Disordered: Anxiety Help Anxiety Recovery - Am I Doing Too Much (Episode 115)
Am I Doing Too Much Recovery/Exposure?
This week Drew and Josh tackle a common question in anxiety recovery: "Am I pushing myself too hard with exposures?" The guys explore the nuanced balance between challenging yourself and recognizing when you might genuinely need rest.
In this episode:
- How to distinguish between being genuinely depleted versus being scared
- Why feeling anxious after successful exposures doesn't mean you've done "too much"
- The difference between active, reasoned decisions to rest and anxiety-driven avoidance
- Special considerations for people with OCD and chronic health conditions
- How to balance recovery work with other life priorities like family time
Featured listener stories:
- Nicole shares her experience flying to Munich for a Champions League game and wondering if she's overdoing exposures
- Tyler's victory over health anxiety by choosing the gym over Google searches
- Matt's success working an 8-hour shift without his "safety person"
- Chris's inspiring story of dating while tapering off medication
While you can't actually "break" your recovery by doing too much, it's important to allocate your resources wisely and remember that feeling scared doesn't mean you've made a mistake - it means you're doing exactly what recovery requires.
---
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? Send us an email or voicemail on our website.