On today's podcast I spoke with an Anxietyguru.net reader named Peter. Peter is from Sudbury, Massachusetts and has lived with bipolar disorder and anxiety for the better part of his life. I think this episode is particularly interesting given that Peter has taken medication for his condition for the past thirty plus years. There is something to be said about experience, and Peter has a great deal of insights to provide as a result. The interview was mainly based on Peter's own experience but we also delved into a general discussion about
Wanted: Volunteer To Appear On The Anxiety Guru Show
As part of my never ending quest to bring you information about anxiety disorders I'm seeking a volunteer. I'm in search of one person that has had experience with anxiety medications. I will be interviewing this brave soul via telephone and then airing the interview on my podcast the Anxiety Guru Show. This will provide great insight into the reality of anxiety medication, their effectiveness, and other related topics. The drug therapy issue is a touchy one and that's exactly why I want to tackle it head on. So if you or someone you know
DWA: Driving While Anxious (Podcast)
On today's podcast I discussed the finer points of driving while anxious. I recruited my younger brother to share with you his phobia - driving. I recently received a request from an Anxiety Guru reader who wanted this topic reviewed so we beat this issue to near death on our quest for driving nirvana. Driving as we all know can be a huge obstacle for many anxiety sufferers. This becomes extremely problematic because of the amount of driving we all have to do. This podcast is meant to detail some of the most common problems faced by anxious
How To Cope With A Panic Attack
Now when you read the title of this post you might have thought "cope with a panic attack? Is that even possible?" It is kinda hard to understand how one could cope or negotiate with such a stressful and seemingly out of control event but it can be done. Let's start by looking at the word cope. To cope means to manage a taxing circumstance. The operative term being manage, not defeat, conquer, vanquish, etc. We have to start out with the understanding that we cope with anxiety and panic we don't and cannot will it away or destroy
Stress Busting Food And Activities
To view the diagram used in this screencast in more detail click here . After having chronic anxiety for sometime you'll start to notice changes in your health. This is because anxiety creates stress and stress in big doses can effect the functioning of our bodies. Stress can change our ability to digest food properly, it creates increased stomach acid which leads to GERD and heartburn, blood pressure may be temporarily elevated, your immune system becomes depressed so that you get sick more often and for longer periods of time, it can
The Anxiety Guru Show: Podcast Round Up
It's been awhile since I published a podcast so I decided to do a podcast round up which basically consist of recent issues I've talked about on the blog. Here is a short list of some of the things I covered on this podcast. 1. State of the world and why this should not concern you as much as the news would have you believe. 2. Anxiety Cycle - a blurb about how we all have ups and downs with anxiety. 3. Coping and vice. 4. Does anxiety get better? I reviewed this question on the blog this week but I wanted to add a more complete
Looking For An Exit
When you walk into a movie theater, eatery, or any other public facility do you look for the exits? Do you sit near the exit or at least keep an eye on the exit? Until recently I used to do this all the time and I think it added to my anxiety while I was in public since the predominate thought during my time out was always "when the hell can I get out of here". There is no such thing as a "looking for an exit syndrome", but looking for exits is a direct result of your anxiety disorder. This is because people with anxiety
The Anxiety Guru Show: Hypochondria Ep 10
Show Notes: Hypochondria 1. Hypochondria is a health phobia that makes its sufferers believe that they are ill in the absence of disease. It is marked by constant worry about health issues. a. This is an obsession that cannot be easily alleviated. Even a trip to the doctor is not enough to calm the nerves of a hypochondriac. b. A hypochondriac will usually focus on a part of the body or certain types of disease. An example would be an intense focus on the heart because of palpitations . c. This is a condition characterized by
Anxiety Induced Chest Pain
Picture it, you're enjoying an average day at work when all of sudden you get a sharp jabbing pain in the center of your chest. You go from totally relaxed to "oh no!" in 3 nanoseconds. This is a very typical reaction to anxiety induced chest pain. Chest pain can create a swift and focused sensation of fear all over your body in what feels like an instant. Your first assumption is that you're having a heart attack and that you're going to die suddenly. After several minutes of experiencing chest pain, even though you haven't died