Ep 53 Our Body is our Greatest Tool with Dr. Russell Kennedy - Anxiety MD
The pandemic that this world is currently experiencing is bringing fort the unwanted feelings of anxiety, and everyone is affected. In this beautiful episode, we dive deep in anxiety and how we can face it head-on with our guest, Dr. Russell Kennedy of the Anxiety MD. Dr. Kennedy is a unique physician, being one of the experts in anxiety, the same disorder he suffers from. He has degrees and advanced medicine, neuroscience, and developmental psychology, while also practicing yoga and teaching meditation. We talk about anxiety, how our younger selves’ trauma affects our emotions, and the ways we can cope and heal from anxiety. While under a therapeutic dose of LSD he discovered how he could heal himself from anxiety which he also shares in this podcast. Let’s discover how we can feel safe in our bodies amidst the chaos, breathe in the pain, and transmute it into love and healing.
Key Points You Will Learn:
Our childhood trauma is the cause of our anxiety
The importance of talk therapy and physical touch
The role of our immune system and self-care in healing anxiety
How today’s pandemic affects our anxiety levels
Show Notes:
(0:00) Introduction
(2:00) Alarm versus Anxiety - what is the difference?
(4:33) Dr. Kennedy’s personal experience with anxiety at an early age
(8:47) What happens to the body when we are experiencing anxiety?
(10:00) Why do we tend to overthink and overachieve?
(16:24) The importance of having both talk therapy and focusing on your physical trauma or pain to overcome anxiety.
(21:24) Dr. Kennedy shares his insights on how being an empath starts with our parents and why great empaths tend to lose touch with themselves.
(27:40) The purpose of worry and anxiety in our self as a coping strategy
(28:27) The most useful methods of today that can help people heal and Dr. Kennedy’s personal experience in using these methods.
(36:39) Dr. Kennedy’s take on the role of the immune system and self-care in controlling anxiety.
(39:27) Dr. Kennedy shares the Social Engagement System and tips on how you can use it in this quarantine period
(45:30) Dr. Kennedy’s 3 W’s of Worry - What If’s, Warnings, Worst-Case Scenarios
(49:30) Helpful tips and takeaways from Dr. Kennedy
(57:44) Dr. Kennedy’s insight on what is happening and why we are experiencing this pandemic today
Quotes:
(6:50) “I believe anxiety is more of an alarm of the body to tell us the anxious thoughts of the mind.”
(9:43) “We need to get back to the place where we feel and connect with ourselves in our body.”
(10:06) “The reason why we think so much is because it prevents us from visiting the place in our body that’s painful.”
(12:18) “When your brain goes to survival mode, we look for threats, and that’s the way we are designed.”
(14:00) “You need to fix the underlying issue to make the anxiety and thoughts go away.”
(16:24) “We need talk therapy but we also need to focus on our physical trauma and pain to overcome our anxiety.”
(20:00) “We need to make withdrawals from our alarm banks to get better.”
(26:56) “The more sensitive you are, the more love you need and the more sensitive you are to the absence of love.”
(27:42) “Worry serves an important purpose- it keeps us away from the feelings that are unbearable.”
(41:46) “Thinking is great but you really need to feel.”
(42:18) “Talk to yourself, about what you like in yourself, and make that connection with yourself.”
(44:30) “When you feel terrified, you can ask yourself “Are you safe in this bubble? Are you safe in this moment?”
(45:20) “Worry is all about the future, sensation pulls you back at the moment.”
(50:45) “Breathe in the pain and fear, transmute it to love and healing and breathe out the love and healing to every other human being who is experiencing the same anxiety.”
(1:03:00) “The brain is just a reducer, it’s your body that feels.”
Resources:
Dr. Kennedy’s upcoming book “The Anxiety Rx” will be released in June of 2020.
About Dr. Kennedy: https://dr-russ.com/about/
Connect with Dr. Kennedy:
On His Website https://www.dr-russ.com
On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theanxietymd/
On YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/DrRussellKennedyTHEANXIETYMD
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/russell.kennedy.988
PODCAST DISCLAIMER:
This podcast is to educate, inside, and inform the listeners of various pathways to wholistic well being. This information is not to replace the advice of your physician, specialist, medical doctor, therapist, nutritionist, or dietitian. Please refer to the full Medical Disclaimer Here.
