPIX news report on doctor's behavior at El Camino Hospital on YouTube. SF Gate article and video of El Camino Hospital's doctor handling of an anxiety patient in the emergency room. The hospital has made an official statement. National Public Radio story Failing Patients': Baltimore Video Highlights Crisis Of Emergency Psychiatric Care from April 2018 talks about the lack to training, resources and funding necessary to handle mental health and psychiatry health conditions. Dignity Health page on Menta

Sometimes our cultural influences, memes movies, music tell us what to do. The point of the episode is to look at your own views and understanding about grit as it relates to your experiences and your treatment path. Not your priest, your drinking buddies, or even what The Batman would do cuz you know he isn't right in the head.  There are people that say this is a waste of time to put the anti-suicide contact info into blogs and social media. There are others that say yeah, you can do it and then what?  I understand how they feel. If a person is gonna do it there isn't much you can do. But if there is a chance to reach somebody then I'm gonna leave this right here. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources (Not) Mentioned:  DC Wikia page on Seong Barclay aka Mystek. Angela Duckworth's Grit Scale, a way of looking at how you approach a task or difficulty. If you would like to know about

To be clear, I’m not talking about the pop psychology version, or the manly man version of grit.  I’m talking about the innate sense that you know something isn’t right in your body. In your mind. This is just a short introduction. Really simplistic.  More of an idea generator. Please do not kill yourself. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:    Wil Wheaton's Medium article on having depression and generalized anxiety. The Sassy Psychologist: Stop being an a**hole to yourself in The Suburban (Quebec,CA) ESPN's Stephen A. Smith talks about what he knew about Coach Lue's condition in March 2018. ESPN full interview with Kevin Love, where he talks not only about basketball but also about having panic attacks. The linked version starts at the point where he talks about panic attacks. The Sassy Psychologist website where there are move articles about mental health and social

How do you know that you are in burn out mode? This is a quickie episode as I continue to face the pile of salt that I have to remove grain by grain from my life. You get snow blind after a while. Taking a break is important. Please take a break. That means shutting off your electrical devices too. Really. You can live without them. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources (Not) Mentioned:  The States of Burnout - you don't want to get to #3 if you can help it. Trent Lapinski - How I Overcame Burnout, he uses meditation, exercise and cutting back on energy drinks. Anxiety at Work - The Road to Burnout- from the honeymoon to full burnout. Delilah Helton Eliminate Burnout – A Guided Meditation To Avoid Burnout Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with ques

Still deep in the salt mine but came up for air long enough for a look at Emotional and Soothing grounding skills.  If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources (Not) Mentioned:    There is an on-line service called My Noise, a custom noise generator. They have all kinds of stuff but I want to call attention to the Cat Noise Purr Generator. Personally, it creeps me out but if you love the sound of a purring cat and you don't want to live with them then this is the app for you. A great idea is to build your on self-soothing kit. Carolyn at Creativity in Therapy has some ideas on how to do that. If you want to know more about self-compassion or would like meditations that focus on self-compassion then check of Kristin Neff's Self-Compassion Guided Meditations and Exercises Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Main

Once upon a time there a dance known as the Cha Cha. It involved rolling hips, two people and a ton of great music. Cha Cha begat the New Cha Cha and then much later on the Cha Cha Boogie. Can the Cha Cha help to get that nervous energy out of your body? Maybe. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 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 information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

This is a really simple form of progressive muscle relaxation. Inhaling slowly sends a signal to your brain that there is no problem, relaxation is okay, chill out.   If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources (Not) Mentioned:  Kinetic Meditation - What is it and how can it help? The Growlery's Six Different Types of Grounding Exercises for Anxiety and Intense Emotions Using Grounding to Self Regulate Emotions PDF from the Truman Medical Center Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagno

For people with anxiety, panic attacks and phobias there is a specific meaning about grounding skills and techniques. For our population, it is the use of a skill or technique that can help you to re-center yourself to the present. In this episode a bit more details about the type of grounding you can use. If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  National Public Radio story about CBD oil and federal study of the substance. Healing comes from many directions. You might need a dose of healing from one of the many great lyrics from Hamilton. Atlantic Record has an official lyric page with annotations. Dr. Patti Levin's handout on grounding. She include breathing, meditation and mindful walking. Video from Joelle's Kernel of Wisdom YouTube channel on using grounding to deal with emotions. Mind Fuel Daily on 5 Helpful Grounding Techniques for Anxiety Disclaimer:  Links to oth

Life is still kinda hectic; too much to do and not enough time. Except that there is always time to take care of yourself. This is a short look at at a grounding technique that you can use to help bring yourself back into the present. It might work for you or not. No worries, there is more where that came from and in the coming weeks there will be more of them. Stay away from that ledge! If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 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 information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this prog