"If your mind is doing something, there's a damn good reason for it," he says. "I think ignoring it will make it go away is actually an oddly effective strategy that sort of worked for you." He also points out that sometimes when you argue with yourself, the anxiety is kind of like a punching bag where the harder you hit it, the harder it swings back. 'The more energy you pump into the mind, the more anxious thoughts it spawns'