Anxiety And The Fear of Losing Control (Episode 035)
Disordered: Anxiety Help
Josh Fletcher and Drew Linsalata
4.9 • 665 Ratings
🗓️ 10 November 2023
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Fear of losing control - and suffering some horrible consequence - is one of the top five core fears found in anxiety disorders. This week Drew and Josh delve into the fear that you may lose control and why this fear seems important and very real but isn't any different than any other expression of a misguided and misfiring threat response.
We look at different OCD themes that focus on the loss of control, how fear of losing control fuels monophobia (fear of being alone), and what horrible disasters anxious brains attach to losing control. Of particular note is a discussion about how even when you are sure you are out of control or are about to lose all control, you still have agency and the ability to make choices.
----
If you love Disordered and think you might benefit from spending 30 full days in an everyday intensive small group recovery support group led by Josh and Drew, check out Disordered Boost at https://disordered.fm/boost
-----
Want to ask us questions, share your wins, or get more information about Josh, Drew, and the Disordered podcast?
Visit us on the web at https://disordered.fm
Disclaimer: Disordered is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to Disordered does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the hosts of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I will lose control and say things that I don't want to say, or I will do things that I don't want to do. |
| 0:06.8 | What if I do things I don't want to do? |
| 0:09.8 | That doesn't happen. |
| 0:11.5 | I'm in a movie, and I get up in the middle, and I run out because I'm screaming and crying. |
| 0:15.4 | It's the thoughts triggered by the threat response that make it feel real. |
| 0:19.4 | It will overwhelm my ability to cope, and therefore I become hysterical. That part of I will lose control is it will never end. Because there must be a reason why you're feeling this way. Ah, that's it. What if you're going crazy? Terrified, my body is doing all these things. These thoughts are racing in my head. Now I have to make meaning of that since I can't find an obvious meaning. |
| 0:39.1 | And I'll interpret it as death, insanity, slipping away, losing control, whatever. |
| 0:44.1 | We start behaving in a just-in-case way, which keeps us in the cycle. |
| 0:52.3 | Welcome to Disordered. |
| 0:53.7 | This is episode 35 entitled, Anxiety and the Fear of Losing Control. |
| 0:58.5 | I am Drew Linzalata, a grad student in clinical mental health counseling, getting ever closer to being a licensed therapist in New York State in the US of A. |
| 1:06.3 | I'm an author, a podcaster, and an educator on the topic of anxiety disorders. I'm doing a really long intro for myself. |
| 1:11.9 | It's super annoying while Josh waits and I'm a former sufferer of anxiety and depression |
| 1:16.4 | for many, many years. |
| 1:18.0 | And I'm Josh Fletcher, also known as Anxiety Josh, on social media. |
| 1:22.7 | I'm psychotherapist based in Manchester and UK, author and previous sufferer. |
| 1:27.3 | Welcome, dude. |
| 1:29.3 | Today we're talking about fear losing control, probably like a core fear. |
| 1:33.3 | Yeah, it's a big one. |
| 1:35.3 | We're going through our inboxes today and listening to the wonderful voice notes, |
| 1:40.3 | or they did it anyways, the questions questions and going through as many emails as we |
| 1:45.4 | can we really appreciate you sending them in so if you do want to send something in just |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Josh Fletcher and Drew Linsalata, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Josh Fletcher and Drew Linsalata and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.