I learned so much about myself after speaking with Dr. Russell Kennedy @theanxietymd today, and I hope you did too! If you enjoyed today’s episode please hit like and subscribe to get notified for future episodes!

To anyone struggling with their mind: I promise you It will be better, faster than you think, and better than you can imagine. You 100% are going to be ok and will live better moments filled with joy and happiness. You might not love yourself now but there are people that do, never forget that. Everyone around you is cheering for you. You are going to be ok. I love you ❤️

Anxiety happens when you think you have to figure out everything all at once. Breathe.You're strong. You got this . Take it day by day.

Psychedelic are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough.it's fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety..it saved my life

I lived my whole life in flight or fight. It’s very damaging to the adrenal glands. Now retired I live with a houseful of pets and I am happy and relaxed: people in the world make me nervous.

29:00 you interrupt him at maybe the most crucial moment of the podcast as he begins to describe a step by step how to. Great podcast, but it would have been great to hear what he was going to say there. ❤

I've had panic disorder for 48 years. I'm crying listening to this. I don't know how to thank you both.

I suffered severe anxiety and excessive alcohol use after I lost my dad 8 years ago. It’s just amazing how psilocybin mushrooms treatment saved my life honestly. 3 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

I suffer from Severe Anxiety and Insomnia for over 40 years. I finally got help and am doing much better now. These symptoms are no fun and I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy!

