Owen O’Kane
What behaviours trigger anxiety? What are the strategies for coping? And how do we live calmer and less anxious lives?
Owen O’Kane, psychotherapist, former NHS Mental Health Lead, and Sunday Times best-selling author, joins me on this week’s episode of the Real Health podcast to discuss his new book Addicted to Anxiety.
I started by asking the author how should someone who is anxious treat their anxiety. The Psychotherapist said, “It’s about getting to know that part of yourself, getting to know the thoughts, getting to know what emotions come up, get to know the behaviours that move you forward. So, in some ways, you become the expert in your own anxiety. And that’s where the breakthroughs lie.”
Recognising your anxiety and what it makes you feel is important, so I asked Owen O’Kane how does he deals with anxiety. The mental health expert explained, “Every time I do a big gig or a talk, my anxious self will come out and it will tell a story. ‘What if you forget? What if they don’t like it? What if they boo you off?”
“It’s doing that because it’s saying it would be safer for you to stay at home and not do this. So, it’s well meaning, it’s very primal, stay at home, don’t take any risk, it’ll be safer. But of course, every time you do it, it just becomes familiar, I recognize that voice, it’s just my anxious self.”
You can listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Real Health: How to break your addiction to anxiety with Psychotherapist Owen O’Kane
