Podcast
Disordered: Anxiety Help
Hosted by Josh Fletcher and Drew Linsalata · EN
Disordered is the podcast that delivers real, evidence-based, actionable talk about anxiety disorders and anxiety recovery in a kind, compassionate, community-oriented environment. Josh Fletcher is a qualified psychotherapist in the UK. Drew Linsalata is a therapist practicing under supervision in the US. They're both bestselling authors in the anxiety and mental health space. Josh and Drew are funny, friendly, and they have a knack for combining lived experience, formal training, and professional experience in an encouraging, inspiring, and compassionate mental health message.
29episodes
Episodes
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Is Distraction a Compulsion In Anxiety Recovery? (Episode 157)
6d ago00:40:02Tap to summarizeCan distraction be a compulsion in anxiety recovery? It is a question that comes up constantly in the anxiety community. Many people are told to simply "distract your mind" when they feel anxious, but if you are doing it specifically to escape a feeling, it can quickly turn into a safety behavior or a compulsion.---Want to talk about this episode with Drew, Josh, and others that are sharing your struggle and understand? We're hanging out in the Disordered Community space:https://disordered.fm/community---In this episode of Disordered, the guys break down the crucial difference between using distraction as an urgent escape mechanism and choosing to intentionally shift your attention toward something meaningful. Drew and Josh look at how the intent and the presence of urgency dictate whether an action is helping your recovery or keeping you stuck in the anxiety loop.Intent vs. Escape: Why how and why you distract yourself matters far more than the activity itself.The Role of Urgency: How sprinting to an activity to stop an anxious feeling turns a healthy action into a compliance mechanism.Attentional Control: The practice of moving your focus to value-driven actions even while anxiety chats away in the background.Rewiring the Amygdala: Why teaching your brain that you are safe requires turning your attention away from the threat response.Listener "Did It Anyways": Inspiring stories from the community, including overcoming a years-long fear of flying and navigating major life challenges while continuing to take brave steps forward.Recovery is not about achieving perfect distraction to prevent difficult feelings. It is about building psychological flexibility and learning that you can coexist with discomfort while choosing where to put your focus.---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is available as a paperback or on Kindlehttps://www.disordered.fm/the-disordered-guide-to-health-anxiety/---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.-----Got a question or did it anyway to share? Send us an email or voicemail on our website.https://disordered.fm
Transcribe →Asking For Anxiety Help (Episode 156)
2w ago00:38:58Tap to summarizeAsking for help can be difficult, especially when you are struggling with anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, or agoraphobia. In this episode, Drew and Josh break down the nuances of asking for anxiety help. There is a fine line between asking for genuine support and looking for compulsive reassurance or soothing to make the discomfort disappear.Drew and Josh discuss why so many people feel like a burden when asking for support and how anxiety often twists the desire for help into a demand for certainty. You will learn how to shift away from asking for short-term fixes and instead ask for the encouragement and reminders you need to tolerate difficult feelings and build long-term psychological flexibility.--Want talk about this episode with Josh and Drew and others that share your experience in a supportive environment? We're hanging out on the Disordered Community space.https://disordered.fm/community-- The guys also share inspiring "Did It Anyway" stories from the community, demonstrating how learning to accept discomfort—and sometimes even choosing to do less or rest—is a vital part of the recovery journey.Reassurance vs. Support: Understanding the difference between asking for tools to cope and asking for temporary soothing to make the feelings go away.Overcoming the "Burden" Myth: Why anxiety makes you feel like an inconvenience and how to reframe asking for help as a step toward growth.Asking for Encouragement over Certainty: How requesting reminders of your past success and capability can help you step into feared situations.The Courage to Do Less: Why sometimes the best way to do it anyway is to give yourself permission to rest and step off the productivity treadmill.---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is available as a paperback or on Kindlehttps://www.disordered.fm/the-disordered-guide-to-health-anxiety/---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.-----Got a question or did it anyway to share? Send us an email or voicemail on our website.