02:12 🧠 Anxiety begins as a physiological response in the body's amygdala, often referred to as the fear center of the brain. It triggers a series of physical reactions. 03:11 🗣️ Anxiety is often expressed in various ways, such as heightened vigilance, panic attacks, shortness of breath, frustration, anger, or withdrawal. 03:39 🤔 Recognizing anxiety as an alarm system in the body shifts the focus from just thoughts to the physical sensations, allowing for a more holistic approach to healing. 05:15 🔄 The anxiety-alarm cycle perpetuates when the mind creates a stream of worries in response to the initial physical alarm, resulting in a loop of escalating anxiety. 06:22 💡 Understanding anxiety as a form of separation anxiety reveals that it stems from a feeling of disconnection or separation, often from oneself or loved ones. This is a universal source of anxiety. 08:09 🔄 Separation anxiety, at its core, is a deep-rooted emotional issue that can be traced back to childhood. It manifests as an underlying sense of unease and fear. 09:51 🔍 Society tends to prioritize verbal communication and intellectual pursuits, often neglecting the importance of understanding and connecting with one's own body and emotions. 12:13 💪 Healing anxiety requires a holistic "neck down" approach, focusing on the body and its physiological responses, rather than solely addressing thoughts and mindset. 13:56 🩹 Dr. Russ Kennedy, an expert in anxiety and neuroscience, emphasizes the potential for individuals to heal their anxiety by addressing it from a bodily perspective. 15:35 📚 The five-second rule, a brain hack developed by Mel Robbins, offers a practical tool for interrupting anxious thoughts and feelings, providing a way to take control of the anxiety-alarm cycle. 24:06 🚸 Separation from parents can be a root cause of anxiety. When we feel disconnected from our parents, it triggers an alarm in our system. 25:40 🧩 "Parental mismatch" can lead to a sense of separation. Feeling different or disconnected from a parent, even if there's love, can cause alarm in a child's system. 27:20 🌊 Locating the alarm in your body: When feeling anxious, focus on physical sensations. Close your eyes, breathe, and pinpoint where you feel the discomfort. 29:48 🛌 Fear of facing the alarm: It's common to resist feeling anxiety. Acknowledging and comforting your inner child can help alleviate the alarm. 34:38 🚴‍♂️ Riding the emotional "motorcycle": Confronting the alarm directly, like riding a motorcycle for the first time, is crucial for acclimatizing to anxiety. 37:19 🔄 Don't solve anxiety with more thinking: Overthinking exacerbates the issue. Focus on the physical sensation, rather than diving into a cycle of anxious thoughts. 42:43 🧠 Understanding the root cause: Anxiety stems from the alarm in our bodies, not just our thoughts. Addressing this is key to healing anxiety. 46:19 🧒 The speaker shares a personal story about their son Oakley, who faced challenges with dyslexia, ADHD, and bullying at school, leading to heightened anxiety. 47:15 🦕 Oakley's anxiety manifests physically as butterflies in his stomach, leading to panic attacks and a cycle of avoidance. 48:21 🤗 The key intervention needed for Oakley was physical reassurance, validation, and hugs to calm his alarm system. 50:31 🖐️ Practicing regulating the nervous system through physical touch, finding a safe place in the body (e.g., breath near nose or neutral body part), and returning to the alarm is essential. 53:33 🧠 Coping with anxiety involves using thinking strategies, while healing involves addressing the root cause-the inner child needing to be seen, heard, and loved. 55:13 🪢 Chronic anxiety often coexists with addiction as individuals seek substances or behaviors to mute the alarm and feel connection or relief. 56:51 🏀 Practicing self-regulation techniques is crucial for success in high-stakes situations; it involves finding a safe place in the body and building that regulation over time. 59:23 🧒 Healing involves connecting with the wounded inner child, providing the love and support they lacked, ultimately addressing the root cause of anxiety. 01:06:00 🤔 The conversation challenges the current terminology of "mental health," suggesting a shift towards understanding anxiety as originating in the body, not just the mind. 01:08 🚨 Dr. Russ Kennedy emphasizes the importance of regulating the body first to calm the mind, rather than attempting to calm the mind to regulate the body. 01:08:46 🧠 Activating the somatosensory cortex, responsible for movement and sensation, can help shift focus from rumination in the mind to a sense of the body, aiding anxiety and focus. 01:09:25 💡 Anxiety often stems from a mind-body disconnect, with individuals avoiding confronting physical sensations in their body by staying in their thoughts. 01:09:53 🔄 Merely trying to fix anxious thoughts is insufficient, as anxiety is often rooted in an addiction to worrying. More emphasis on feeling, rather than thinking, is necessary for treatment. 01:10:19 🧒 All anxiety can be traced back to early experiences of separation, either from others or from oneself. This separation is at the core of anxiety. 01:10:31 🤝 In response to the alarm of anxiety, individuals often tend to further separate from themselves, exacerbating the issue. The key is to reconnect with oneself. 01:10:57 ❤️ When the alarm of anxiety goes off, it is actually a call for self-love and reassurance. Going into your body and soothing yourself is a powerful way to address anxiety. 01:11:37 🌟 A powerful affirmation to use when practicing the techniques is asking oneself, "Am I safe in this moment?" This anchors you in the present and provides a sense of safety. 01:12:20 🛑 Blocking love from oneself is often a root cause of anxiety. Recognizing and removing these blocks is crucial for healing. 01:13:17 🔄 Dr. Russ Kennedy uses intuitive methodsto identify blocks to self-love within a person's body, which, when removed, lead to a reduction in anxiety. 01:14:27 🔑 Addressing the root cause of anxiety through self-love and soothing is more effective than attempting to merely change thoughts. This approach provides profound healing.

🎯💯 when Mel said, “I feel like I am observing life, but I’m not a part of it.”

I’m 71years old and have suffered all my life with chronic anxiety and this is the first time I have understood what the heck is my problem . This podcast has been life changing Mel n Russ thankyou I feel I can now start living taking care of myself n not running away from myself 💖

