Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

A New Model for Solving Anxiety with Dr Russell Kennedy #370

218 snips

Jun 13, 2023

Dr. Russell Kennedy, a medical doctor and neuroscientist with over 30 years of personal experience battling anxiety, discusses innovative healing methods. He emphasizes that anxiety is rooted in our bodies, often linked to childhood trauma. By identifying where anxiety manifests physically, individuals can address the real issues rather than just mental symptoms. Kennedy critiques traditional treatments, advocates for a holistic approach, and highlights the importance of emotional connections, self-awareness, and the healing power of touch in overcoming anxiety.

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INSIGHT

The Alarm-Anxiety Cycle

Dr. Russell Kennedy argues that anxiety is often misdiagnosed as a mental disorder when the root cause lies within the body.
He introduces the concept of an "alarm-anxiety cycle" where unresolved trauma triggers a physiological alarm in the body, leading to anxious thoughts.

INSIGHT

Alarm vs. Anxiety

Dr. Kennedy prefers the term "alarm" instead of "anxiety" to describe the physiological response to unresolved trauma.
Chronic, daily worry signifies a deeper issue, while occasional anxiety is a normal part of life.

ADVICE

Locate the Alarm in Your Body

When feeling anxious, locate the physical sensation in your body instead of overthinking.
Focusing on the body's response helps break the cycle of anxious thoughts.

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If you ever feel anxious, whether that’s a low-level worry, a sudden fear, or full-on panic, can you sense where it’s coming from in your body? Perhaps your chest feels tight, or your gut feels uneasy. Or, perhaps, you have no idea. My guest on this episode, believes that understanding where this feeling lives inside your body is the key to treating anxiety – for good.

Dr Russell Kennedy is a medical doctor, neuroscientist, and someone who suffered with crippling anxiety for over 30 years. He is the author of Anxiety RX: A New Prescription For Anxiety From The Doctor Who Created It and has recently launched MBRX, an online course to help people permanently heal their anxiety.

Russell insists anxiety isn’t a disorder of the mind. Our worries are merely a symptom that keeps us in our heads and away from the real problem. He favours the term ‘alarm’ and says we need to find where the alarm is in our bodies. This alarm is a physiological pattern that’s been left by events in our past, usually in early childhood. It signals to our brain that we aren’t safe – and so our mind gets to work trying to think us out of danger.

Russell shares his own journey through anxiety. He talks about how growing up with a father who was schizophrenic and bipolar, left alarm signals, imprinted in his body. And, for over 30 years he searched for relief from his anxiety. But nothing worked.

In Russell’s view, most treatments for anxiety, including medication and CBT, fail in the long term because they don’t address the root cause. For Russell, healing starts by finding out where anxiety lives inside your body and he walks you through how exactly you can start doing that.

We also discuss the simple things that parents can do to help their kids grow up feeling ‘seen, heard, loved and protected’. And, we also discuss the value of activities like breathwork, meditation and yoga, and also some promising therapies such as Internal Family Systems and Somatic Experiencing.

Russell’s core message has the potential to be transformative - that it’s more effective to use the body to calm the mind, than the mind to calm the body. Given how prevalent anxiety is now across society, I think this is a profoundly important conversation. I hope you enjoy listening.

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/370

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.