Transcribe →Taboo OCD Themes (Episode 155)
3w ago00:47:21Tap to summarizeOCD is a difficult condition to navigate, but it becomes significantly more challenging when obsessions center on taboo topics. Themes involving harm, pedophilia (pOCD), sexual orientation (HOCD), or moral and religious failure often carry a heavy burden of shame. This shame frequently drives people into silence, preventing them from seeking the help they need.---Want to talk about this episode with Drew, Josh, and other members of the Disordered community that share your struggle?https://disordered.fm/community---In this episode, Drew is joined by Jess Marriner, an OCD specialist based in the UK. They discuss why the human brain can latch onto these specific themes and why having a "taboo" thought does not reflect your character or your actual desires.Key Topics Discussed:The Nature of Taboo Thoughts: Recognizing that intrusive thoughts about harm or socially unacceptable acts are common mental occurrences and do not make you a dangerous person.The Role of Shame: How the socially unacceptable nature of these themes feeds the OCD cycle and keeps sufferers isolated.Common Compulsions: Identifying sneaky mental rituals like reassurance seeking, thought neutralizing, and "testing" to see if a thought feels true.Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): How to approach treatment by leaning into the discomfort and uncertainty rather than fighting the content of the thoughts.The Goal of Recovery: Moving from a state of constant panic and checking to a place where thoughts are seen as irrelevant mental noise.If you are struggling with taboo obsessions, this conversation highlights that you are not alone and that recovery is possible through evidence-based approaches like ERP and acceptance-based strategies.---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is now available. If you're struggling with health anxiety, this book is for you.---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.-----Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Send us an email or leave a voicemail on our website.
Transcribe →Anxiety Recovery: When You're Trying To "Win" (Episode 154)
May 100:41:45Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Josh and Drew discuss a common hurdle in anxiety recovery: the desire to "win" against your anxiety. For many, especially those with perfectionist tendencies, anxiety is viewed as an adversary that has taken something away. This leads to a constant, habitual checking to see if the anxiety is gone, which inadvertently keeps you stuck in a cycle of monitoring and frustration.---Want to talk about this episode with us and interact with others that are sharing your experience?https://disordered.fm/community---We look at why defining recovery as a "win" can be counterproductive.The Lack of Closure: Unlike a sports match, there is no final bell or celebration when you recover. Recovery often just peters out until you realize you haven't thought about how you feel in weeks.Examination Compulsions: When you are hell-bent on winning, you might find yourself checking how you feel 50 times a day. Because anxiety involves a doubt response, even a "good" check is often met with more doubt, leading to increased frustration.The Perfectionist Hurdle: Perfectionists often want to get recovery "exactly right," looking for a certificate or absolute proof that the battle is over.We explore the idea that true progress isn't measured by the absence of symptoms, but by your willingness to experience them.Surrender vs. Resistance: While "winning" implies a fight, recovery is found in surrender—not to the anxiety, but to the reality of the moment.Functional Impact: We discuss measuring success by how much you are living your life, regardless of how you feel. If an adrenaline spike used to stop you for a week and now it only stops you for an hour, that is progress.The Paradox of Recovery: You know you are winning when you stop asking if you are winning.We share inspiring stories from our community members who practiced these principles.The 5K Race: A listener shares how she completed a 5K and set a personal best despite dealing with stomach cramps and the urge to stop.The London Trip: A community member discusses traveling to London and using the tube while experiencing high anxiety and physical sensations, choosing to lean into the discomfort to attend an important event.The Wedding Day: A past caller shares her experience of getting married while navigating Relationship OCD (ROCD), proving that you can have a beautiful, meaningful day even when your internal experience is difficult.Ultimately, the win isn't when the anxiety leaves; the win is when it doesn't matter that it's there.---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is now available. If you're struggling with health anxiety, this book is for you.---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.-----Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Send us an email or leave a voicemail on our website.
Transcribe →Let Me Tell You How I Feel (Episode 153)
Apr 2400:40:06Tap to summarizeLet's start with a success story from the UK. While being medically monitored for four hours, our listener realized how much attention she was giving to her physical symptoms. Her story highlights the difference between noticing a sensation and compulsively monitoring it.--Want to talk about this episode and interact with others that share your experience in a supportive and encouraging environment? Check the Disordered Community space:https://disordered.fm/community--Which leads us to a conversation about the urge to ALWAYS talk about how you feel - either out loud or silently in an internal dialogue.We discuss the "telling compulsion," which is a common behavior for those struggling with anxiety and OCD. This is the urge to immediately report every physical sensation or intrusive thought to someone else.The Safety Seek: Telling others how you feel is often a safety behavior used to gain temporary reassurance.The "Problem Shared" Myth: While talking about emotions is generally seen as healthy, in the context of an anxiety disorder, it can become a repetitive loop that keeps the brain in a state of high alert.Internal Monitoring: You don't have to say it out loud for it to be a compulsion. Constantly checking in with yourself and asking "how do I feel now?" is the internal version of the same behavior.Conventional wisdom suggests you should always express your feelings. However, for someone with an anxiety disorder, focusing intensely on every "buzz" in the head or "jelly leg" sensation actually reinforces the idea that these feelings are dangerous.Therapeutic Missteps: We acknowledge that even therapists are sometimes trained to push clients to "probe" and "feel more deeply" into sensations that are actually just symptoms of a misfiring threat response.The Goal of Discernment: Recovery involves learning when it is productive to talk about an emotion (like anger from a fight with a partner) and when it is better to disengage from a physical anxiety symptom.A few key principles you may bring with you from this episode: Labeling Feelings: People often wrap every emotion in the label of "anxiety." You are allowed to feel angry, sad, or even happy without it being a "symptom" that needs to be reported.Psychological Flexibility: Recovery is about learning to be with difficult internal experiences rather than trying to control or prevent them.The Amygdala: Constantly talking about your anxiety to seek relief keeps your threat response turned on.---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is now available. If you're struggling with health anxiety, this book is for you.---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.-----Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Send us an email or leave a voicemail on our website.