Love Miss Mel Robbins, but I do have some quibbles here with some things Dr. Kennedy is saying (and nothing personal-no nasty grams here). Around 57:40, Dr Kennedy says "No one is coming to save you." I think so much of people's anxiety (and mine at one time) is that we think we're on our own and it's all on us to fix ourselves, or we hang our hopes on a therapist, family member, etc. I do agree that there is a truly a vital part we play, but when I began to heal from anxieties in my life was when I began to understand that I wasn't alone: that Jesus was with me through EVERYTHING and He can heal the stuff that I never could solve when I invite Him in to do it. I also realized that He loved me unconditionally. I could never screw up too much that He wouldn't love me anymore. I didn't have to perform. THAT is a very secure place to be. He's also a confidant that I can go to with anything and everything. I wear family or friends out with my crap because they have their crap too and we're all finite people. But I can go to Him at any moment, day or night. He is there. Always. Listening. Ready. He knows my history. He knows the stuff I can't see in my blind spots about myself or things I can't see about a situation. And He knows exactly how to bring me into a place of wholeness. In this life, we are going to struggle with thoughts that try to kick our knees. But when those thoughts come, I have learned can say what God says about me instead (not mantras, but truth!). I can remind myself that He calls me beloved. I don't know how to describe that to someone who doesn't know Jesus, but He will heal you with His love, His wisdom, His power. He cares about YOU. He loves YOU. It was in this journey of learning to trust His love for me that I'm finding freedom like I've never had. I feel comfortable being me. I don't have to be like anyone else, not my mom or anyone. I'm an individual that God made to be me and He loves me: my personality, my gifts, what I look like, the sound of my voice (which I always disliked). He just loves me and loves being with me. And He helps me with every situation. I make mistakes at times like we all do, but I am learning and He isn't bashing me for my mistakes. He can empower me to do what I cannot do on my own. He is truly my supply. He is my Savior. And I am NOT alone, ever. Jesus did come to save me and He came to save you. He doesn't want us to be hurting. There's a lady named Nichole Marbach that I love to listen to because she found what I did in Jesus, and she was healed from PTSD, anxiety, bi-polar, etc. God's love for us heals. I can't explain that, but it just does. We were made for that love! If you'd like to listen to Nichole's weekly broadcast on KZfaq: you can find her here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdaPhaWUv9uoeKM.html If you're thinking I'm a religious nut, that's okay. But you can ask Jesus to make Himself real to you. Invite Him to introduce Himself to you. He's the most precious thing in my life and I want to share what I have with you. I don't consider this "religion" but relationship with Him! God bless each of you as you heal!

This is so telling. Mel talks and talks and talks and talks …… and then talks some more which is such a demonstration of her anxiety ……. Poor guest, he didn’t have much air space in spite of the fact that he is the expert guest …… Mel Is having a full-blown anxiety attack …. And I was really hoping to hear a lot more from the doctor. 1:30 hrs of listening to Mel was different from what I was hoping - it gave me anxiety listening to her dominate the conversation when I was hoping to learn from the doctor. Thank you for the demonstration lesson, Mel. Bless your heart.

Mel Robbins interrupts to the point where I bailed on what could have been a first class interview. She is obviously smart and I appreciate her taking on this topic.

The continual interruptions were making me anxious, lol!! Let the poor man talk!

I Love Mels video's but I really wish she would have not interrupted Dr Russell so much. I know she was trying to help us understand what was going on but I really wanted to hear what he was trying to teach us.

This doctor was SO patient, she wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise.

This was good. I did get a little anxiety when Mel continued to interrupt his answers. I love her, but wish she would have allowed him to talk more. I will buy the book. 😂

I have felt anxious, nervous, and on guard my entire life, even my earliest memories as a child. The only time and place I feel at peace is when I am riding or hiking in the woods. I cannot connect with people, but I have strong bonds with animals and nature. I appreciate you so much, Mel. If I were to say I have a human friend, it would be you. You are the only one I trust. Thank you for being you and for these podcasts. I love you, Mel!!!

This makes so much sense. I suffer from health anxiety, and every time I feel a symptom in my body my brain hyper thinks it. A headache, a tingling in my arm, heart palpitations, stomach pain… just anything I seem to magnify it by 100x! I suffer from GERD and other health issues so I’m expecting those symptoms. So I don’t understand that when I do feel it my body reacts the same every time… in a panic! It’s a horrible cycle. I see now I’m an absolute addict to WORRY. I can’t even exercise as I think I might push my heart too much and I’ll have a heart attack😞

Anxiety is not in any way ONLY separation or Love based. Some people have base physical disorders that go undiagnosed for years and this spawns anxiety. Other people have trauma from events. I was a soldier and unfortunately I suffer from both of these issues. It's a very complex problem and different for everyone.

