1277: Am I Going Crazy? Why Anxiety Can Make You Feel Like You're Losing Your Mind

In today's episode, Gina provides comfort for listeners who are afraid they may be going crazy. The essential message is that much more likely than not, you are not going crazy, and there are many things you can do to help yourself feel better, more calm, peaceful and stable. Intrusive thoughts, depersonalization and derealization are all covered in this episode, as are brain fog, racing thoughts and hyperawareness. Listen in and find more peace and calm even in the face of the most disturbing symptoms.Stillpoint Fridays is my once-a-week Friday note — a slower, more personal reflection that’s different from what I share on the podcast.If you’d like a quiet place to land as the week winds down, you can join here:  http://eepurl.com/bR2F9P or on our website anxietycoachespodcast.com and sign up for the newsletter.Please visit our Sponsor Page to find all the links and codes for our awesome sponsors! https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com/sponsors/Website https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.comJoin our community Group Coaching Join our Group Coaching Full or Mini Membership Program1:1 Coaching Learn more about our One-on-One CoachingIf you prefer to listen AD-FREE, try our Supercast premium access membership:Learn more about anxiety What is anxiety?Free Guided Meditation for Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for AnxietyQuote:Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.-Marie Curie Chapters0:27 Going Crazy or Anxiety?5:41 The Second Fear Loop9:37 Intrusive Thoughts and Derealization11:32 What To Do Now14:35 Know When to Get Help16:57 Live Beyond AnxietySummaryn this episode we revisit the question “Am I going crazy?” and talk about how it often comes up when anxiety makes thoughts, sensations, or the surrounding world feel unfamiliar. We look at experiences such as intrusive thoughts, derealization, depersonalization, brain fog, racing thoughts, and hyperawareness, and how these can lead to fear that something is seriously wrong.We explain how anxiety can create a cycle in which a strange feeling leads to checking, the checking increases attention, and the increased attention makes the feeling seem even more intense. We also describe the difference between the first experience, such as feeling disconnected or having a disturbing thought, and the second fear, such as interpreting it as proof that we are losing control.We talk about intrusive thoughts and note that having a thought is not the same as wanting it, believing it, or acting on it. We also discuss derealization and depersonalization, and how repeatedly checking whether things feel normal can keep us focused on the discomfort instead of moving through the moment.We offer several ways to respond: naming the experience without dramatizing it, not making “feeling normal” the main goal, returning attention to ordinary activities, softening physical tension, and letting sensations come and go without demanding certainty. We also note that new, severe, or confusing symptoms, including hallucinations or an inability to function, should be brought to a qualified professional.We close by emphasizing that we can feel strange without being in danger, have frightening thoughts without needing to answer them, and keep living while anxiety passes.#AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan #AmIGoingCrazy #AnxietySupport #IntrusiveT