233: My Anxiety Recovery Journey: Q&A on Panic, Agoraphobia, and Healing

Have you ever wondered if it’s actually possible to get to the "other side" of an anxiety disorder? I get asked about my personal recovery journey more than almost anything else. Even though I’ve been recovered for nearly a decade, looking back at where I was—a shell of a person, shaking, crying, and forcing myself to function through multiple panic attacks a day—still brings up so much emotion. In this special Q&A episode, Mari and I sit down to answer your most personal questions about my 15-year battle with severe panic disorder and agoraphobia.I’m sharing the raw truth about what my life looked like at its worst, the moment I realized I couldn't keep living that way, and what actually helped me find long-term, consistent healing.HERE'S WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU'RE SPIRALING: https://ahealthypush.myflodesk.com/calmpanicTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/shannons-story

Have you ever had to hold onto a secret so big it felt like it was consuming you, while also trying to navigate one of the hardest physical and emotional seasons of your life?Well, the secret is finally out: I'm pregnant! I’m actually 8 months along, and if I’m being honest, I’ve stayed quiet until now because this pregnancy has been a massive challenge. Between navigating severe sickness while running my Panic to Peace program and the mental hurdles that come with "doing it again" after a rough first experience seven years ago, I’ve been in the trenches.In this episode of Recovered and Rambling, Brittany and I are catching up on all the life things. We’re talking about the decision to have another baby and how recovery tools like sitting with uncertainty have been my saving grace this time around.HERE'S WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU'RE SPIRALING: https://ahealthypush.myflodesk.com/calmpanicTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/rr3

What if the "internal noise" you’ve been trying to silence isn’t a flaw, but a sign that your brain is simply wired differently?In this episode, I'm joined by artist Demi Dawkins for a vulnerable and eye-opening conversation about the intersection of neurodivergence and mental health. Demi shares her experience living with AuDHD (the overlap of Autism and ADHD) and how years of unexplained panic attacks and sensory overwhelm finally made sense once she understood her unique brain.If you’ve ever felt like your brain moves too fast, feels too "loud," or that traditional "calming" techniques like meditation just don't cut it, this episode is a permission slip to find your own path to peace. Demi explains how she traded the struggle of trying to be "normal" for the restorative power of creative flow.CHECK OUT MY FREE RESOURCES HERE: https://www.ahealthypush.com/resourcesTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/Audhd-and-art

Do you ever feel like flying is the ultimate "test" of your recovery? Or something that you feel you're absolutely not ready for?I know exactly how that feels because I used to be the person who put flying on a massive pedestal. I’d tell myself, "Sure, I can handle the grocery store now, but a plane? That’s different. That’s the ultimate trap." If you’ve ever felt like your progress doesn't count until you can get on a plane, this episode is for you.In this conversation, I’m pulling back the curtain on why flying feels so much scarier than anything else and why that fear is actually a bit of a trick our brains play on us. I’m sharing how I went from being the girl who was terrified, shaking, and crying at the gate to being someone who now flies internationally, even alone with my daughter, without that old "trapped" feeling running the show.JOIN MY NEXT LIVE CLASS - STOP AVOIDING & START LIVING: https://www.ahealthypush.com/livingTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/flying-anxiety

Are you doing "all the things" but secretly dying on the inside?Many high achievers and "Type A" personalities wear their productivity like armor. But what happens when that armor becomes too heavy to carry? In this episode, I’m joined by Jennifer Bohle, a therapist based in Colorado who specializes in helping perfectionists untangle their worth from their to-do lists.We dive deep into why "rest" feels like a four-letter word to so many of us and why our brains convince us that if we stop moving, something bad will happen. Jennifer explains the "fight or flight goggles" we put on, where everything feels urgent, and how to start shifting from survival mode back into a life that actually feels good to live.JOIN MY NEXT LIVE CLASS - STOP AVOIDING & START LIVING: https://www.ahealthypush.com/livingTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/high-achiever