"the reason why you are anxious is because you block love for yourself" funny but this is precisely the message I've been stumbling upon in so many areas of my life. "the reason you're judging this or that person is because you block love for that part within you - love it" So now it makes sense why I have so much anxiety in my life, just another puzzle piece. Thank you :)

My mother gave me Extreme anxiety. Never hugged me. Didn’t love me. Grew up in a dysfunctional family. I hate my anxiety! This has helped. Thank you!❤️

Anxiety is real. Mine definitely stems from childhood. My father abused us & constantly critized us as worthless. Ne er praised us, and after beating us, bought us gifts, rewarding his behavior. ❤ stays with us for life Thanks for addressing this..

My daily practice is to cover my heart with my hand in meditation. I was feeling very upset today , so I moved my hand from my heart to just below where I was feeling the sensation, like he advised, and I burst into tears and unlocked the trauma that was making my thoughts spiral and connected to myself , I cried and cried and sent myself love. Afterwards, my thoughts stopped spiralling out of control, my body had calmed and I felt regulated. Thank you for this beautiful gift. I shared it to a group of women who I feel would benefit from it, also. ❤

Anxiety is often caused from a separation of love (caused by ourselves or from others by a blocking from love). Anxiety is more of a alarm to heal your younger self. The anxiety is a feeling in the body being sent from your younger self. GIVE your younger self the attention and love it deserves. Hold the area in your body that is painful when experiencing anxiety/alarm and breathe into that painful area the energy of your full attention directed towards love, safety, and 100% acceptance.🙏 Regulate your body towards love, I am safe in this moment, gratitude, appreciation and acceptance and this helps to regulate the mind away from the pain of being blocked from love either by yourself or others in the past. Show your wounded younger self they are seen, heard and loved by you. Don't ignore anxiety it is up to us to heal and pay attention to these alarms that are showing up as blocks to love. We can remove and heal the blocks from love and Evolve and HEAL.💞

Panic anxiety since age 18 in the military. Now 74 and got rid of a 30mg of xanax a day for 44 years. Got off it without medical help. Have been clean for a little over 3 years. Thanks you beautiful universe.

What’s difficult to me and I imagine the most people that deal with health anxiety at least, is that I don’t have an answer to the “Am I safe right now?” question. That’s the reason that I’m having the anxiety or panic attack in the first place. Because I feel unsafe.

This is my first time EVER hearing a professional address that anxiety starts in the body first - which is what I've ALWAYS felt. When I'm anxious people always ask, "Well, did something happen? Did you have a thought? What were you thinking about?" And it's like, no, I was just putting on my socks and I suddenly felt the pang of panic in my stomach and throat, and THEN I thought in my mind, "Well, I'm starting to feel anxious, why? Am I gonna throw up? Oh god, I have to drive for the next 15 minutes and I can't escape that easily"...and so on until I'm having a full blown panic attack. These ideas have really opened up my mind, and I actually feel confident they will help me, and I've never felt that way before. I've had crippling anxiety since I was very tiny, and also grew up with a severely mentally ill father. Wow.

I can’t believe they ever cancelled her show. She was WAY better then Oprah. Thank you for your podcast ❤️

I watched this yesterday. Today I had to conduct some interviews and at one point I became very anxious and uncomfortable. I realised that my stomach was so tense. It was a lightbulb moment. It wasn’t my head, it was my stomach. I took a moment to relax my stomach and the anxiety started to melt away. Thank you so much for this.