Transcribe →Anxiety in the Supermarket or Grocery Store (Episode 152)
Apr 1700:37:46Tap to summarizeHave you ever felt like a supermarket was a high-stakes obstacle course you just couldn’t wait to escape? In this episode of Disordered, Josh and Drew dive deep into a struggle that almost everyone with an anxiety disorder knows well: anxiety in the supermarket or grocery store.Whether it is the harsh fluorescent lighting, the narrow aisles, or the trapped feeling of standing in a long checkout queue, the grocery store is often a primary trigger for panic and agoraphobia. We discuss why this mundane chore feels so confronting and share our own personal histories of running out of stores and abandoning shopping carts.Sensory Overload: Why the music, lights, and crowds create a maelstrom for the anxious brain.The Exit Mentality: The habit of scanning for fire exits and the urge to rush through shopping as a hit and run experience.Cognitive Sequencing: The difficulty of making simple decisions when your brain is stuck in panic mode.Real Success Stories: We share a did it anyway from a listener who navigated a new store despite her agoraphobia.Practical Strategies: Why trying to think logically does not work in the moment and how to practice willful tolerance instead.We also touch on the 7% Slower rule and how intentionally slowing down your physical pace can teach your brain that you are not actually in danger. If you have ever felt like reality was collapsing while you were just trying to buy ingredients for lasagna, this episode is for you.--Want to talk about what you heard today? We're hanging out in the Disordered community space:https://disordered.fm/community---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is now available. If you're struggling with health anxiety, this book is for you.-----Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Send us an email or leave a voicemail on our website.
Transcribe →Anxiety Disorders and Sneaky Compulsions (Episode 151)
Apr 1000:47:35Tap to summarizeWant to talk about what you heard here? We're hanging out in the Disordered community space:https://disordered.fm/community---This episode of Disordered dives into the concept of sneaky compulsions. Many people struggling with anxiety or OCD often find themselves performing behaviors that they do not immediately recognize as compulsions. These can look like productive research, seeking reassurance through a joke, or even "checking" to see if you still feel calm.Drew and Josh discuss how these behaviors are often avoidance or escape mechanisms in disguise. Whether it is asking a therapist if you are the worst case they have ever seen or using AI to obsess over a body sensation, these actions are designed to provide short term relief while keeping you stuck in the anxiety cycle.Key topics covered in this episode:* Why we mask compulsions as personality traits or curiosity.* The "reassurance seeker's workaround" of projecting issues onto others.* How gathering more information can actually be a form of avoidance.* Real life examples from the community about catching sneaky compulsions in the moment.* The importance of psychological flexibility and learning to be with difficult feelings instead of trying to fix them.---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is now available. If you're struggling with health anxiety, this book is for you.---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.---Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Send us an email or leave a voicemail on our website.
Transcribe →Same Time Next Week - Anxiety Recovery in the "Gaps" (Episode 150)
Apr 300:44:03Tap to summarizeWant to talk about what you heard today? Check out the Disordered Community space:https://disordered.fm/community----In this milestone episode of Disordered, we discuss the concepts in Josh's upcoming book. The conversation focuses on the gaps in anxiety recovery and the modern hurdles that prevent people from effectively practicing desensitization.They break down how the obsession with "optimization" and the "wellness brosphere" often becomes a distraction from the actual work of recovery. Using case studies from the book, they examine the different ways people try to avoid vulnerability by using hacks or curated identities.CASE STUDIES:Magnus: A young man with agoraphobia who tries to "alpha" his way out of his annex. He relies on supplements and wellness protocols rather than facing the fear directly.Lia Su: A wellness influencer who hides severe OCD behind a perfect online persona. Her story explores how making mental health an identity can lead to more avoidance.Ruben Kane: A retired boxer dealing with gambling issues and the shame of no longer feeling like the tough guy. His story looks at how anxiety can infiltrate a singular identity.Miriam: A student therapist learning to navigate imposter syndrome. Josh and Drew discuss why self doubt is actually a valuable tool for growth and curiosity.CORE CONCEPTSDelayed Gratification: This explores the struggle to be patient in a world where everything else is instant.Vulnerability: Recovery involves moving away from fixing or regulating and moving toward being okay with being afraid.The Gaps: This involves identifying the subtle things we do that keep us stuck in the anxiety cycle.Real Fear vs Real Danger: This episode emphasizes that while the fear you feel is real, you are not in actual danger.Psychological Flexibility: You benefit more from learning to be with difficult internal experiences like anxiety and fear rather than trying to control or prevent them.Gradual Progress: Recovery is about taking small, practical steps rather than looking for a magic solution.BOOK INFORMATIONJosh’s new book, Same Time Next Week, is available for pre order. If you pre order before May 14th, you can receive an exclusive ebook on intrusive thoughts and a morning anxiety audio guide.---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is now available. If you're struggling with health anxiety, this book is for you.---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.-----Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Send us an email or leave a voicemail on our website.
