The Panic Pod: Anxiety Help

In Episode 16, we explore why measuring and monitoring anxiety is one of the most common mistakes people make when they are in a sensitised state. When we constantly check how anxious we feel, we send a message to the brain that anxiety is not allowed. Once a feeling is treated as a problem or a threat, the threat response stays active and the cycle continues.In this episode, I explain why recovery is not measured by the absence of anxiety symptoms, but by a growing willingness to allow anxiety to be present while we continue with life. I share this perspective as both a therapist and a previous sufferer, helping to reframe what progress actually looks like in anxiety recovery.Keywords:anxiety disorder, anxiety recovery, panic attacks, threat response, overthinking, anxiety symptoms, health anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, Pure O, anxiety therapist, anxiety podcast, monitoring anxiety, anxiety cycle, sensitised nervous system

In Episode 15, we look at how to make anxiety smaller by not making it the most important thing in the room. Anxiety grows when it becomes the centre of our attention and starts to dictate our behaviour. In this episode, I explain how shifting focus, continuing with what matters, and reducing the status we give anxiety can gradually shrink its influence.

I share this both as a therapist and as someone who has personally struggled with anxiety, offering insight grounded in clinical experience and lived understanding.

Keywords:
anxiety disorder, how to reduce anxiety, panic attacks, threat response, overthinking, health anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, Pure O, anxiety therapist, anxiety help, anxiety podcast, do what non anxious you would do, making anxiety smaller, fear of fear

In this episode of The Panic Pod we explore driving anxiety, a very common and often misunderstood fear. Most people are not afraid of the mechanics of driving. They are afraid of the internal sensations that might show up behind the wheel. The racing heart, dizziness, intrusive thoughts, the fear of losing control. More accurately, the fear of what anxiety might make them do.
We unpack how this becomes a self reinforcing loop, where the fear of fear takes centre stage. We also look at how driving anxiety often overlaps with agoraphobia, particularly when certain roads, distances, or escape routes start to feel unsafe. The episode focuses on understanding the threat response and changing how we relate to it, rather than trying to eliminate anxiety altogether.

In Episode 13, Do What Non-Anxious You Would Do, we explore the role of attention, focus, and intentional behaviour in anxiety recovery. By acting in line with how the non-anxious version of us would behave, we send a signal to the brain that the misfiring threat response is not needed here. We also look at the subtle trap of over-monitoring and over-focusing on our actions, and how this can unintentionally reinforce the very threat response we are trying to disengage from.

In Episode 12, we look at how to explain anxiety to a loved one. Disordered anxiety can be difficult to describe and even harder for others to understand. In this episode, I break down what anxiety actually is, how it feels from the inside, and why reassurance or logic alone often misses the point. This is an episode you can share with partners, family, or friends to help them understand what’s going on and how they can better support you.