Wow, this episode blew my mind. Thank you for the free therapy, I actually started writing a letter to 8 year old “me” little Miriam and told her how sorry I was for not loving her the way she deserved, I have never had a good relationship with my mom and it took me back to my childhood. I want to give my inner child a big hug 😭😭😭

Thank you Mel! Your willingness to be vulnerable and see things and a different way is inspiring! I am very impressed at how well you understood and internalized this so quickly! You really got a great grasp of what I was saying (even if we had to steer away from the EGO hahaha) THANK YOU for giving my work exposure on your platform. I'm very grateful for you MEL ROBBINS!! XO

Bless this man's patience!

Anxiety rules my life, thanks for helping people like me

Anxiety is not just emotions a lot of us got physical real symptoms 24/7 and for me food effects it

Thank you ,i have been so so dangerously depressed for almost a year with panic attacks .thank you for some kind of tools to stop this pain.

Hi Mel - I was sitting on my front porch today listening to this episode. What started with a couple of tears rolling down my cheeks, ended with me ugly crying for hours. I’m in my 50’s and known I have generalised anxiety for many years now - using talk therapy and medication over time to help. In all honesty, it’s only been in the last couple of years I’ve come to understand how far back in my life the anxiety stems from. Your episode with Dr Kennedy has hit me like a tonne of bricks, hence the deluge of tears. What I kind of knew was always there, was presented to me today with so much clarity about the child I was and the adult I have been and now am. This conversation has been transformative for me and I thank you both so much🙏

I love how Mel drills into her guest and asks that person everything we are thinking that we hope she asks them and for clarification on their conversation. She speaks for all of us. How refreshing!

My anxiety started in the perimenopause and I also suffer from sleep anxiety, I keep getting bad panic attacks!❤

Mel, you are single handedly saving my life right now. This podcast drop could not have happened at a better time in my life. My world is crashing, my marriage, my kids, everything is crashing. Your daily posts, check ins, your willingness to show so much vulnerability, you willingness to ask people to dumb it down for AuDHD who need a little more explanation. Thank you for putting yourself out there. You’re saving more than one life by all of your hard work. ❤ I love you!!!!

Wow, I always felt like I understood anxiety and just blew it over. This episode floored me and mid listening I felt my body where things feel pain or stagnant and I truly listened. I have been keeping myself distracted and have tried to stop vaping multiple times but always go back to my distractions. Right after the exercises, I threw away my vape and deleted all apps that are not serving me for ME, and this time, I know I can do it 💪💪

I’m a 37 yr old single mother and my anxiety is preventing me from moving ahead in life. I recently turned down a job promotion due to severe anxiety that was crippling and it was easier to just stay where I’m at. That promotion would have been life changing. I gave up buying a house a few years ago for the same reason. I feel hopeless and unable to do anything I am just so scared of the unknown.

i'm just tired of watching tons of videos like this , and not being able to end my anxiety disorder

Before listening to this episode I thought gosh 90mins, I’m not really in the mood for such a long episode. But my anxiety was giving me a hard time and I felt like I’ve got no other choice. Now that I’ve listened to it all I can say is it’s been the best 90min podcast episode I’ve ever listened to. Thanks for sharing it with the world! ❤

Over 40 years with anxiety being called chicken little and over thinker and I needed to love my inner child and listen thank you

I’m a retired mental health provider who has had free floating anxiety my whole 68 yrs, I sear. I was having a hard time relaxing to sleep tonight. I’ve tried EVERYTHING. This podcast addressed my “alarm.” I think I knew it was there, but hated it. Now I can hopefully work to give it the attention I NEED. The hard feeling I had in my chest eased tonight eased. It felt good. TY. I will share u.

You guys are so spot on. I am a forced adoption baby who was adopted in 1961. I am now 61, fearful of the world and still feel like a baby. When I ask my adoptive mother why she never hugged me or told me that she loved me, she just replies, I'm not that sort of person. I am estranged from my daughter and sucicideat every day. Thanks for this podcast as it validates me.

I get anxiety EVERY morning around 4:00 to 6:00am. I will do this exercise tomorrow morning for sure. Thank you Mel and your amazing guest.

