Dr Kirren - Psychologist

Do you relate to this? ✨This fear is more common than you might think. And, there's lots of reasons for it. Sometimes it’s about struggling to tolerate uncertainty, and that can make your brain treat the unknown like it’s dangerous. Not knowing how something might affect you can feel unsafe — even if it isn’t. ✨You might also worry about losing control. Taking medication you’ve never tried before can feel like handing over control to something unknown or unpredictable. That can naturally trigger anxiety — especially if feeling in control is what helps you feel safe. ✨And if you’ve ever had a bad reaction before, your brain might hold onto that — flashing it at you like a warning light every time something similar comes up: ‘What if that happens again?’ ✨Getting past this fear usually means getting better at dealing with uncertainty, changing how you focus on bodily sensations, changing your relationship with your anxious thoughts, gently reducing avoidance, and processing any difficult experiences that have shaped this fear. I go into all of these steps in more detail in my book 📚 Ten Times Calmer. Information for general educational purposes in relation to anxiety. Always see your own doctor for advice specific to your situation. #anxietyhelp #anxietytips #anxietysymptoms #anxietyrelief #anxietycheck #anxiety

👇WHY THIS WORKS👇 
✨Brushing your teeth with a minty toothpaste might seem like a small thing, but it can actually bring relief from the anxiety lump. The coolness of the mint, the texture of the toothpaste, the cold water, the motion of brushing, all create sensations that can compete with the hyperfocus you have on your throat. As you move the muscles in your mouth, tongue, and throat, you can also release some of the built-up tension in that area, which can also help.
 ✨And there’s something else happening too! When you brush your teeth, you're telling your brain something: I’m doing something normal. Everything’s okay. That message matters, because anxiety thrives on signs of danger, but a normal everyday action can help counter that.
 ✨This simple act can interrupt the cycle of anxiety that keeps the sensation going. You feel anxious, you get the anxiety throat lump/tightness, this makes you hyperfocus on it, which then causes you even more anxiety, the sensation worsens, and round and round the cycle goes.
 ✨Even though this isn’t a cure for anxiety, it’s a small, practical way to help manage this sensation in the moment. And sometimes, those small shifts can make a big difference, especially when you keep doing them. If you’d like a comprehensive programme for dealing with anxiety, you’ll find it in my book 📚 Ten Times Calmer. Information for general educational purposes in relation to anxiety. Always see your own doctor for advice specific to your situation. ##anxietytips##anxietyrelief##anxietyhelp##healthanxiety##panicattackhelp

7️⃣ TIPS👇

1️⃣ Your mind might automatically jump to thoughts like, ‘What if I start panicking? What if my heart races? What if I get too hot? What if I have a panic attack?’ These thoughts can trigger a stress response in your body, making your fears feel real. That’s normal—your mind is just doing its job. Instead of running with these thoughts, try to accept that this is your body reacting like it should.
 2️⃣Don’t focus on things that might make you feel worse, like the crowd around you. Instead, find a spot on the floor, wall, or window to focus on — or close your eyes and imagine a vast, open space like a beach or a meadow. Visualize as many details as you can, engaging all your senses. What can you hear, see, smell, taste, and touch in this safe place? 3️⃣ Bring something with a strong taste to activate your senses — something minty, sour, citrusy, or even spicy, like a chilli slice. It gives your body something else to focus on, it grounds you, which can interrupt the panic response and help calm your nervous system. 4️⃣ If the heat makes you anxious, avoid wearing too many layers. Wear light clothing, and take your coat off before getting on the train. 
5️⃣Use distraction techniques. For example, put on your headphones and listen to an audiobook or podcast, play calming music, or meditation sounds. 6️⃣ Use a breathing techniques like counting your breath as you inhale for five counts, hold for five counts, and exhale for seven counts through your mouth, pursing your lips as if you’re holding a straw. Keep doing this for as long as you need. 7️⃣ And lastly, remember, there’s always a way out. No situation is permanent, it will eventually end, and you’ll find your way through. Nobody has ever been trapped on a train forever. Remember, you can get off every time it stops.
 If you want more tips you’ll find them in my book 📚 Ten Times Calmer! Information for general educational purposes in relation to anxiety. Always see your own doctor for advice specific to your situation. #anxietyhelp #anxietytips #anxietyrelief #anxietycheck #anxiety #panicattackhelp #agoraphobia #claustrophobia

Has this happened to you?

✨When you have health anxiety, your worries don’t just go away once you’ve ruled out one illness, they often jump to another. ✨That’s because health anxiety isn’t just about the fear of one specific disease. It’s about the thinking patterns that come with it. Mainly catastrophizing, where you assume the worst, and hyper-focusing on bodily sensations. Over time, these patterns train your brain to believe that this is the only way to stay safe. So it keeps scanning for the next thing to worry about… and the next. ✨So, how do you break free from this? It starts with changing your relationship with catastrophic thoughts by accepting them without reacting and approaching them with curiosity. You also need to shift your focus away from bodily sensations by intentionally redirecting your attention elsewhere. The more you do this, the more you teach your brain that it doesn’t need to stay on high alert all the time.
 If you want a full guide on how to do these things, plus many more tools for dealing with health anxiety see my book 📚 Ten Times Calmer. Information for general educational purposes in relation to anxiety. Always see your own doctor for advice specific to your situation. #healthanxiety #healthanxietyrelief #hypochondria #hypochondriac

Why It Happens & What to Do Below ⬇️ 
 ✨Anxiety can have a profound effect on your body, causing all kinds of strange symptoms that can also be long-lasting. ✨Long-term anxiety can put increased stress on your body, which can cause these symptoms to persist. Your body can remain in a state of fight-or-flight, continuing to react in these ways until you find effective strategies for managing the anxiety. ✨When people experience these symptoms, they often become frightened, which is entirely understandable. But that fear can also worsen the symptoms, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break. See my book 📚Ten Times Calmer for tons of strategies to help break this cycle and deal with these symptoms more effectively.  Information for general educational purposes only. See your own doctor for advice specific to your situation. #anxietysymptoms #anxietycheck #anxietyawareness #anxiety #anxietyhelp #healthanxiety

Do you live by these rules?
 If you want to learn more effective techniques for managing anxiety, check out my book 📚 Ten Times Calmer. #anxietyrelief #anxietyhelp #anxietytips