Disordered: Anxiety Help
Josh Fletcher and Drew Linsalata
Disordered is the podcast that delivers real, evidence-based, actionable talk about anxiety and anxiety and anxiety recovery in a kind, compassionate, community-oriented environment. Josh Fletcher is a qualified psychotherapist in the UK. Drew Linsalata is a therapist-in-training 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.
- 2 minutes 28 secondsTwo Week Break - April 18, 2025
We're taking a short two week break, so no new episode of Disordered for April 18 or April 25. We'll be back again on May 2!
In the meanwhile, head over to disordered.fm and check out our back catalog of episodes. We've done some cool (and fun) stuff over the last two years so check it out.
Thank you for all your support. We really appreciate all of you guys!
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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? Visit us on the web:
18 April 2025, 7:15 am - 40 minutes 24 secondsDoing ... And NOT Doing ... In Anxiety Recovery (Episode 107)
When working on anxiety recovery, sometimes we're DOING. Other times we have to focus on NOT doing. How confusing is that!?
This week Drew and Josh are chatting about how DOING things specific to anxiety recovery and NOT DOING things specific to anxiety recovery are related and how these two concepts work together.
In a nutshell, doing is about activating and engaging in behavior that anxiety says you should avoid. On the flip side, not doing is about refraining from the actions (including mental actions like rumination) that anxiety and fear will insist are good ideas.
This is subtle and nuanced, and will look a bit different from one person to the next. Things may change from day to day. So if you are confused by this - especially if you are dealing with GAD or health anxiety and want to know what you're "exposures" should be - this episode may help clear things up for you.
As usual the episode celebrates some wins from your peers - others struggling with the same issues you may be struggling with - and a healthy dose of humor and compassion. So listening is a good DOING thing. On the other hand, judging Josh and Drew for their continued insistence on talking about bologna sandwiches is definitely a NOT DOING thing. ;-)
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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? Visit us on the web:
11 April 2025, 7:45 am - 48 minutes 23 secondsEmetophobia - Fear of Vomiting w/Dara Lovitz & Dr. David Yusko (Episode 106)
Emetophobia - an intense fear of vomiting and any thoughts or sensations associated with vomiting - is a more common struggle among anxious people than anyone might initial think. But Emetophobia can make its way into virtually every aspect of life, often resulting in a highly restricted lifestyle and a dramatic decrease in the ability to function.
This week Dara Lovitz and Dr. David Yusko join Drew and Josh to talk about emetophobia. Dara suffered for over 30 years before finally overcoming emetophobia through exposure based treatment with Dr. Yusko. Now they're sharing this experience with others in need of help, which is pretty awesome.
If your anxiety is driven by an intense fear of vomiting, this episode is absolutely worth a listen.
---
Dara Lovitz is an attorney working for a legal nonprofit organization, adjunct professor of animal law at two law schools in the Philadelphia area, and an author. She is a recovered emetophobe and co-wrote her fourth book, Gag Reflections: Conquering a Fear of Vomit Through Exposure Therapy, with her therapist Dr. David Yusko. With Dr. Yusko, she also co-founded Emetophobia Institute, which is the premier online resource for individuals struggling with emetophobia as well as therapists of all experience levels who wish to learn how to help their clients conquer emetophobia.
Dr. David Yusko is a licensed clinical psychologist in Pennsylvania and is the co-founder of the Center for Anxiety & Behavior Therapy. He received his Psy.D. in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Upon completing his doctoral studies, Dr. Yusko joined The Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (CTSA) at the University of Pennsylvania where his expertise in anxiety disorders broadly speaking was developed and refined. Under the mentorship of Dr. Edna Foa, Dr. Yusko focused his career on providing clients, and teaching other mental health professionals, evidence based treatments for anxiety related disorders (e.g. OCD, panic disorder, social phobia, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobias).
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Visit us on the web:
4 April 2025, 7:15 am - 44 minutes 22 secondsExistential Anxiety With Depersonalization/De-Realization (Episode 105)
One of the perfect storms in the anxiety disorder world is the combination of existential related anxiety with the sensations/experiences of depersonalization and derealization. Unfortunately for many, this is a common combination and it can be so difficult to understand and address that it seemed an episode dedicated to this issue was in order.