Oh my gosh, why did I not meet you when I was a baby. That's how far back I go with my anxieties!! I am now 67 and anxiety has limited most of my life because of the debilitating effects of anxiety, and separation anxiety. Thank you Mel and your guests. I am just so grateful. Elaine from South Africa 🌹

I’m only 15 minutes in and had to stop to say this: I love the way Mel set a framework with expectations for where the conversation will go. This really gives my brain something to look for as I’m listening (as opposed to just a free flowing conversation). OK, back to the show. 😊

Mel, you & Dr. Kennedy are absolutely amazing! I’m at 70 years of age tying this altogether! 50 + years living with anxiety, studying self-help & spirituality all my adult life! with the support of many wise teachers sharing their knowledge & experiences, I’m getting to the real healing. This episode does bring HUGE clarity and connection with childhood experiences and the mystery of anxiety! The key is learning the strategies for coping that you share, along with understanding the cause. Ive come along way with healing! MANY THANKS to you, Mel & Dr. Kennedy, Nicole Lepera, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Jeff Warren & Tamara Levitt, Tara Brach, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Levine& the list goes on. Your passion and willingness to help all of us is the link to healing ❤️‍🩹 the world ! So grateful-thank you, thank you, thank you 💟☮️💟 1:31:49

Thank you Mel for the share. But I think your enthusiasm sometimes cut him up and interrupted him too many times 😂 but I still enjoyed it

Omg omg omg I want to cry over & over again because I AM ANXIETY UNSOLVED I AM THAT PERSON WHO NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS WRING WITH ME LIVING IT FOR OVER 50 yrs This podcast is my Lifesaver❤

I have suffered from Anxiety for 2 years. My healing started when i gave my life to Jesus Christ. Just as written in Matthew 11:28 - Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Now I am free because of Jesus.

It seems learning to really love yourself, is key for so many things in life. Excellent video.

Mushrooms containing psilocybin saved my life. They aided my benzodiazepine withdrawal allowing me to quit illicit pill addiction after three years of heavy daily use before it would’ve become medically dangerous to quit. It has also helped me survive depression.

The Alarm! This may be the most distilled and accurate description for understanding what happens in your brain and body when you get a rush of anxiety. For those of us who live and work in stressful environments, it’s a daily occurrence. Having a simple tool to recognize what’s happening, and address it in real time can be a game changer. Powerful.

Really helpful, thank you. When major anxiety strikes for me, it takes the form of FREEZE…I get paralyzed and can’t do anything including eat or sleep. I’ve thought of it as only being an issue when a big life event arises or when a lot of life demands occur at once. However, I’m aware that I’ve lived my entire life from a place of fear, which I now see as an expression of anxiety. For 35 years I’ve experienced chronic pain from fibromyalgia, which clearly is the result of that fear/anxiety not being resolved at its root…despite many years of study, bodywork, therapy, etc etc. I’m glad this topic is being talked about more widely now. The truth of our childhood is stored in our bodies, and must be addressed there if we are to be free. I’m pleased to know about Dr Kennedy and really appreciate what was shared in the podcast. I look forward to further conversations with him.

The best from this episode is to realize that finally holistic and neuroscience are meeting each other. Heal your inner child is not new to me, but it's incredibly nice to hear that from science's perspective.😊

I feel like this is something I need to apply to my procrastination. Anxiety creeps up when I have things that I need/should do and get done, and that feeling makes me feel paralyzed and I find other smaller things to take care of around the house because the bigger things that actually need taking care of feel way too big and scary. My body says I don’t like how that feels, so go do something that is also productive but not as big or heavy or intimidating. Putting my hand on my chest before doing these tasks will probably help so much.. talking to my inner child and practicing some self soothing so I can face my problems. “The solution is not in our thinking, the solution is in our body” that is so brilliant. I love this , thank you so much!!

