If you’ve ever wondered why inspiring stories of triumph and growth told by self-help influencers are not helping you get better even when Oprah says they are amazing, then raise your hand because I see you. I promise you are not broken nor is your mental health issue unique or more severe than everyone else’s. Absolutely Drew! This paragraph makes me laugh! :-)
Spot on Drew! As someone who has been in the throes of OCD I can relate. It required me to go to an anxiety specialist who was able to direct me to stop analyzing, and start exposures.
🙋♀️ I once had someone tell me (I have health anxiety), that they were worried that people like me would suffer needlessly through a serious health issue because all of my physical symptoms justified investigation and no one was listening… he (an anxiety coach on social media), told me to go get checked. I was like OMG, he’s right! I’m going undiagnosed! Ok, but I had by that point been to the ER around 25 times in just a couple months and countless doctor appointments and so many blood tests and a host of many other test, yikes!….But he said he was worried about me so I started it all all over again…. 🤦♀️ I know he meant well, I’m sure he had no idea I’d spin out over his advice, he was trying to help.
It’s a big problem in medicine (I’m a nurse) that we always default to “Ooh you should get that checked out, it could be serious.” It’s good advice for a lot of the population, but terrible advice for someone with health anxiety who has already been checked out a dozen times!
Definitely hear what you're saying and after years of therapy that included rubber band snapping, looking up, looking down, attempt after attempt at failed meditation, lots of breathing, et al ad nauseum, I realized that the only advice that ever truly made sense to me was Claire's (I feel I know her). This is one reason I was so glad to find your site.
I have a question though, or perhaps need clarification. You mention health anxiety and OCD as possible conditions that might be made worse through your methods. Or am I reading this wrong? Thanks for any feedback.
By the way, meditation, breathing, and navigation skills like that are 100% in line with what Dr. Weekes was saying . She just didn't have enough time to get to the specifics. She would have told you that you learn to meditate and practice breathing (as examples) so that you can fully experience anxiety without running from it - not to stop it from happening.
Yes I am writing directly to the mechanics of disordered anxiety including OCD and health anxiety. Its why I never address specific symptoms or try to argue with anxiously driven fears on your behalf. ;-)
The Carlat Report (a psychiatry industry podcast) mentioned yesterday that depression has had “a PR campaign” so that people understand how serious it can be. This is a good thing, because now most Americans recognize that depression isn’t just a sad mood! But they also mentioned that anxiety hasn’t had a similar campaign.
That observation dovetails with what you are saying here. I can remember going to medical checkups, for example, and being asked “Do you ever have thoughts of harming yourself?” Well, yes, because I had symptoms similar to what Harm OCD sufferers have— I thought about it constantly! But I certainly never mentioned it to the doctor, because I knew that many doctors don’t really understand intrusive thoughts about harm. He would think I was depressed and suicidal which I absolutely wasn’t. I needed an anxiety-informed practitioner who knew the difference!
I have been going through some kind of so called therapy . First 10 sessions k had with a lady who basically highlighted and agreed with how hard things have been over last two years for me , death of parent , loss of business , own physical health taking a hit , and basically empowered my belief of how screwed I feel . Then that finished and I saw another lady for four sessions , and the outcome was I need to be or accept and be more vulnerable ? And also go to our local Buddhist centre to practice mindfulness ….. ? Don’t know how this fits into this post , but wondered your thoughts ? Oh, and also wants to possibly do emdr witjnke to bring back all the feelings of watching my mum die to see if that helps ???
Hear hear! (I’m in) I really hope the wider mental health community, both those who are academically qualified (ie. might actually know a thing or two) and those in the business for the feel-good or profit factor, will hear and heed this message over the next years & decades, so that it sinks into accepted mainstream advice/teaching. It’s innovative people like you Drew, who are able to articulate and reiterate this message so effectively, via the right channels and at the right levels, who we’re all counting on! Thank you.
If you’ve ever wondered why inspiring stories of triumph and growth told by self-help influencers are not helping you get better even when Oprah says they are amazing, then raise your hand because I see you. I promise you are not broken nor is your mental health issue unique or more severe than everyone else’s. Absolutely Drew! This paragraph makes me laugh! :-)
Say it louder!!! This is spot on!!!
