Disordered: Anxiety Help Processing ... Or Anxious Thinking? (Episode 119)
When something shocking or difficult happens, we're often told we need to "process" our emotions. But what if that endless loop of replaying events in your mind isn't actually processing at all? In this episode, Drew and Josh explore the crucial difference between healthy emotional processing and anxious rumination that keeps us stuck.
- How to distinguish between genuine emotional processing and OCD/GAD-style rumination
- Why that "urgent" feeling to think through something repeatedly might be a red flag
- The difference between being with your feelings versus chasing a particular feeling
- Why real processing can't be forced or scheduled on demand
- How to recognize when your mind is "hunting for problems to solve"
Processing vs. Ruminating: Real processing involves experiencing emotions from multiple perspectives and naturally leads somewhere. Anxious thinking loops from a single anxious viewpoint, chasing certainty or relief that never comes.
The Mirage Effect: Like chasing an oasis in the desert, compulsive thinking promises relief that always stays just out of reach.
Beyond the Urgent: If thinking through something feels urgent or mandatory right now, it's likely anxiety rather than processing.
Community Contributions In This Episode:
- Dental Victory (15:50): A listener shares how she conquered dental anxiety and gave herself full credit for the win
- Double Challenge (29:15): Managing husband's travel anxiety while attending a family party - and having a panic attack but staying anyway
- Panic Attack Breakthrough (32:30): Learning to let panic attacks run their course instead of fleeing to safety
Timestamps
- 02:00 - Listener question: When does processing become anxious looping?
- 05:20 - Josh explains the mechanics of OCD triggers after shocking events
- 09:15 - Drew on narrative therapy and finding meaning versus chasing feelings
- 13:00 - The misuse of "doing mode" - when thinking becomes a compulsion
- 18:30 - Why Craig the Critic might tell you to keep "processing"
- 21:00 - Josh's personal example of organic grief processing
- 26:10 - Signs of unprocessed emotions versus anxious rumination
- 27:30 - Why urgency is often a sign it's anxiety, not processing
True emotional processing happens organically and involves being with difficult feelings without trying to fix them. When "processing" feels urgent, repetitive, or like chasing relief, it's likely anxious thinking in disguise. The goal isn't to process everything immediately, but to allow natural emotional experiences while living your life.
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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.
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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.
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Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast? Send us an email or voicemail on our website.