A staggering number of people suffer from anxiety. For some it flares up at more stressful times in their lives, and for others it's a constant presence, a constant struggle. I've talked many times about my own challenges with anxiety over the years, as well as panic attacks that I've suffered, most recently the almost daily attacks that I dealt with for months after my second miscarriage.

In today's episode we're going to look at how we can handle anxiety in a healthy way and move through it to live a happy and flourishing life. This all starts with a solid understanding of anxiety, and I am so honored and excited to have with us a dear friend and a true expert in anxiety, Dr. Todd Pressman. Those of you who have been listening to this podcast for a while might realize that all my guests to this point have been women, so I thought it would be good to explain why I'm breaking with that: Anxiety is such an important topic, I myself have dealt with it for years, it's the number one issue in mental health, and I wanted to bring on the best possible expert for it.

In this episode, Todd discusses:

How fear (Todd uses fear and anxiety interchangeably) is underneath all sources of suffering
The importance of getting our mind around the one core fear underlying all our own suffering and how that can give us true power
The five deceptions of fear
How we can uncover our one core fear, using his process, Digging for Gold -- and Todd takes me through this exercise!
His exercise, Flowchart for Your Life Journey
Our chief defense that we've used throughout our lives to protect against our core fear
The five categories of fear and their connection to our pursuit of fulfillment
Exercises to help us work with our core fears and pursue our path on a daily basis (including The Alchemist, The Witness, and The Warrior's Stance)

To receive Todd's free e-book, "Quotes and Stories That Can Change Your Life!" please go to his website, https://www.toddpressman.com. Also at his website you can get a copy of his new book, Deconstructing Anxiety, at 30% off until December 31, 2019! You can also follow Todd on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DrToddPressman), Twitter (https://twitter.com/PressmanDr), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-pressman-51b904171), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drtoddpressmanofficial).

This episode is brought to you by the EMPOWERED program, the four-month journey to becoming the truly empowered woman you were born to be. Learn more at purposegirl.com/empowered.

It would really mean a lot to me if you would go to Apple Podcasts and leave me a review (hopefully a great one!), leave a 5 star rating, subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode, and download the episodes! And please spread the word and help our community grow!

Thank you so much spending your time with me! And if you aren't following me already, you can find me on Instagram and Facebook, and click here to receive my newsletter.

May you live purposefully, may you love yourself, and may you love life.

Bye for now!

About Todd Pressman

Dr. Todd Pressman is a clinical psychologist and international seminar leader. He is widely known for his work with Transpersonal Breathwork and A Course in Miracles. He graduated with degrees in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and Saybrook Institute. His books Radical Joy: Awakening Your Potential For True Fulfillment and The Bicycle Repair Shop: A True Story Of Recovery From Multiple Personality Disorder have received high acclaim. In 1982, he traveled the world to study the great wisdom and healing traditions, including with a Zen master, a Jain family, a Zoroastrian high priest and a Sri Lankan firewalker. His education also includes an internship under Stanislav Grof, M.D. at the Esalen Institute.

With a background deeply rooted in tradition (he was groomed by a father whose teachers were taught by Sigmund Freud), he has integrated this wide- ranging experience into a new program of psychological development. His working model is based on Michelangelo's ideal: to release the statue from the stone, the authentic Self from the overlays of imposed identity, into the discovery of freedom, joy and fulfillment.

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