Anxiety Road Podcast

I'm still on summer slow down. I was more tired than I thought. But slowly getting back into the game.  It is one thing to know you need help but it is a whole other thing trying to get help.    In this episode, a few more tips on how to separate yourself from fraudsters non-human shams. The videos I posted in the resource section make some of the consumer health literacy process clear and easy to implement.   Resources Mentioned:    Anxiety and Depression Association of America. known as ADAA has extensive information about the different types of anxiety conditions and other mental health disorders. They also have a YouTube channel.   The Mayo Clinic has a section on their website with a listing of diseases and conditions.   Psychology Today a viable website with a bunch of mental health and mental wellness information. It is a commercial site but they do have health professionals creating content.  There is a US and UK versions of the website. A story I think we all should check out is AI implied health biases - how they replicate existing or prior historical views on health issues.   AI implied health biases - how they replicate existing or prior historical views on health issues.    There is a short SciToons video on the basics of health literacy for consumers and why it is important.   The PROVE It literacy technique, explains how to evaluate information, both health and non-health info that is presented to you. This info is intended for teachers but it is super clear on the process of evaluating information.   The North Carolina Medical Board created an instructional video on what to do to prepare for an office visit, and how to get better value from the visit called The Importance of Health Literacy   To beef up your health literacy skills, I do recommend the Trust it or Trash it website.   Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

It is time for my summer slow down but the tricksters do not rest. So for a couple of episodes, I want to share with you some of the new fangled ways the underside of the bottom of the barrel will try to get you to read, click or share.  This time a look at busty thumbnails and Barney Google's type eyes in social media title cards and thumbnails. The TLDL is that there are all kinds of ways to get attention.  Attention sometimes equals clicks and then clicks equal cash or data harvesting.  When possible, avoid the Reaper.   Resources Mentioned:  The Trust It or Trash It website has tutorials on how to evaluate a health or mental health site for being a safe place to get information.  The National Library of Medicine has a section of the website that also has tutorials on health literacy topics.    On the PubMed page there is a on-line tutorial or you can download the PDF version of  Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

This brief episode is about mysophobia or germophobia. When I went to do my research, a lot of search engines wanted me to learn about misophonia.  The AI didn't believe that I wanted to learn about the fear of germs. It insisted that I wanted to know about the sensory brain problem where certain noise patterns are painful to hear or be exposed to for a person.    It is a very interesting condition but it is not an anxiety condition.  For those about to roast me for not spelling germophobia correctly, per the dictionary, both germophobia and germaphobia are correct. It is getting rough on these internet streets. It was like, hey little girl, let me tell you something you didn't ask for but I'm going to give it to you anyway.    This is why you need a brick in your purse. But I digress. This is a short look at this particular type of phobia. Resources Mentioned:  WonderMind is a website that writes about mental health and fitness issues for adults of a certain age, not boomers. They have a post called  How to Do Life When You're Scared of Germs. The Cleveland Clinic has an explainer page about mysophobia aka germophobia.   The International OCD Foundation has an abundance of resources about OCD information.    Emergency Resources: The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In this episode, a pebble in the road on a NAMI resource for military folks. As I mentioned in the show, this day is the Memorial Day observance and the start of barbeque season. Well, for the rest of the country.  Around these parts the sun shines almost all of the time so anytime is a good time to fire up the grill. Unless you live in a fire prone area. Then it is bad, very bad.    It is also the time for making evaluations or decisions on how the next six month are going to go. Great opportunity to get your act together or let it fall the hell apart and rebuild.   Your choice.  Oh, one more thing. I need to juggle some work demands, vacation and other stuff. One of my ideas was to bank a few episodes on viable links of interest. I'm going to try to do that so I can keep my brain from turning into mush. So there might be a few more pebbles in the road as I try to balance the impossible concept of time enough.   I never have enough time. Resources Mentioned:  Health.mil is the official website for active soldiers that need mental health resources.   The NAMI website has resources and educational programs for current military, family members and caregivers. https://www.nami.org/programs/nami-homefront/   Emergency Resources   The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

