Anxiety Setbacks, Progress, and Not Wanting to Go “Backwards” - Q&A With Annie!
On this episode of A Healthy Push podcast, I sat down with Annie to answer your questions on setbacks, progress and not wanting to go "backwards" in anxiety recovery. I know it can feel like a setback to have really anxious moments, or to experience a panic attack, but these things don't lead to a setback. Feeling is just a part of the journey, and it's totally normal!
We answered lots of great questions, so be sure to listen to the full episode to hear all the insights. Here are some of the most asked questions and insights shared on this episode...
01. Can you still feel anxious when you are healing?
One of the most common questions we received was whether it's normal to still feel anxious during the healing process. The answer is Yes! I can't emphasize this enough!
Often, recovery means facing hard things and feelings that you might have been suppressing or avoiding for a long time. Feeling is healing, and it's natural to experience anxiety as you navigate your recovery journey. Let yourself feeling without attaching meaning to it and without digging into why.
02. How will big life events impact my recovery?
We had lots of questions from listeners about how major life events, such as a big surgery or the loss of a pet, might impact recovery or lead to anxiety setbacks. While these situations are super tough to navigate, they won't derail your recovery. You are so much more capable than you think!
Let yourself be. Let yourself be with the hard. You're going to have so many emotions that you're working through. Let yourself be with the pain, with the grief, with the sadness of whatever you are going through. There is no need to push yourself in these moments.
So, while big life events can bring up a lot of feelings, anxiety included, they also offer us the opportunity to slow down, honor what we need in the moment and practice all the healthy tools we have available to us.
03. What does progress look like? What are some signs that you're on the right track?
There are so many signs to look out for. I did an entire episode on this topic—episode 82, to be exact. It's all about the signs that you're actually recovering. So if you're wondering, "Am I getting better?" that episode will definitely help shed some light on it for you.
Here are some of the big ones...
You No Longer Interpret the Hard Moments as a Sign of Failure Those hard moments filled with anxiety and panic are no longer flashing lights signaling danger. They are just hard moments that don't have to mean anything. These difficult, anxious moments are an indicator that you’re allowing yourself to experience the hard things, which leads to a whole lot of healing in the long run.
You’re More Willing to Try Uncomfortable Things You've embraced the idea that you can't get rid of anxiety or make it go away completely. Instead, you're saying, "Okay, I'll take it with me and see what happens." This is huge because it means you're not waiting until you feel ready, confident, or capable. You're just diving in and trying things out, regardless of the discomfort.
You’re More Supportive of Yourself Your self-talk has changed; you're not being so hard on yourself. Instead, you're being much more compassionate and holding space for yourself. Your relationship with yourself has started to change dramatically. When you support yourself through your recovery, it obviously makes the process a lot easier, but it also helps prevent those really difficult emotions from not popping up so much. So, supporting yourself, even though it sounds basic, is a huge indicator that you're on the right path and making so much progress.
Anxiety recovery and healing isn't linear. Embracing the journey with all it's ups and downs, and supporting yourself in healthy ways can make the process so much easier. Healing will happen with small healthy steps, you've got this!
Feeling like you've tried everything but you're still struggling with lots of anxious thoughts, symptoms, panic attacks, and fears? Take my FREE 60-minute masterclass today and learn 5 shifts that will actually help you to overcome anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. And I promise, you won't hear any of the usual stuff from me - like doing breathing exercises, grounding practices, cutting out caffeine, and doing more exposures. Let's get you the peace and freedom you deserve without it being so hard!
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