Spot on Drew! As someone who has been in the throes of OCD I can relate. It required me to go to an anxiety specialist who was able to direct me to stop analyzing, and start exposures.
🙋♀️ I once had someone tell me (I have health anxiety), that they were worried that people like me would suffer needlessly through a serious health issue because all of my physical symptoms justified investigation and no one was listening… he (an anxiety coach on social media), told me to go get checked. I was like OMG, he’s right! I’m going undiagnosed! Ok, but I had by that point been to the ER around 25 times in just a couple months and countless doctor appointments and so many blood tests and a host of many other test, yikes!….But he said he was worried about me so I started it all all over again…. 🤦♀️ I know he meant well, I’m sure he had no idea I’d spin out over his advice, he was trying to help.
It’s a big problem in medicine (I’m a nurse) that we always default to “Ooh you should get that checked out, it could be serious.” It’s good advice for a lot of the population, but terrible advice for someone with health anxiety who has already been checked out a dozen times!
Definitely hear what you're saying and after years of therapy that included rubber band snapping, looking up, looking down, attempt after attempt at failed meditation, lots of breathing, et al ad nauseum, I realized that the only advice that ever truly made sense to me was Claire's (I feel I know her). This is one reason I was so glad to find your site.
I have a question though, or perhaps need clarification. You mention health anxiety and OCD as possible conditions that might be made worse through your methods. Or am I reading this wrong? Thanks for any feedback.
No I said that advice NOT based on the specifics of OCD and health anxiety can make things worse.
Ok, so your methods are safe and practical for ocd or health anxiety?
By the way, meditation, breathing, and navigation skills like that are 100% in line with what Dr. Weekes was saying . She just didn't have enough time to get to the specifics. She would have told you that you learn to meditate and practice breathing (as examples) so that you can fully experience anxiety without running from it - not to stop it from happening.
Yes I am writing directly to the mechanics of disordered anxiety including OCD and health anxiety. Its why I never address specific symptoms or try to argue with anxiously driven fears on your behalf. ;-)
Thank you Drew for all of this. I appreciate it.
Yes, I absolutely agree it should be a thing!! Such a huge difference between the two. Thank you for this!
This is so true! Great read
The Carlat Report (a psychiatry industry podcast) mentioned yesterday that depression has had “a PR campaign” so that people understand how serious it can be. This is a good thing, because now most Americans recognize that depression isn’t just a sad mood! But they also mentioned that anxiety hasn’t had a similar campaign.
That observation dovetails with what you are saying here. I can remember going to medical checkups, for example, and being asked “Do you ever have thoughts of harming yourself?” Well, yes, because I had symptoms similar to what Harm OCD sufferers have— I thought about it constantly! But I certainly never mentioned it to the doctor, because I knew that many doctors don’t really understand intrusive thoughts about harm. He would think I was depressed and suicidal which I absolutely wasn’t. I needed an anxiety-informed practitioner who knew the difference!
I am going through a relapse after 6 years of some manageable agoraphobia. I can’t be more in agreement with you, Drew.
All the advise from my therapist seems to be linked to Trauma and is draining me; making it worse and harder to function.
Thanks for bringing some perspective to the discussion.
That makes so much sense. Thanks Drew for clearing this up.
I have been going through some kind of so called therapy . First 10 sessions k had with a lady who basically highlighted and agreed with how hard things have been over last two years for me , death of parent , loss of business , own physical health taking a hit , and basically empowered my belief of how screwed I feel . Then that finished and I saw another lady for four sessions , and the outcome was I need to be or accept and be more vulnerable ? And also go to our local Buddhist centre to practice mindfulness ….. ? Don’t know how this fits into this post , but wondered your thoughts ? Oh, and also wants to possibly do emdr witjnke to bring back all the feelings of watching my mum die to see if that helps ???
As always Drew, so very true
thanks
Hear hear! (I’m in) I really hope the wider mental health community, both those who are academically qualified (ie. might actually know a thing or two) and those in the business for the feel-good or profit factor, will hear and heed this message over the next years & decades, so that it sinks into accepted mainstream advice/teaching. It’s innovative people like you Drew, who are able to articulate and reiterate this message so effectively, via the right channels and at the right levels, who we’re all counting on! Thank you.