The Joy Junkie Show

JOIN AFTER HOURS! Over 15 years ago, I sat in my doctor’s office explaining my obsessive and compulsive thought patterns, my debilitating worry, and my latest (and thrilling) symptom of dry-heaving. She kindly explained to me that if I continued on the same trajectory, it was likely that I would be dead from a heart attack by age thirty, or at the very least, have extreme stomach ulcers. Bottom line: This anxiety disorder could take me out. This wasn’t just a matter of being “a worry wort” or a “perfectionist” or all the other labels I had haphazardly thrown around to define my constant need to control and obsess on everything. This was a serious condition that was radically, and detrimentally, affecting the quality of my life. In this week’s episode, I discuss what it really looks like to struggle with anxiety disorder, how to work through crippling panic attacks, and how to approach (or not) the journey of finding a medicinal solution. Struggling with anxiety doesn’t mean you can’t ever see an improvement i