I also had that nervous stomach now i found out I've ptsd from abuse in my childhood, that's where it all started

This episode is the most amazing, helpful and just blow my mind about anxiety!! This video needs to be showed in all schools and universities, because anxiety is the number one disease killing our minds every day. And our kids need to be freed forever. And I never heard nothing so liberating as this information. Thank you 🙏Dr. Kennedy thank you Mel you made a huge difference in the world.

OMG! I was BORN with anxiety. These stories are mine! I was a "nervous" child.

While watching this I didn't notice my tears keep falling from my eyes. Thanks for this.. God bless! I am suffering with anxiety, depression panic attacks and feeling too much fear that I don't wanna go out anymore.

thanks for this amazing podcast

Wow this is a prayer answered

Mel, thank you so much for bringing Dr. Kennedy on your podcast. This past week I had to get away because the pain in body was so overwhelming. I have struggled all my life with loving myself. Always putting others before myself in fear of losing their love. I have five children and my husband has an addiction and our finances are always at stake and a topic of fear for me. My mother was mentally unstable, anything would set her off. I don't remember her ever hugging me. I was beaten and slapped when I stuck up for myself, even as a teenager. There was a strap in the kitchen closet that was waiting to be used. Everything the doctor said was so spot on. You are both a gift sent to me during this painful time. All I want to do is hug you, so I'm sending you a virtual hug. Thank you for being so open and vulnerable about your life. It makes me feel I am not the only one who is struggling with anxiety.

Wow I TOTALLY remember the traumatic episodes before I understood what my parents were (screaming)….Way before age 7 😳

This has been a game changer!!!!!! Thank you both so much!!!!!

When I feel the alarm start to ring I do acts of self care and self love, it’s amazing how small activities can lead to massive body and mind changes

WOW, WOW, WOW! I treat patients with severe and persistent mental illness. There are also several counselors that I work with. I have suffered with horrid anxiety every single day for the past 12 years. I know DBT, CBT, EMDR, etc. I listened to this and it was an ABSOLUTE WAKE UP CALL! It made so much sense. Today was the first day that I woke up and did not wake up with the sense of impending doom to start my day. I have already shared this and am going to encourage my patients to follow the Instagram for the two of you. I wish I could find the perfect words to express how grateful and the gratitude that have feel toward the both of you. What a sigh of relief!!! 😃♥️🤗

This episode makes me think about how our pets become all of our emotional support pets. Their hugs and kisses, their apologies when they do something wrong and their forgiveness when you do something that hurts them is so comforting.

Thank you! I really needed this!

This is everything I’ve ever wanted to know about my anxiety. Thank you

Wow ! It’s crazy how when I get anxiety I imagine Jesus hugging me but when he does I see him hugging the younger (child) version of myself ! This was just confirmation from everything going on in my life ! Thanks Mel and Russel ! God bless you both. 😊

For the first time in my life, I don't feel crazy. For the first time, I feel a sense of peace and calm I never thought I'd experience because there's an explanation and justification for what I feel in my body and for the thoughts I have in my head. I'm so grateful for this episode, Dr. Kennedy's work, and your willingness to share it all with the world. I'm 52. And I'm beginning to heal in a way I never knew I needed to heal. I am beginning to feel relief and it's just amazing!

Started getting short of breath and my heart rate has been high too. All labs came back normal of course and anxiety is so scary because it comes in so many forms and sometimes with no obvious explanation and then you’re required to be your own advocate and figure out why you’re experiencing all this symptoms

This makes so much sense for me. I was not raised by my mom. Thank you for this ❤

This is so eye-opening. For years, I've struggled with a nervous stomach, and instead of "leaning in" to try and figure out what the alarm was saying, I'd be on Google looking for ways to "stop anxiety." But it will never stop for good if I don't address the reason for the alarm bell. I was only fighting the symptom, and that's not helpful long term. The alarm bell (nervous stomach) is really saying to me, "I am afraid to speak up to that person" or "I am worried that I will look silly" or "If that happens I can't handle it" or some other fear. So instead of trying to push the feeling away, I'm learning to listen to what my inner child is saying and addressing the REAL reason and what my inner child is saying to me in that moment. Not only does the nervous stomach go away faster, but it actually helps me get to the ROOT of my anxiety. Fascinating!