Transcribe →Failing and Bailing on Anxiety Exposures? (Episode 149)
Mar 2700:35:55Tap to summarizeWant to talk about what you hear on this episode? Join us in the Disordered community space:https://disordered.fm/community---In this episode, Josh and Drew tackle a common hurdle in anxiety recovery: what happens when an exposure feels like a "failure" or when you choose to "bail."An exposure is the deliberate act of evoking an anxious response. It is a way to rewire the brain by intentionally lighting up the threat response and practicing response prevention. The goal is to teach your brain that you are safe even when you feel scared, rather than trying to force yourself to feel calm.Many people believe that feeling high levels of anxiety during an exposure means they have failed. This is a misconception. The exposure is designed to make you feel anxious; therefore, feeling those symptoms is exactly what is supposed to happen."Failure" is often a label generated by your Inner Critic based on perfectionist expectations. True growth comes from being willing to experience the discomfort, even if the execution feels "messy".Bailing occurs when the discomfort becomes overwhelming and you choose to retreat. While this can feel like a setback, it is often a signal that you need more self-compassion. We discuss the "punch in the face" moment. That's the the point where the plan goes out the window because the physical sensations or intrusive thoughts become intense.The "Bad Day Playbook": Don't try to make it up on the fly when you're panicked. Have a pre-planned set of actions to take if an exposure doesn't go as intended.Avoid "White-Knuckling": Simply "pushing through" while counting down the seconds to escape is not the same as a willing exposure.The Goal is Willingness: Recovery is about changing your relationship with the anxiety, not eliminating the feeling. Even an "unplanned" exposure—like a sudden intrusive thought or a physical symptom—is an opportunity to practice these principles.Go Through the Peak: If possible, try not to leave the situation at the height of your distress. Leaving on the "back end" of the peak, on your own terms, provides the best learning opportunity for your brain.We also share "Did It Anyway" stories from the community, including a powerful example of navigating health anxiety during a family party.---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.-----Got a question or did it anyway to share? Send us an email or voicemail on our website.
Transcribe →Rolling Anxiety and Panic (Episode 148)
Mar 1300:36:27Tap to summarizeWant to talk about what you're hearing today with Josh, Drew, and others that are sharing your experience? Check out the Disordered Community Space:https://disordered.fm/community---This episode of Disordered addresses the experience of constant, simmering anxiety that fluctuates in intensity throughout the day without fully disappearing. We refer to this as undulating panic or a loop of peaking anxiety.The Nature of Rolling Anxiety: Many people that they are different because they don't have anxiety that appears, then disappears. It rolls and undulates throughout the day. This is the rule, not the exception. We explain how an internal fixation on bodily sensations and thoughts creates a cycle where anxiety rises and falls continually.The Monitoring Trap: Using scales like Subjective Units of Distress (SUDs) can become a compulsion. When you constantly scan your body to check if you are a "four" or a "nine," you maintain the rolling, undulating sensitized state you are trying to escape.The Sand Timer Analogy: Physiological and mental arousal (yes, even a full panic attack) has a beginning, middle, and end. Once the "sand timer" of an adrenaline spike is flipped, it must run its course. Attempting to "shake the timer" through frantic coping mechanisms only slows down the natural process of settling.Recovery Through Action: We share listener stories of "doing it anyway" despite monophobia and physical pain. These examples illustrate how recovery involves moving forward while discomfort is present rather than waiting for it to stop.Recovery is grounded in the principle of psychological flexibility. The goal is to learn to be with difficult internal experiences like fear and physical sensations rather than trying to control or prevent them. By treating these fluctuations as a background noise rather than a defining event, you teach your brain that the state is not a signal of danger.---The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is now available. If you're struggling with health anxiety, this book is for you.---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.-----Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Send us an email or leave a voicemail on our website.
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