Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

The Anxiety Toolkit: How to Tolerate Uncertainty with Joshua Fletcher

Oct 21, 2024

In this engaging discussion, psychotherapist Joshua Fletcher, also known as Anxiety Josh, delves into the complexities of anxiety management. He explores the anxiety cycle and the importance of willfully embracing uncertainty. Key insights include the transformative power of exposure therapy and confronting self-criticism. Fletcher also highlights the diverse inner voices we experience and the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals. With a mix of personal stories and actionable strategies, this conversation offers a valuable toolkit for navigating anxiety.

01:11:47

Episode guests

Joshua Fletcher

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Anxiety is often trivialized, yet it significantly affects daily life and can manifest as severe panic attacks or disordered anxiety.

Understanding the brain's threat response through psychoeducation empowers individuals to manage anxiety symptoms and reframe negative perceptions.

Exposure therapy, when executed correctly, allows individuals to gradually confront fears, fostering resilience and reducing the perceived threat of anxiety.

Deep dives

Understanding Anxiety and its Impact

Anxiety is a common experience, affecting nearly a third of adults at some point in their lives, yet it is often trivialized. The episode explores how anxiety manifests differently for individuals, with many experiencing severe symptoms that can lead to panic attacks or disordered anxiety. For those like Joshua Fletcher, personal experiences with anxiety can lead to a deeper understanding of the condition and its effects on daily life. By sharing his own journey, he highlights the importance of recognizing the severity of anxiety and the challenges it poses beyond the typical worries most people encounter.

Intro

2min

Navigating Anxiety: A Personal Journey

24min

Navigating Retail Innovation and Personal Wellness

5min

Understanding Exposure Therapy

15min

Navigating Anxiety: Voices Within

14min

Embracing Inner Values: A Journey Beyond Approval

9min

Navigating the Mind's Voices: Strengthening Self-Efficacy and Healthy Disenchantment

3min

Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time, and because it’s so common it can be easy to take it lightly. But anxiety dominates the lives of many people, and in this episode psychotherapist Joshua Fletcher joins Forrest for an in-depth exploration of anxiety. They talk about the anxiety cycle, moving away from thinking in terms of a “cure,” and the key target of the “willful tolerance of uncertainty.” Josh also shares insights on exposure therapy, managing self-criticism, and developing greater self-awareness.

About our Guest: Joshua Fletcher, also known as Anxiety Josh, is a psychotherapist based in Manchester, UK, and the author of several books, including his newest, "and how does that make you feel?" Joshua also co-hosts the podcast "Disordered," and you may have bumped into his content on Tiktok or Instagram, where he has over a quarter million followers.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

3:30: Josh’s first panic attack

10:15: The vicious cycle of threat monitoring

14:00: The three magic words: “just in case”

20:00: The “willful tolerance of uncertainty”

27:00: Exposure therapy

31:55: Working with self-criticism

41:20: Reward, punishment, and trauma

48:05: Identifying our varied inner voices

52:10: Worried voice, false comfort, and wise mind

54:00: Approaching anxiety as a neurodivergent person

58:10: Healthy disenchantment

1:00:15: Recap

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