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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 cycles of overthinking, constantly trying to figure out your anxiety, or exhausting yourself attempting to solve feelings that aren't meant to be solved, this episode is for you. We'll explore how the same mental abilities that help us navigate the world can trap us when they're aimed at our own internal experiences.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction - When problem solving becomes the problem
01:54 How the mind forms relationships and connections between experiences
03:09 When problem solving leads to anxiety, overthinking, and control issues
04:26 What happens when problem solving turns inward on our feelings
06:47 The spectacular failure of trying to solve internal experiences
09:02 Understanding the Cognitive Attentional Syndrome (CAS)
10:42 Experiential avoidance and the cost of feeling better now
12:58 How fear generalizes through mental connections
14:58 Shifting from content focus to process awareness
16:09 Real examples: panic responses vs. healthier approaches to triggers
18:03 Practical principles for recognizing when problem solving goes wrong
19:29 Moving toward values while feeling uncomfortable - psychological flexibility

Key takeaway: Your thoughts and emotions are experiences to have, not problems to solve.

Whether you're dealing with panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, health anxiety, or generalized anxiety, learning to recognize when your problem-solving mind is making things worse can be a crucial step in your recovery journey.

This episode explores evidence-based concepts from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Metacognitive Therapy in accessible, practical terms. Remember: recovery isn't about finding quick fixes or magical solutions - it's about learning to relate differently to your internal experiences.

Resources mentioned:

• My Substack
• Full Show Notes For This Episode

If you found this episode helpful, please leave a rating and review - it helps other people find the podcast and get the help they need.

Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.

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 advice
• Why personal beliefs and autonomy matter more than you might think
• The countless variables that make medication decisions incredibly complex
• Why your recovery journey changes over time (and so do your needs)
• What qualifications actually matter when it comes to psychiatric medications
• A better approach to getting the medication support you need

The reality is this: There are too many personal, medical, cultural, and lifestyle factors that go into medication decisions for any podcaster, YouTuber, or social media creator to give you meaningful advice. Even as a therapist specializing in anxiety disorders, there are clear boundaries I must respect.

This doesn't mean your questions aren't valid - they absolutely are. It means you deserve qualified, ongoing professional support for these important decisions, not one-size-fits-all answers from someone who doesn't know your specific situation.

Whether you use medication or not, the principles of anxiety recovery remain the same. You can't make a wrong choice because you can always change course as you learn and grow.

For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/320

My medication story:

https://theanxioustruth.com/145

https://theanxioustruth.com/146

https://theanxioustruth.com/147

Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.

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 peaceful
• The concept of being "aggressively present" when anxiety strikes
• How mindfulness is really attention training, not relaxation training
• Why meditation for anxiety is like going to the gym for your attention
• The difference between facts and the meaning we make of facts
• Practical ways to interrupt anxiety spirals in the moment
• Why you can't just decide to be mindful only during panic attacks

Key takeaways:

• Mindfulness in anxiety treatment isn't gentle - it's about slamming on the brakes when your mind races toward catastrophic conclusions
• The goal isn't to eliminate anxiety, but to develop a different relationship with it
• You have to practice attention skills during calm moments to access them during triggered moments
• Recovery means feeling real fear but knowing you're not in real danger

If you missed part one (episode 318), go back and listen to that first for the complete conversation.

This episode offers a practical, no-nonsense look at how mindfulness actually works in anxiety recovery - not the soft-focus version you might expect, but the real-world application that helps people move forward in their recovery journey.

Resources mentioned:

• Lauren Rosen: theobsessivemind.com
• Joanna Hardis: joannahardis.com
• More resources at theanxioustruth.com

Remember: there are no small moves in recovery, only valuable ones. Keep at it - you can do this.

Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated!

Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.

Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.