As you might expect, the overall message in this episode is that while this is a very scary combination that be difficult to accept without fighting or resisting, in the end having existentially based thoughts/fears alongside this common anxiety symptom (DP/DR) is safe. It really is OK - though difficult - to take an acceptance based approach in this situation too.
The discussion touches on how anxiety can turn curiosity and wonder into dread, how an anxious mind will try very hard to answer un-answerable questions, and how DP/DR might seem to confirm the important/dangerous nature of existential thoughts and fears (but it really doesn't confirm anything except the fact that you are afraid and anxious).
As usual, the guys share some of their own experience, add clinical experience and expertise, and sprinkle a dash of humor and a helping of kindness and understanding into the discussion.
If you feel like DP/DR alongside existential anxiety is a deal breaker or show-stopper for you .... tune in. This one might be helpful.
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Visit us on the web:
28 March 2025, 7:15 am - 38 minutes 11 secondsAnxiety and "Incomplete" Recovery (Episode 104)
Do you feel like you've "mostly" overcome your chronic or disordered anxiety issues but there are still challenges that linger? Maybe you've felt fully recovered once before, or even several times before, but you keep finding yourself back in the thick of it or unable to overcome a few specific challenges.
If this is you, then tune in as Josh and Drew talk about the concept of "incomplete" anxiety disorder recovery.
- We're looking at the red zone concept - that set of triggers or circumstances that you may still deem unapproachable or too triggering to fully face.
- We'll look at the very definition of what recovery means and why sometimes that word itself can be problematic.
- There's some discussion of how earlier recovery can sometimes accidentally hinge on learning to do things without being triggered rather than working through triggered states.
And as usual, there's a healthy dose of understanding and a few laughs along the way!
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Visit us on the web:
21 March 2025, 7:15 am - 42 minutes 9 secondsAnxiety and Flying w/Dr. David Carbonell (Episode 103)
When working to overcome an anxiety disorder, the biggest challenge many in our community can identify is flying. For chronically anxious people, the idea of getting on a plane, being trapped for hours, and being terrified or out of control for that long seems like something they will never be able to.
Even for people that are well on the way to recovery, flying can still feel like the "ultimate test" of recovery. The fear that they will crumble and be in a totally uncontrollable, inconsolable state while in the air can be powerful. It leads some to avoid travel completely.
This week Drew and Josh had a chat with Dr. David Carbonell about the intersection of anxiety disorders and flying. Dave is well known in the anxiety disorder community and brings us not only a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area, but also a healthy dose of understanding and much needed humor.
We're covering all the usual issues:
- anticipatory anxiety
- struggling to decide if you should get on the plane or not
- the worry over losing control or being in a full panic for hours while at 35,000 feet
- storming the cockpit
- trying to get out of the aircraft while its in the air
- causing a scene and/or needing to be restrained in some way
- experiencing a psychotic break
- panic that leads to a medical emergency
If you're struggling with disordered anxiety and terrified at the thought of flying not because you fear a crash but because you fear your own thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, tune in. This episode is for you.
For more on Dr. David Carbonell visit his website:
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Visit us on the web:
14 March 2025, 7:15 am - 45 minutes 13 secondsSelf-Soothing When Anxiety Appears? (Episode 102)
How can I learn to self-soothe when I get anxious and I'm terrified of my body or my thoughts?
Well ... while it might seem like launching into a soothing technique designed to control the fight or flight response is a good idea, this week Josh and Drew are talking about why the concept of self-soothing doesn't automatically make sense in the context of anxiety disorders.
Self-soothing, supporting yourself while you naturally work through difficult moments and experiences, is awesome. There are a few excellent examples in this episode of what that might look like (including a reference to Josh in a cozy onesie), but when we feel like we must immediately escape from feelings inside us because we are in what feels like an urgent situation, self-soothing can be counterproductive.
