Claim OwnershipThe Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast
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© 2025 Drew Linsalata
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Struggling with panic attacks, agoraphobia, or other anxiety problems? The Anxious Truth will educate you, empower you, encourage you, and inspire you to get your life back!
* Featured in the New York Times: "6 Podcasts to Soothe An Anxious Mind" (April 27, 2024)
* Featured in Vogue Magazine: "The 15 Best Mental Health Podcasts Recommended by Therapists" (October 2023)
Listen to the podcast, read the books, join the social media community, and get on the path to recovery.
320 Episodes
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Send in a question or comment via text. There's whole industry built around helping people feel good about feeling bad, and while validation has its place, this endless cycle of anxiety content might actually be keeping you stuck. In this episode, we explore how consuming validation-focused content can become a form of modern reassurance-seeking that maintains anxiety disorders rather than promoting recovery. We'll discuss the research showing that excessive reassurance-seeking provides immed...
Send in a question or comment via text. If you're struggling with anxiety disorders and constantly being told you need a positive mindset, stronger beliefs, and better motivation to recover, this episode is for you. I'm breaking down why these three concepts are tragically misunderstood and misapplied in anxiety recovery—and why they might actually be keeping you stuck. What You'll Learn: Why you can't just "decide" to believe in yourself or adopt a positive mindsetThe counterproductive fanta...
1Send in a question or comment via text. Exposure for anxiety is the gold standard treatment for anxiety disorders, but most people get it wrong, especially when trying to use exposure without professional help. In this episode, we're breaking down why so many people struggle with exposure for anxiety and how to avoid the common traps that lead to frustration and giving up. If you've ever tried exposure therapy for panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, social anxiety, or health anxiety and felt li...
Send in a question or comment via text. For 25 years of my life, I struggled with panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, and depression. I was so anxious that I couldn't leave my house or be alone for more than a few minutes at a time. But last week, I finally did something I've wanted to do since I was 9 years old. In this episode, I share a personal story - not as a blueprint for your recovery, but as encouragement that anxiety recovery is possible. When I was in elementary school, a trip to the...
Send in a question or comment via text. This week on The Anxious Truth, we're talking about what happens when a problem solving mind sees itself as a problem to solve. Your mind is an incredible problem-solving machine - it's what sets humans apart and has helped us thrive for thousands of years. But when that same problem-solving ability turns inward and starts trying to "fix" your own thoughts, emotions, and internal experiences, things can go very wrong very quickly. If you're stuck in c...
Send in a question or comment via text. I get asked about medication every single day. Can you get better without it? Is it necessary? What's the best one? Is it cheating to take medication? Today I'm explaining why I don't answer these questions - and why you should be cautious about content creators who do. In this episode, I cover: The three main reasons mental health content creators shouldn't give medication adviceWhy personal beliefs and autonomy matter more than you might thinkThe coun...
Send in a question or comment via text. How do real anxiety therapists apply mindfulness principles when working with real anxiety clients in real therapy sessions? Let's check out part two of my chat with therapists Lauren Rosen and Joanna Hardis. We all make heavy use of the principles of mindfulness in our practices, and in our daily lives. What you'll learn in this episode: Why "being present" isn't about feeling calm or peacefulThe concept of being "aggressively present" when anxiety str...
Send in a question or comment via text. What happens when three anxiety specialists get together to talk practically about how they use mindfulness in anxiety treatment? This week on The Anxious Truth, we find out. I'm joined by Lauren Rosen, who practices in Los Angeles specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders, and Joanna Hardis from Cleveland, also an expert in treating OCD, anxiety, and anxiety disorders. Together, we break down how mindfulness in anxiety treatment actually works in real ...
Send in a question or comment via text. If you've reached the point of declaring "I've tried everything and nothing works for my anxiety," this episode is specifically for you. Many anxiety sufferers fall into this trap and conclude they're uniquely broken or have a special form of anxiety that's resistant to recovery. As both a therapist and someone who personally recovered from panic disorder and agoraphobia, I'll explain why this frustrating experience happens. You'll discover why commonly...
Send in a question or comment via text. Do you find yourself running from difficult emotions or trying desperately to control them? Many people with anxiety disorders develop a deep fear of their own emotions, believing they're too intense or unbearable to experience fully. In this episode of The Anxious Truth, Drew is joined by therapist Joanna Hardis to explore the concept of "emotional allowability" – learning to coexist with our emotions rather than fighting against them. They discuss why...
