In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Brennan Spiegel, a physician, researcher and author whose work sits at the intersection of the brain, the body and lived experience. Together, we explore why anxiety so often shows up physically, why being told “it’s just anxiety” can feel dismissive rather than reassuring, and how the mind and body are far more interconnected than we’ve been taught. Brennan introduces ideas like mental gravity, interoception and the brain–gut connection, and explains how approaches like virtual reality are being used to treat anxiety, pain and chronic symptoms. This is a validating, perspective-shifting conversation for anyone who has ever felt unheard in a doctor’s office or confused by physical anxiety symptoms. 

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

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This one's for the parents. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Naomi Fisher, a clinical psychologist and author known for her work on anxiety, trauma, demand avoidance and nervous-system-led parenting. I adored her books 'When the naughty step makes things worse' and 'A different way to learn'. We talk about why so many traditional parenting approaches — rewards, consequences, charts and pressure — can backfire for anxious and demand-avoidant children, and what it actually means when a child can’t do something, rather than won’t. Naomi explains how anxiety shows up as resistance, shutdown or control, why reducing demands can be regulating rather than permissive, and how parents can shift from power struggles to partnership. This is a deeply validating conversation for anyone parenting a child who experiences everyday life as overwhelming — and for parents who are tired of being told to try harder when things already feel hard enough.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this particularly helpful episode, I’m joined by Louise Thompson, a career coach who specialises in helping people navigate confidence, leadership and anxiety in the workplace. It's one of the most practical episodes I've done. It's not about when work is causing anxiety, but what to do when you still have to go to work but your anxiety or mental health is getting in the way. Together, we talk about why work is such a pressure point for anxiety, and how to bring more of your human self to work without feeling like you’re compromising your professionalism. We get into the very real fear of being vulnerable at work, how to judge who feels safe to talk to, and how to frame conversations around anxiety, capacity and flexibility in a way that actually supports you. Louise shares practical scripts, questions to ask yourself, and guidance on managing up, down and across — making this a genuinely useful episode for anyone struggling to navigate anxiety at work.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I’m speaking to clinical psychologist and author Dr Alexandra Shaker about her book The Narrowing and about how prolonged stress and trauma can constrict not just our nervous systems, but how we experience our lives and how we can identify when our narrowing might need to open up. When we’re anxious, especially chronically anxious, our worlds can begin to shrink. We say no more often. We avoid certain places. We reduce risk. We make life smaller so it feels manageable. I often describe it myself, when I’ve felt anxiety close in on me that I’m “making my world smaller so I could cope with it,” and at the time that felt protective, even necessary. But what happens when that narrowing becomes the default?

Use code FORAN10 when pre-ordering my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety, with Easons.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this first episode of my new season it's just me, welcoming you back and filling you in on everything that's been going on for me since I've last shared an episode plus I include an exclusive excerpt from my new book which offers readers and listeners reassurance from the other side: the very words I so desperately wanted to hear when I was in the depths of despair with crippling anxiety. Welcome back!

New book discount for podcast listeners: Foran10 when checking out at Eason online.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast. This fifteenth season of the series will begin on March 2nd with weekly episodes each Monday. The series coincides with the launch of my latest book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap Back To Yourself which you can order here on Eason or here on Amazon.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by the incredible Dr Joanna Fortune who has been a guiding light through my experience of supporting my child with significant anxiety (separation anxiety in particular). We discuss different types of play therapy, why some might work better than others, the limbic leap for the brain and lots more around anxiety and development. Learn more about Joanna here.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm breaking up my output of experts with a first person account of what it's like living with a level of generalised anxiety that can come into play at various points of life. Rosemary MacCabe, journalist and author shares her story which includes her anxiety reaching a crescendo while working in a toxic environment - it was the wrong workplace that lit the match for my own anxiety too. From workplace anxiety to panic attacks to moving to America and becoming a mother, there's a lot to relate to here.

As always, the best way to support the podcast is to share with a friend or to subscribe to my Substack - I'm also on TikTok now, @OwningItWithCaroline

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by Dr Vanessa LaPointe who is an incredibly successful and widely celebrated psychologist specialising in parenting. We talk about behaviourist parenting - the way most of us were likely parented - and the impact that would have on us when it comes to anxiety later on. We focus heavily on the experience of parenting a highly anxious child (which is my personal experience at the moment) and look at precisely what three steps to take to move a child out of an acute anxiety phase as well as what to say to an anxious kid. Whether you're a parent of an anxious kid or were an anxious kid yourself, this will be a must listen. You can support this podcast by sharing it with a friend or signing up to my Substack. Read my personal essays on Substack here with a 20% (lifetime) listener discount.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Millie Mackintosh returns to Owning It to take a deep dive into her experience of anxiety, with a particular focus on alcohol. Her new book, Bad Drunk, is out now and a wonderful read whether or not you question your relationship to alcohol. In this episode we also discuss how Millie's anxiety shows up and her decision to start taking medication and the unhelpful, societal shame that often goes along with that. You can support this podcast by sharing it with a friend or signing up to my Substack. Read my personal essays on Substack here with a 20% (lifetime) listener discount.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me and returning guest Dr Ethan Kross - neuroscientist, psychologist and NY Times Bestseller - to talk about emotional regulation, what exactly is an emotion, how to reign in the ones that are tough to experience and what power we do and do not have when it comes to difficult emotions. His new book, SHIFT: Managing Your Emotions So They Don't Manage You is out now.

You can support this podcast by sharing it with a friend or signing up to my Substack. Read my personal essays on Substack here with a 20% (lifetime) listener discount.

Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here

Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcast, on Tik Tok here

Subscribe to my weekly Substack here (not always anxiety related, often parenting related)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.