When Coping Skills for Anxiety Go Wrong | EP 332

When Coping Skills for Anxiety Go Wrong | EP 332

Author: Drew Linsalata December 3, 2025 Duration: 26:19
Anxious people love coping skills and coping strategies. Everybody loves to cope. But today we're going to talk about how coping can go off the rails and become part of the problem instead of part of the solution. When you're dealing with chronic anxiety or an anxiety disorder, coping strategies can actually backfire. Every time you frantically reach for your grounding techniques or breathing exercises because you desperately need to calm down, you might be reinforcing the belief that your i...

If panic, anxiety, or agoraphobia have made your world feel smaller, you're not navigating this alone. The Anxious Truth-A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast is a direct, compassionate resource hosted by Drew Linsalata, born from his own journey through these challenges. This isn't about quick fixes or vague inspiration; it's a practical guide that breaks down how anxiety works and lays out a clear, actionable path toward recovery. Episodes delve into the mechanics of panic attacks, the realities of avoidance, and the hard but rewarding work of reclaiming your life, offering education and straight talk that empowers you to move forward. The podcast has garnered recognition for its honest approach, being featured in the New York Times as one of "6 Podcasts to Soothe An Anxious Mind" and included in Vogue's list of therapist-recommended mental health podcasts. Tuning in, you'll find a voice that understands the fear but firmly believes in your capacity to overcome it, providing the tools and encouragement needed to shift from surviving to thriving. This podcast serves as a core part of a broader community and resource set, encouraging a consistent, engaged approach to healing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Anxiety, OCD and the Cost of Negotiated Avoidance | EP 352 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:59
Every time you give in to an avoidance or a ritual, it seems reasonable. Skip one social event, spend a few extra minutes on a compulsion, take one "me day" instead of pushing through. In isolation, none of it feels like…
Anxiety and OCD: The Strategy Mismatch Issue | EP 351 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:05
Anxiety disorders and OCD are what you get when a perfectly functioning brain applies its usual problem-solving strategies to the wrong problem. Your brain is good at solving things. The trouble is it keeps trying to sol…
Anxiety and Avoidance Explained | EP 350 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:34
Anxiety and avoidance go hand in hand, and most people struggling with an anxiety disorder have been told that avoidance makes things worse. But there's a lot of confusion in this community about what avoidance actually…
Anxiety Recovery Relapse Prevention  - The Morning Routine | EP 349 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:09
One of the more common mistakes people make as they progress in anxiety disorder recovery is treating recovery as something separate from the rest of their lives. You do the therapy work in one box, and everything else g…
How Do I Stop Obsessing Over ...? | EP 348 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:50
Everybody wants to know how to stop obsessing over whatever has them scared right now. In this episode I explain why that's the wrong question, and what to ask instead. In OCD and anxiety disorders, an obsession isn't ju…
Core Principles of OCD Recovery w/Kimberley Quinlan | EP 346 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:53
In this episode, we are breaking down five core principles of OCD recovery. To help explore this topic, I am joined by Kimberley Quinlan, an anxiety and OCD specialist practicing in Los Angeles and host of the Your Anxie…
How Does an Anxiety Therapist NOT Get Triggered? | Ep 345 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:06
How Does an Anxiety Therapist Talk About Anxiety All Day Without Getting Triggered? People ask me this constantly. I'm a former sufferer of panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, and depression — and now I spend my days immer…
OCD and Acceptance - How Does That Work? | Ep 344 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:13
Many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) struggle to understand how the concept of acceptance applies to their recovery. While it seems straightforward in the context of panic disorder or health anxiety, wher…
Neuroscience and Therapy w/Ana Lund | Ep 343 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:19
This episode of The Anxious Truth dives into the messy intersection of neuroscience and psychotherapy. I’m joined by Ana Lund, a UK-based psychotherapist specializing in the link between brain science and clinical practi…