I just LOVE how Mel stops (but never interrupts) the convo when big words come up. English is not my 1st language, so that helps me a lot!! Thank you Mel and Dr. Kennedy.

I feel so seen right now! Thank you Mel!

This is amazing! Just hearing different examples is very vital .🙏🏽

The thing that I took away from this podcast is that there are people that had it worse in life more than I did. I have known that the trauma in our childhood causes pain and until we get that healed we sabotage ourselves according to how we were traumatized, i.e.. if I took on the responsibility of my family's finances as a child through trauma, that will plague me until I get that trauma healed. Your honest way of explaining things and how you relate your trauma is healing those of us who listen to or watch your podcast. Thank you for being vulnerable and for all you do out of love for others.

I really like this take on Anxiety... I have had anxiety for over 50 years.. I am on Meds, but I need a coping mechanism.. Mel and Dr. Russel , you all’s explanation of how to cope.. is awesome.. please speak more about being on medication... and how it helps.. thank you both.

I've been dealing with anxiety for 60 years. About 25-28 years ago, I got some help and it seemed to work fine. This last year, I have been through health issues, relaitionship problems. I watched two video's with Dr. Kennedy from last week, and this one. Been back to my therpaist. The tools in these videos are VERY helpful! With luck I can get back to work soon! THANK YOU!!!

This is a wake up call, it makes me sad to know I have not been loving that little child in me, amazing!!!

Wow, it’s Sunday so I’m going to say THANK YOU JESUS and Mel. I am 60 yrs old and hating life! I have been on anxiety medication since I was 14 yrs old….. and never knew why, except the fact I was having major anxiety attacks all the time. However, after just stumbling across your talk on anxiety……. IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! Now I know exactly where this debilitating and crippling personality trait comes from. I wish I could have a session with a therapist that totally agreed and practiced what you and Kennedy just discussed. Omg. This could change my life. I don’t have much is it left but if I don’t figure some things out about myself it will probably be sooner than later. Because I am so fucked up; I can’t work around others, my husband and dogs are sick of me throwing shit and yelling about how much I hate my life. But I’m so miserable it’s very hard to find any joy in my body. God, Mel please help me.

This made so much sense. Especially keeping yourself busy until for me I could not deal with it one more day

So amazing!! I learned so much!!

So grateful for all of your videos 😢

Great interview! Never looked at anxiety this way before. We would comfort any child who was hurt and needed to be comforted; but we won’t give that gift to ourselves.

Thank You so much for these videos. I get so much more from them than just the podcasts. It is generous of you to share the longer uncut version. I also appreciate the links to find and follow your guests. Not everyone does that.

This was AMAZING!!!! Thank you!!!

Thank you very much for this video! I will now be able to control what happens to me when I feel anxiety!

I love how this all confirmed the pieces I have been healing my life with. Beautiful messages ❣️💖

Wow, what an impactful episode this one was. I honestly felt like he was talking to me. I saved this episode so I can go back and listen again and do the work. I checked this episode out while I went for a walk at the lake. This morning, I felt so blah and in my head that i couldn't focus on ANYTHING, so I said, "I HAVE to go for a walk at the lake and ground myself." This was a great addition to my walk, it also made me walk longer and just sit and be at one with the crashing of the waves while learning how to work on my, some days, crippling anxiety. Other days, I am like yourself, giving presentations and teaching people things I have learned along my own journey as well. For so many years, I locked myself away in the fear zone. Now I try my very best to say, 3uck off to the fears," but someday it still gets a hold of me and teaches me that I don't know where I feel it. I have to work on figuring that part out, I think I feel it in my heart, but is it in my head? I'm just not sure

Key opening information. Food for thought and action. Thx for having this episode

thanks for this amazing podcast. We learn so so much