Live Your Fullest Life (Even WIth Fear and Anxiety) with Dr. Jarell Myers and Dr. Julie Jarvis

The Beyond Addiction Show

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode and a new season of The Beyond Addiction Show. The pandemic has certainly brought anxiety in different shapes and forms to many (if not to most) of us. Anxiety can be the force that drives and motivates as but it can also work against us by shutting us down and keeping us from engaging in our lives.

Today, Dr. King is accompanied by Dr. Jarell Myers and Dr. Julie Jarvis to talk about how we can engage in our own lives even with anxiety and fear present. They break down what exposure therapy is, providing tools for us to be able to create our own exposure to help us cope with our fears and anxiety and to really live our fullest lives.

Key Takeaways:

[3:18] What is and isn’t OCD? How can you tell if the behavior is compulsive?

[7:50] OCD is fear-based.

[8:52] When can something be considered a normal feeling or a problematic one?

[10:48] What happens when the person is totally OK with his or her symptoms but everyone around can’t take them anymore?

[12:21] Dr. Jarvis talks about exposure therapy.

[13:39] Dr. Myers shares what drew him to work with patients suffering from anxiety.

[16:40] Dr. Myers talks about the fun part of being a therapist dedicated to helping patients struggling with anxiety.

[18:46] Dr. Jarvis explains what exposure and response prevention really is.

[22:45] Exposure therapy is not about throwing the patient into the deep end; the patient needs to be guided through a process where he or she is able to build up a tolerance.

[25:36] Dr. Jarvis speaks about how some patients come up with their own ways of exposure and also how the therapist plays a key role in helping the patient go through the process successfully.

[29:31] Therapists who have been treating anxiety might be aware of things that you have not noticed.

[30:55] Dr. King shares statistics about how the pandemic has caused a significant increase in substance use.

[31:30] How can exposure therapy be used to improve people’s lives in times of pandemics?

[35:16] What are the things that you wish you could get back to?

[37:25] Dr. Jarvis talks about the relationship between anxiety and certainty.

[41:21] Facing your anxiety is a way of enhancing your life.

[42:26] It feels great to do the things you are afraid of; it’s worth the short-term pain.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Beyond Addiction Show

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International OCD Foundation