The 18 Minutes Podcast

Epizode

• What To Do When Anxiety Comes Back 29.05.2026 25min

  What do you actually do when anxiety comes back after you thought you'd put it behind you? In this episode I talk about why recovery was never a straight line to zero, and why I measured my own recovery by "widening the gaps" between panic attacks instead. I get into why a single anxious moment usually isn't the "setback" you think it is (and what a real setback actually is), the science of why anxiety can resurface even years later, and a story from a trip well into my recovery when panic sh...
• What Partners of Anxious People Need to Know 22.05.2026 24min

  If you love someone with disordered anxiety, your most loving instincts are often what's keeping their disordered anxiety alive. I unpack the research on family accommodation, why reassurance is a long-term harm even when it feels kind in the moment, and the caregiver burden conversation we shy away from. Includes real examples from my own recovery and how my partner showed up alongside me. If you're an anxious person who has been trying to figure out how to talk to your partner about all thi...
• Agoraphobia 101: What It Is and How To Recover 15.05.2026 23min

  Has your world been gradually getting smaller? Fewer places you'll go, more cancellations, a mental map of where it feels safe and where it doesn't? You might be dealing with agoraphobia. In this episode I unpack the real definition (it's not "fear of open spaces"), the panic-and-avoidance loop that builds it, a little entry-level neuroscience on what your amygdala and sympathetic nervous system are doing along the way, and exactly how recovery works using a four-phase framework I created for...
• Overpreparing Is Making You Anxious 08.05.2026 22min

  Overpreparing might be the most socially acceptable safety behavior there is. It doesn't always look like anxiety, it looks like being responsible! In this episode I unpack what overpreparing actually is, why our brains love it so much, and the mental and physical cost we pay for it. Then we talk about how to gradually let go of it without flipping your whole life upside down, and what life looks like on the other side. If you're tired of running the worst-case version of every situation in y...
• How To Prepare For a Panic Attack 01.05.2026 22min

  You're probably going to have another panic attack. Sorry!! But what if you could prepare for it in a way that actually moves your recovery forward? In this episode, I walk through the mindset shift that changed my own recovery, the neuroscience of why you can't think your way through panic in real time, and a practical toolkit for setting yourself up before the next adrenaline surge hits, including how to talk to the people closest to you, why language matters, and what to actually do in the...
• Why Anxiety Feels Worse at Night (and what to do about it!) 24.04.2026 17min

  Ever wake up at 2am in panic mode? This episode is for you! Today I'm talking all about nighttime anxiety. How to recognize it, why it happens, and practical steps to move past it. Thanks for listening! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram....
• Why Can't I Calm Down?! 17.04.2026 11min

  On this episode of The 18 Minutes I get into the science behind why it feels IMPOSSIBLE to calm down during an episode of intense anxiety or panic, and what we can do about it. Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com
• What Not To Do During Panic 03.04.2026 13min

  Today's episode is a list of things that you might be doing that are keeping you stuck with disordered anxiety. Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com
• Travel Anxiety Tips 27.03.2026 17min

  Today's episode is all about travel anxiety. I'm a nervous traveler, and in this episode I lay out my best tips for making travel fun! I cover how to manage anticipatory anxiety, feeling stuck, social anxiety, the fear of flying, and separation anxiety (and, of course, how to use the fear to overcome our anxiety disorders). Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ You...
• Anxiety & The Illusion of Control 20.03.2026 13min

  As overly anxious people, we CLING to anything we can control, often to our own detriment. In this quick chat-style podcast I cover the topic of control, and why reaching for it could be hindering our recovery. Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com
• Disordered Anxiety: Mindfulness vs. Avoidance 13.03.2026 23min

  Mindfulness! You may have used this practice as a means of escaping your anxious feelings, but it can be used more effectively to help you overcome disordered anxiety altogether. In today's episode I share my experience using mindfulness while driving, and I give some tips on how you can practice mindfulness without giving into safety behaviors that are you keeping you stuck. Thanks for being here! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the1...
• Beyond Coping: How To Overcome Disordered Anxiety 06.03.2026 18min

  My how-to guide for overcoming disordered anxiety! In this episode I lay out what I would do to recover from an anxiety disorder if I were starting from the beginning. I cover 6 detailed steps to recovery, and explain how you can customize them to be effective tools for your own journey. Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18m...
• Panic Disorder Help: Depersonalization & Derealization 27.02.2026 15min

  DP/DR is a very real, very common experience for people who suffer from disordered anxiety. If you can relate, this episode is for you! Today I cover my own experience with derealization and depersonalization, the survival mechanism behind it, and how we can work to accept it and move through it. Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.yout...
• How To Overcome the Fear of Flying with Jenny Matthews, LMFT 20.02.2026 41min

  If you are a nervous or phobic flyer, this one's for you! Jenny Matthews is a licensed therapist, and specializes in treating the fear of flying. In this episode we cover what fears the fear of flying is made up of, why it's such a common experience, and practical steps you can take to start working toward recovery. Enjoy! Jenny's Therapy Practice: https://stateofmindtherapy.com/ FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minu...
• Anxiety & Reassurance 13.02.2026 14min

  Reassurance-seeking is a common, unhelpful behavior in the context of disordered anxiety. Today's episode is all about what it is, how to recognize it in yourself, and some alternative behaviors to help you in your journey to recovery. Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com
• How To Overcome Intrusive Thoughts 06.02.2026 19min

  Intrusive thoughts can be completely debilitating - but they don't have to be! In today's episode I cover common experiences, stigmatized experiences, why you're not broken, and how you might find relief. I'd love your feedback - send me a message! amanda@the18minutes.com Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Ema...
• The Fear of Fear and How To Overcome It 30.01.2026 16min

  Did you know you could be afraid of fear itself? Today's episode is a deep dive on why it's important to understand the fear of fear, and why it's important to work towards overcoming it. This one could change your life!! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com
• How To Overcome Driving Anxiety 23.01.2026 20min

  Ever had a panic attack in the car? This episode is for you! I cover why driving anxiety happens, why it's not dangerous, and how to overcome it and reclaim that piece of your life back from disordered anxiety. Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com
• How To Have a Panic Attack 16.01.2026 18min

  Ever wondered how to have an amazing panic attack? Now you can find out. Today's episode is all about how to have a panic attack that moves you toward better mental health. Enjoy! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com
• Anxiety: Regressing, Subconscious, and Rediscovery - with My Dad! 09.01.2026 53min

  Today's guest is the man I've known the longest - my dad! Our conversation covers his journey through disordered anxiety, regressing and setbacks, and rediscovering yourself after recovery. Major dad wisdom coming your way! FREE Recovery Guide: https://the18minutes.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes Email: amanda@the18minutes.com