The Panic Pod: Anxiety Help
The Panic Pod is a podcast for people living with anxiety, hosted by psychotherapist Joshua Fletcher. It combines professional expertise with personal experience to address issues like panic attacks, OCD, agoraphobia, driving anxiety, social anxiety, and self-esteem challenges. Each episode delivers evidence-based psychoeducation in an accessible, relatable way, avoiding the typical noise of the wellness industry.
Episodes
22. Existential Anxiety (and the Scary Thoughts!)
In Episode 22, Existential Anxiety, we explore how anxiety latches onto the big, unanswerable questions about life, meaning, existence, and identity. These are thoughts that may not have once felt particularly bothersome, but once the threat response gets involved, they can begin to feel urgent and deeply unsettling.In this episode, we look at how anxiety drives a need for certainty, and how that
21. Somatic OCD
In Episode 21, Somatic OCD, we explore the experience of becoming hyper-focused on physical sensations, bodily symptoms, and automatic processes such as breathing, swallowing, blinking, or heartbeat awareness. We look at why these sensations can begin to feel intrusive and distressing, and how attention and monitoring magnify the obsession over time.In this episode, I explain the role of compulsio
20. Perfectionism in Anxiety Recovery
In Episode 20, we explore perfectionism in anxiety recovery and why trying to recover “perfectly” can keep you stuck. Many people approach desensitisation with rigid rules, constant self-monitoring, and pressure to get every step right. Ironically, that perfectionistic mindset often strengthens anxiety rather than weakens it.In this episode, I look at how perfectionism can show up in recovery beha
19. Sleep Anxiety (How to fall asleep when anxious)
In Episode 19, we look at sleep anxiety and the question of how to fall asleep when you feel anxious. Many people with anxiety disorders become preoccupied with sleep, trying to optimise it, worrying about not getting enough, or fearing that poor sleep will make anxiety worse.In this episode, I explore how this fixation can become part of the problem. We look at the role of attention, the urge to
18. The Best Technique For Anxiety
In Episode 18, The Best Technique for Anxiety, we look at why many popular techniques from the wellness space or general therapy approaches can become unhelpful when applied to anxiety disorders. What often starts as a tool can quickly turn into a compulsion or a quick fix behaviour that keeps the cycle going.This episode is for anyone searching for the one technique that will take anxiety away. I
17. The Fastest Way To Calm Anxiety
Episode 17 of The Panic Pod is called The Fastest Way to Calm Anxiety.This episode isn’t what you might expect. There are no quick fixes, no hacks, and no step-by-step techniques. Instead, we look at what actually calms anxiety at its core.We explore the role of resistance, how trying to fight or get rid of anxiety often keeps it going, and how your attention shapes the intensity of what you feel.
16. How NOT To Measure Anxiety
In Episode 16, we explore why measuring and monitoring anxiety is one of the most common mistakes people make when they are in a sensitised state. When we constantly check how anxious we feel, we send a message to the brain that anxiety is not allowed. Once a feeling is treated as a problem or a threat, the threat response stays active and the cycle continues.In this episode, I explain why recover
15. How to Make Anxiety Smaller
In Episode 15, we look at how to make anxiety smaller by not making it the most important thing in the room. Anxiety grows when it becomes the centre of our attention and starts to dictate our behaviour. In this episode, I explain how shifting focus, continuing with what matters, and reducing the status we give anxiety can gradually shrink its influence.I share this both as a therapist and as some
14. Driving Anxiety
In this episode of The Panic Pod we explore driving anxiety, a very common and often misunderstood fear. Most people are not afraid of the mechanics of driving. They are afraid of the internal sensations that might show up behind the wheel. The racing heart, dizziness, intrusive thoughts, the fear of losing control. More accurately, the fear of what anxiety might make them do.We unpack how this be
13. Do What Non-Anxious You Would Do
In Episode 13, Do What Non-Anxious You Would Do, we explore the role of attention, focus, and intentional behaviour in anxiety recovery. By acting in line with how the non-anxious version of us would behave, we send a signal to the brain that the misfiring threat response is not needed here. We also look at the subtle trap of over-monitoring and over-focusing on our actions, and how this can unint