Why is it that we can sign up for the adrenaline of a new tattoo or riding a rollercoaster, but the idea of an unplanned panic attack feels like a 10/10 threat?Logic doesn't always live here, but we do! This month, we’re rambling through the highs and lows of living a recovered life. From Brittany’s big NYC comeback to Shannon’s "I’m definitely dying" food poisoning saga, we’re looking at what it really means to stop controlling the unknown and start living anyway.GET ON MY EMAIL LIST HERE: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/624daf138d82793f8155490fTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/rambling2

Are you organizing your life around your goals and living life, or are you organizing it around the hope that you won’t feel anxious?When we think of avoidance, we usually picture the big, external "no-go" zones: the highway, the crowded grocery store, or traveling far from home. But there is a much quieter, more insidious form of avoidance that keeps people stuck in the anxiety cycle for years: the avoidance of feeling.In this episode, I peel back the curtain on why "managing" and "coping" can sometimes just be avoidance in disguise. I share why the desperate need to outrun sensations like dizziness, sweating, or that "hit" of panic actually drains your energy and shrinks your world. If you’ve been waiting to feel "calm enough" or "ready enough" to reclaim your life, this episode is the healthy push you need to start building self-trust today!GET ON MY EMAIL LIST HERE: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/624daf138d82793f8155490fTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/avoidance

“How long until the anxiety goes away? How long until I can drive again? Am I going to be like this forever?”If you are struggling with panic disorder or agoraphobia, these are likely the questions keeping you up at night. I know because I asked them too. But here is the truth: when we ask about "how long," we aren’t usually looking for a date on a calendar, we’re looking for hope that we aren't broken and healing is actually possible.In this episode, I’m diving deep into the reality of the anxiety recovery timeline. I share why focusing on "when" actually slows you down, why "zero anxiety" is the wrong goal, and how to shift your perspective to finally find the relief you’ve been searching for.CHECK OUT MY MINI-COURSES HERE: https://www.ahealthypush.com/anxiety-classesTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: www.ahealthypush.com/post/how-long

If the word ‘death’ makes your chest tighten, or if you’ve spent months body scanning and wondering ‘what if this is it,’ what if I told you that death isn’t the scary, painful monster we’ve been taught to fear?In today’s episode, I am having a conversation that is not meant to scare you. In fact, it’s meant to do the exact opposite. For some who are struggling with health anxiety, panic disorder, or agoraphobia, the fear of death is the "silent engine" running in the background. It’s the intrusive thought that stops you in our tracks and the reason you feel the need to control every sensation in our bodies.I am joined by the incredible Julie McFadden, a hospice nurse and New York Times bestselling author known to millions as Hospice Nurse Julie. Julie has spent years at the bedside of the dying, and she brings a perspective that is grounded, compassionate, and believe it or not, deeply comforting. We aren't here to be morbid; we are here to take the "grip" out of the fear so you can start living your life again.--------------------------------------------------------HERE'S WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU'RE SPIRALING: https://ahealthypush.myflodesk.com/calmpanicTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/what-about-death

Is it possible to be "fully recovered" and still have anxious thoughts, or are we all just making it up as we go?Welcome to the very first episode of Recovered & Rambling! This is a new monthly feature where I sit down with my right-hand person and friend, Brittany, for a completely unscripted, unfiltered conversation. Think of it as a "vibe check" on life, recovery, and the random stuff that keeps us laughing.In this episode, we’re bridging the gap between my decade of recovery and Brittany’s more recent journey. We dive into the awkwardness of therapy "first dates," the reality of having no control as a mom, and why we’re both currently obsessed with the psychological warfare on The Traitors.HERE'S WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU'RE SPIRALING: https://ahealthypush.myflodesk.com/calmpanicTAKE MY FREE QUIZ AND FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING YOU TO STAY STUCK: https://www.ahealthypush.com/blocking-quizA HEALTHY PUSH INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ahealthypush/GET THIS EPISODE'S SHOW NOTES: https://www.ahealthypush.com/post/rambling1