If you're struggling with the idea that you should be learning how to forcibly soothe your anxiety and frustrated because you can't find ways to reliably or consistently do this on demand, this episode is worth a listen ... even if it took us almost 30 minutes to mention crying, which is one of the greatest organic natural soothing responses of all time.
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Visit us on the web:
7 March 2025, 8:15 am - 44 minutes 10 secondsBreathing/Breath Anxiety (Episode 101)
Breathing anxiety! This is such a common issue in the Disordered community. Breathing or breath focused anxiety often involves a few key concepts:
"I feel like I can't get a deep enough breath!"
"When I get really anxious it feels like I can't breathe."
"I'm super focused on my breath all day long and I hate it!"
Today we're joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Amy Janzen-Claude to chat about breathing and breath-focused anxiety, and the most effective ways to approach and address this common struggle.
Of particular note is the discussion about how while acceptance and tolerance concepts are universal, how we apply them can be very individual and might look different from one person to the next.
In the end ... as expected ... approaching breathing anxiety isn't much different than approaching anxiety focused on any other somatic experience or core fear. You might feel like this a very special and super important issue, but that is your brain insisting that it must keep you safe ... while you ARE safe and always have been.
Thanks to Dr. Janzen-Claude for getting up early to join us today!
To find Dr. Amy Janzen-Claude online:
https://www.instagram.com/drjanzenclaude/
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Visit us on the web:
28 February 2025, 8:15 am - 42 minutes 15 secondsDid It Anyway - Volume 3 (Episode 100)
To celebrate the 100th episode (and over a million downloads) of Disordered, we thought celebrating listener and community wins would be a great way to mark the occasion!
Disordered would not exist without you, and when you guys do brave things, face your fear, learn lessons from that, and rise to meet challenges you previously thought impossible to meet, that needs to be acknowledged.
If you find inspiration and encouragement in the victories of others that share your struggle, tune in for this one. It's full of that stuff.
And thank you so much for supporting Disordered for the last two years. We appreciate you more than you can imagine.
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Visit us on the web:
21 February 2025, 8:38 am - 43 minutes 9 secondsExistential Anxiety! (Episode 99)
What is existence? What is the point of all this? Do I even really exist? The universe is so insanely huge! What even is time? What happens when we die?
These are questions all humans ask - and have been asking since we developed language. They are normal. They can even be fun questions to ask. An entire section of the human race dedicates itself to studying and pondering these questions.
But for people struggling with OCD and other anxiety disorders ... these questions can be huge triggers that create an intense state of anxiety and dread.
This week Drew and Josh are examining existential anxiety and dread within the context of anxiety and anxiety disorders. So if you are afraid to look at the sky because it makes you worry about your place in the universe, or if you ever worry about the nature of time or existence, pop in and have a listen.
---
Disordered Roundtables are here! Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled,visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Visit us on the web:
14 February 2025, 8:15 am - 39 minutes 1 secondWillful Tolerance and the Sensitized State (Episode 98)
When Drew and Josh form a band, they will call it "Willful Tolerance and the Sensitized State". Kinda like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble .... but way cooler.
But before then, they're releasing this episode of Disordered, which takes a look at the relationship between a sensitized state - where everything seems scary and triggering and you feel stuck - and the principle of willful tolerance (acceptance, surrender, non-resistance, etc.).
This episode is especially useful for anxious people that are declaring themselves to be in a setback, or experiencing a relapse, and wondering what they're doing wrong and why they aren't fully recovered and not anxious.
So if you are confused about how you're supposed to accept or tolerate things that feel so raw and so strong, pop in and join us for 39 minutes or so. We promise, at no point in the episode will you have to hear the guys playing instruments or singing.
But we can't promise that will never happen. Just saying.
---
Disordered Roundtables are here. Think of it as "Disordered Live", a way for members of our audience to spend time with us in an intimate virtual setting (attendance is limited) to engage in real time sharing and discussion on specific anxiety disorder and recovery topics. To be notified when new Disordered Roundtable sessions are scheduled, visit our homepage and get on our mailing list.
---
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 unsolveable problems.
https://bit.ly/worryrumination
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast?
7 February 2025, 8:15 am - More Episodes? Get the App