Send in a question or comment via text. Navigating driving anxiety with exposure therapy—but not how you might think. In this episode, Drew Linsalata (therapist, author, and former anxiety sufferer) challenges common misconceptions about addressing driving anxiety. Learn why the feeling is the exposure, not the driving itself, and discover how interoceptive and imaginal exposures can help without ever starting your car. Drew explains why pulling over or listening to music is...
Send in a question or comment via text. When struggling with chronic anxiety or anxiety disorders, our instinct is often to search for ways to control, manage, or eliminate our symptoms. But what if that approach is actually keeping us stuck? This week we're looking at the fundamental difference between acceptance-based strategies and control/management-based approaches to anxiety recovery. Drawing from both research evidence and real-world experiences of anxiety sufferers, we'll explain why ...
Send in a question or comment via text. In this no-frills episode of The Anxious Truth, I'm tackling common questions about anxiety sent in by you, the listeners. No fancy production today - just real talk about real anxiety concerns. We're diving into: 00:00 - Introduction 00:58 - Emetophobia (fear of vomiting) - what it is and how it's typically addressed 06:12 - Nocturnal panic attacks - why they're jarring and how to handle them 11:24 - Is focusing on breathing a d...
Send in a question or comment via text. This week we're looking at why the anxious fear that bothers you most is NOT special - and why that's actually good news for your recovery. After receiving countless messages asking me to address specific fears (passing out, heart attacks, going insane), I've noticed a pattern: everyone thinks their particular anxiety is unique, more dangerous, or requires special treatment. Here's the reality: while your fear feels incredibly real and disturbing, all a...
Send in a question or comment via text. When anxiety hits, how do you know what to do? This week on The Anxious Truth we're exploring how your personal values can guide your choices in anxious moments. Tune in to learn practical ways to identify and connect with your values. This can inform more productive responses when anxiety gets triggered. For full show notes on this episode: https://theanxioustruth.com/311 Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my...
Send in a question or comment via text. How to Accept Anxiety: Opening Up to New Options In this episode, we explore the second component of the ACT Triflex framework for anxiety acceptance: opening up to new possibilities. Learn why considering options when triggered—even without knowing what to do next—is a crucial step in recovery. Key Points: Understanding the ACT Triflex framework for anxiety acceptanceWhy mindfulness is essential for breaking automatic responsesHow psychological flexib...
Send in a question or comment via text. HOW DO I ACCEPT ANXIETY?!?!?!?! Let's start a three-part series on accepting anxiety using the ACT Tri-flex framework. As both a therapist and former anxiety sufferer, I'm going to break down the crucial first practical step of getting present and what it really means in a practical way. KEY POINTS: Why there are no "steps" to accepting anxietyThe difference between "doing mode" and "being mode"What mindfulness actually means in anxiety recoveryHow to ...
Send in a question or comment via text. In this episode of The Anxious Truth, we tackle a question that comes up constantly in anxiety recovery: Should you take time off from work or school because of anxiety? We explore why this seemingly simple question has a complex answer, and why what feels intuitively right might not always serve your recovery. Key Topics Covered: Why the urge to take time off is completely normalThe paradox of anxiety recoveryUnderstanding avoidance vs. strategic restH...
Send in a question or comment via text. Are you tired of trying countless techniques to "rewire" your anxious brain, only to find yourself still stuck in the same patterns? In this eye-opening episode, we're diving deep into the science of neuroplasticity and anxiety recovery to reveal why popular brain rewiring methods might actually be reinforcing your anxiety. You'll learn why your brain doesn't have a delete button (and why that's actually good news), what real recovery looks like, and ho...
Send in a question or comment via text. Want to know more about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and how it might be applied in your situation? Join us this week for insights from the world-renowned therapist Dr. Debbie Joffe-Ellis as she guides us through the origins, core concepts, and application of REBT. Discover how this pioneering cognitive behavioral approach can help you reshape your perceptions and beliefs, offering a path to recovery from anxiety disorders like panic d...
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I love the crumple it up visual! Thanks, this was helpful.
I f.i.n.a.l.l.y get it!!!
Thanks for that last warning paragraph. Beyond poor mental health outcomes abruptly stopping benzos can cause physically life threatening complications.
this is a great way to get through an anxiety attack.
thank you I think this is my hardest subject.