Anxiety Recovery: What Is White Knuckling And How Do I Stop Doing It? (Ep 023)
Disordered: Anxiety Help
Josh Fletcher and Drew Linsalata
4.9 • 665 Ratings
🗓️ 18 August 2023
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
White knuckling. What is it? Why do we use that phrase all the time in the context of anxiety recovery? This week Drew and Josh talk about what "white knuckling" means in recovery, why it's a natural and expected part of the process for almost everyone, and how to kindly and compassionately take small incremental steps toward letting go of your tight grip.
How do you stop white-knuckling and holding on so tightly when anxious and afraid? A little bit at a time. :-)
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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
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| 0:00.0 | White knuckling for me was both an attitude of I can't wait to get out and also bracing, |
| 0:07.0 | compulsively checking to see if the anxiety would disappear. |
| 0:11.0 | I kind of feel like everybody does it that way first. It's okay. |
| 0:15.0 | If I panic, which can happen to me maybe a couple times a year, maybe. Probably in that first 60 seconds, |
| 0:20.9 | I'm probably white knuckling a little bit. |
| 0:22.8 | Just that recovery means that I catch it really fast |
| 0:25.6 | and I let go. |
| 0:26.4 | It's that metacognitive awareness |
| 0:28.9 | of how quickly you can recognize |
| 0:30.8 | that you're white knuckling. |
| 0:31.8 | Yep. |
| 0:32.4 | Compassionately bringing your attention |
| 0:34.7 | to changing that behavior. |
| 0:36.3 | White knucklers absolutely despise it being there as opposed to, I dislike this, but it can hang |
| 0:43.4 | around if it wants to. |
| 0:44.5 | A little bit at a time. |
| 0:45.7 | People are going to always ask, so how do I stop white knuckling? |
| 0:47.7 | A little bit at a time. |
| 0:48.9 | That's the answer. |
| 0:52.1 | Welcome to Disordered. |
| 0:54.0 | Today's episode is on the topic of white knuckling, white knuckling through fear. |
| 0:59.3 | My name is Joshua Fletcher, also known as Anxiety Josh, and I'm a psychotherapist based in the UK. |
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