This is an episode on washing dishes mindfully. I have a pan that I've mucked up one time too many. I don't have patience with it any more. But maybe I need to slow down and care for it proper.  And by it, I mean me. Slow down and look at the pan. What does it need? Can it be saved from the land fill? Focusing it on being in the moment with that dang crusted up multi-ringed pan of hell.   Ok, I might need a bit more work on being in a kind and loving mode of mindfulness. We all have to start somewhere and it ain't going to be perfect. Doesn't have to be.    Just start.   Do the best you can, when you can. Resources Mentioned:    From Insight Timer, there is an audiogram by Michelle Tao that explains how to do a mindful dishwashing session.   The website Care and Self Love goes deep with the power of dishwashing mindfulness.   Mindful Exercises has a script that you can follow as you set your mind to the task of taking care of yourself and those dishes.   And trusted Consumer Reports has an article on how to wash dishes.   Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In this episode, I want to give an overview of what a mental health license is, why it is necessary and some of the types of providers that have a specific type of license. Part of the reason the podcast exist is to provide accurate, verifiable information.  So when I hear a statement like, "a license is only for insurance purposes," I have flashbacks of being that girl in class with her arms waving as the rest of the class groans. Resources Mentioned:  There is a simple version from Mental Health Foundation on the types of mental health professionals.    From NAMI, that is the National Alliance of Mental Illness is a PDF fact sheet on the types of mental health professionals, the titles and what they do.   Mental Health America also has a page on the various types of mental healthcare providers. Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

This is a quick look at the book Beyond Anxiety by Martha Beck. I think most of us would like to be beyond it but our current reality is making that extremely hard to do.  Resources Mentioned:    I found two open chapters of the book Beyond Anxiety on Google Books. If you are interested in author Martha Beck, there is her main website where you can look at some of her social media history and connections. If you want to get a sense of her tone and point of view there is an 2025 interview on the Today show.   Emergency Resources:   The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

Caffeine is one of those substances that can be a friend-enemy. We all know of or experienced the friend-enemy, the one that seems to be supportive while doing dirt in the background.  In limited use like period relief medications, I have no problem supporting that use. Taking caffeine  daily when you have anxiety or depression, might not be such a good idea. It can amp up your existing symptoms or give you new ones.    In this episode, the foods and drinks you might find caffeine and a few resources on how to slowly and safely detox from the stuff. Resources Mentioned:    Both Medline Plus and the Harvard TC Chan School of Public Health Nutrition Source have pages about caffeine. The following resources have information about withdrawing or reducing your intake:   Sutter Health on breaking your caffeine habit Cornell University download flyer tips on Reducing Caffeine Use The Cleveland Clinic on How to Quit Caffeine   Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.     Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

The way it is presented you'd think that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the only therapy treatment for anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. No, it isn't. It does work, but not for every person or every mental health condition.   In this episode, a quick review of what CBT is and some of the pros and cons. This isn't an attempt to praise or condemn the therapy. I just want to point out that it might not be right for you at this time or you might needs to get your symptoms in control before you can consider this type of treatment.   Resources Mentioned:  American Psychological Association on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy   Book publisher Wiley has the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dummies book. On the website you can read sample chapters and there is a cheat sheet you can review to see if the book is a good match for you.   MindDoc is an app that is a CBT type education that you can access via your phone. You can read or listen to a variety of topics, monitoring and self-management your mental health and check in on you daily. There is a free and paid version of the app that is available to Android and iOS users.   What's Up app for iPhone/iPad users provides a basic grounding in CBT topics and skills. it has a journaling and notes section, breathing exercises and grounding tools. It is free but there are in-app purchases. Emergency Resources The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

Anhedonia is the inability to experience pleasure or enjoyment from activities that normally bring satisfaction. You can do things but you can't feel things. Your brain cannot process or have access to pleasure, reward or satisfaction.  This is a quick episode on what the condition is, some of the symptoms and a few learning and treatment options. Resources Mentioned:    Anxiety and Depression Association of America has a video about Anhedonia ADAA also has a support group for people with Major Depression Disorder.    Psych Hub video is also a good starting place to learn about Anhedonia   UC Irvine has an informational blog page about Anhedonia called There is help if it all seems too much   From Helpguide.org Anhedonia Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment   Emergency Resources:   The Trevor Project: Provides crisis support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth through phone (1-866-488-7386), text (START to 678-678), and online chat. Available 24/7. They also provide peer support and community.    Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the Veteran line and international calling options.    National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or WhatsApp as a means of contact.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.