Disordered: Anxiety Help7 Marras 2025

Anxious About Feeling ... Calm? (Episode 132)

Panicogenic Relaxation: Why You Feel Anxious When Feeling Calm

You're finally feeling better. The anxiety has lifted. You're relaxed and calm for the first time in months or even years. So why does that feel so weird? And why are you suddenly anxious about feeling calm?

In this episode, Drew and Josh explore "panicogenic relaxation". This is a common experience in anxiety disorder recovery where feeling normal, neutral, or relaxed can trigger concern or even high anxiety and panic. When you've been anxious for so long, that heightened state becomes your predictable default. The absence of anxiety can feel unfamiliar, strange, or even threatening.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why feeling calm or relaxed can feel uncomfortable or even scary during recovery
How your brain's scanning mechanisms continue even when you're no longer anxious
Why anxiety becomes a "predictable pillar" after long periods of struggle
The importance of practicing being relaxed, not just practicing being anxious
How the shock-attention-resistance cycle continues even when you're feeling better
Why all emotional states - including calm - need to be permissible
How to recognize when you're still checking and monitoring even during neutral states

We also share inspiring "Did It Anyway" stories from the community, including someone who kept pushing through fatigue to go to new places, and another who took their first step away from 13 years of self-medication.

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Want a way to ask questions about this episode or interact with other Disordered listeners? The Disordered app is nearing release! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our home page and get on our mailing list for more information..

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Struggling with worry and rumination that you feel you can't stop or control? Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Worry and Rumination Explained⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a two hour pre-recorded workshop produced by Josh and Drew. The workshop takes a deep dive into the mechanics of worrying and ruminating, offering some helpful ways to approach the seemingly unsolvable problem of trying to solve seemingly unsolvable problems.

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Jaksot(158)

Anxiety and Mental Health Misinformation w/Dr. Birthe Macdonald (Episode 124)

In this essential episode, Drew and Josh are joined by Dr. Birthe Macdonald, a psychologist and neuroscience researcher who's become a vital voice in combating mental health misinformation on social m...

5 Syys 202550min

Anxiety Recovery: Semantics and Choosing Words Wisely (Episode 123)

In this episode, we explore how the language we use to describe our anxiety experiences can either fuel our struggles or support our recovery. We examine the difference between helpful and unhelpful w...

29 Elo 202547min

Have You Learned How To Panic Yet? (Episode 122)

In this episode, Josh and Drew tackle one of the most counterintuitive concepts in overcoming panic attacks: learning how to panic better, rather than trying to avoid panic altogether.When facing a ne...

22 Elo 202538min

Forgiving Yourself In Anxiety Recovery (Episode 121)

When you're struggling with anxiety disorders, you often do things that don't reflect who you really are - avoiding social gatherings, canceling plans, or making demands on loved ones that you normall...

15 Elo 202536min

Anxiety and the Death of Curiosity (Episode 120)

When anxiety takes hold, one of the first casualties is our natural sense of wonder and openness to new experiences. In this episode of Disordered, lets explore how anxiety disorders systematically er...

8 Elo 202539min

Processing ... Or Anxious Thinking? (Episode 119)

When something shocking or difficult happens, we're often told we need to "process" our emotions. But what if that endless loop of replaying events in your mind isn't actually processing at all? In th...

1 Elo 202537min

Healing in Anxiety Disorders (Episode 118)

In this episode of Disordered, the guys tackle one of the most misunderstood concepts in anxiety recovery: healing. Sparked by a listener question about balancing relationships with anxiety recovery w...

25 Heinä 202544min

Getting Out Of An Anxious Head (Episode 117)

Ever feel trapped in cycles of rumination, overthinking, and constant mental chatter about your anxiety? In this episode, Drew and Josh tackle the challenging question of how to "get out of your own h...

11 Heinä 202537min