12. Explaining Anxiety To a Loved One
In Episode 12, we look at how to explain anxiety to a loved one. Disordered anxiety can be difficult to describe and even harder for others to understand. In this episode, I break down what anxiety actually is, how it feels from the inside, and why reassurance or logic alone often misses the point. This is an episode you can share with partners, family, or friends to help them understand what’s go
11. Anxiety & "Going Crazy"
Episode 11 looks at mental health anxiety and the common fear of going crazy, sometimes referred to as dementophobia. We explore the fear of losing your mind, or of anxiety becoming so intense that you might lose control. In this episode, I unpack where this fear comes from, why it is so common in anxiety disorders, and how the threat response and misinterpretation of sensations and thoughts keep
10. Health Anxiety
In this episode of The Panic Pod we look at health anxiety. It is extremely common and often driven by doubt, especially in people with obsessive and compulsive traits. Health anxiety tends to pull people into cycles of checking, researching symptoms, consulting Dr Google, seeking reassurance from AI or loved ones, and going down repeated research holes.We unpack these compulsive behaviours and ex
9. Intrusive Thoughts & Anxiety
In this episode, we talk about anxiety and intrusive thoughts, including what is often referred to as Pure O OCD. We explore why intrusive thoughts feel so distressing, why they latch onto what matters most, and how anxiety keeps them active. Drawing on my experience as a therapist and as someone who has been there, we begin to separate thoughts from threat and make sense of why the mind behaves t
8. The Scary Symptoms of Anxiety
In this episode of The Panic Pod, I break down the anxiety symptoms that tend to scare people the most. Heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and the strange shifts in perception often called derealization and depersonalization. I talk through why these sensations show up, why they feel so alarming, and what helped me when I went through them myself. If you experience these symptoms
7. Anxiety Always Passes (But Get The Credit!)
In this episode we talk about wiring the brain so that we get the credit for anxiety passing. Distress tolerance teaches the brain that we can cope and don't need "saving". It's part of wilful tolerance - an essential skill.
6. Anxiety: Nothing is working!
This episode is for people frustrated with their anxiety and have tried everything.
5. Agoraphobia
In this episode of The Panic Pod we focus on agoraphobia. Agoraphobia involves a fear of leaving a space that feels safe, usually because of the worry that panic or overwhelm might strike once we are out. Safe spaces often include the home, a small travel radius, or familiar routes that feel controllable.I talk through how this pattern develops, what maintains it, and why it affects so many people
4. Panic Attacks? Help!
In this episode of The Panic Pod we look at panic attacks with clarity and practical detail. I explain what a panic attack is, how it typically presents, and why the body produces such an intense surge of fear even when there is no immediate danger.I also break down what they feel like, why the sensations can be so convincing, and what a helpful response looks like in the moment. Finally, we look
3. Anxious For No Reason?
In this episode, we explore why anxiety can seem to appear for no reason at all. We look more closely at the role of the threat response and uncover why it actually makes sense that we feel anxious. There is always a reason, even if it’s not the one we expect.
2. Why Am I Always Anxious? (The Threat Response)
In this episode, we explore why people with anxiety disorders often feel anxious most of the day. To understand this, we need to look at the body’s threat response, the system designed to protect us but which can become overactive and misfiring. I talk about how this response fuels our symptoms, how we interact with it, and what keeps it going. Drawing on both my own experiences and my work as a t
1. Anxious? Start Here...
The Panic Pod returns after a four-year break. In this first episode, we go back to where it all began. If you’re anxious, confused, and don’t know where to start, or if you’ve consumed endless self-help content and still don’t feel better, take a breath and join me here. I’ll walk you through how, as both a therapist and a former sufferer, we find our way back to a good place again.
