Anxiety Matters

The Bonnies talk with Dr. Ethan Hochheiser, a board-certified psychiatrist in general and child & adolescent psychiatry, about when medication may be appropriate for children and teens with anxiety, ADHD, OCD, depression, and related concerns.
They discuss how therapy is often tried first, but medication may be considered sooner when symptoms are severe, functioning is impaired, or treatment is not helping enough.
They review common SSRI side effects in children, including nausea, diarrhea, headaches, temporary activation, and possible weight gain, as well as less common risks such as suicidal thoughts and mania in those with a predisposition.
They also discuss how SSRIs may work, the role of monitoring and family history, and the goal of improving symptoms and tapering medication after sustained remission.
The episode closes with discussion of OCD, premenstrual dysphoric symptoms, and ADHD, including how SSRIs can help OCD and PMDD and how ADHD often responds well to medication.
HIGHLIGHTS:
4:17 Meet Dr. Ethan Hochheiser
9:04 When Medication Makes Sense
15:12 SSRI Risks and Side Effects
19:48 What Medications Mean for the Brain
23:17 OCD, Exposure, and SSRIs
27:06 Treating Premenstrual Symptoms
28:14 How SSRIs Work
31:12 Stopping Medication Safely
32:43 Are We Over-diagnosing ADHD?
36:48 ADHD Treatment Advantages

connect with Dr. Hochheiser
website: https://www.ethanhochheisermd.com

CONNECT WITH THE BONNIE ZUCKERS:
Bonnie Zucker Ph.D.(west)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerphd.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://bonnie-zucker-ph-d.kit.com/d44b57fcdf
Books by Bonnie West: https://a.co/d/04aNJFDZ

Bonnie Zucker Psy.D. (east)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerandassociates.com
Books by Bonnie East: https://shorturl.at/MxvRZ
The content of Anxiety Matters Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute mental health or medical advice, nor is it a substitute for professional mental health or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call emergency services or a local crisis line.

This episode focuses on social anxiety in everyday life, including difficulty asking for help, making small requests, and fearing judgment or inconvenience.
The Bonnies talk about exposure exercises for facing these situations, such as asking for samples or interrupting someone to make a request, and explain how these exercises can show that the feared reaction often does not happen.
They also discuss planning for harder outcomes, common forms of avoidance like delaying calls or texts, and encouraging small behavior changes such as saying no, asking for help, and starting difficult tasks sooner.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1:49 Whole Foods Exposure Practice
7:36 Handling Rude Reactions
11:46 Asking for Testimonials
15:48 Everyday Social Anxiety Triggers

CONNECT WITH THE BONNIE ZUCKERS:
Bonnie Zucker Ph.D.(west)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerphd.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://bonnie-zucker-ph-d.kit.com/d44b57fcdf
Books by Bonnie West: https://a.co/d/04aNJFDZ

Bonnie Zucker Psy.D. (east)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerandassociates.com
Books by Bonnie East: https://shorturl.at/MxvRZ
The content of Anxiety Matters Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute mental health or medical advice, nor is it a substitute for professional mental health or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call emergency services or a local crisis line.

The Bonnies episode on May 28 when BZW visited BZE in Maryland, where they recorded OCD exposure exercises at Whole Foods, was posted on their social media where they received many comments.
This episode covers some of the reactions to those exposures, including concerns about ethics and health risks. In response, the Bonnies explain that exposure and response prevention involves facing ordinary contamination fears and that the goal is not to cause illness but to help people tolerate uncertainty and reduce avoidance.
This episode starts with a hilarious meeting they had recently with their accountant so don't skip ahead!
HIGHLIGHTS:
1:01 The Accountant 'Disaster'
7:15 Eye Exam & Meeting All in One
9:23 Whole Foods Exposures
11:33 Addressing the Ethics
18:05 Expired Food Exposure
19:46 Listener Reactions and Wrap-Up

CONNECT WITH THE BONNIE ZUCKERS:
Bonnie Zucker Ph.D.(west)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerphd.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://bonnie-zucker-ph-d.kit.com/d44b57fcdf
Books by Bonnie West: https://a.co/d/04aNJFDZ

Bonnie Zucker Psy.D. (east)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerandassociates.com
Books by Bonnie East: https://shorturl.at/MxvRZ
The content of Anxiety Matters Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute mental health or medical advice, nor is it a substitute for professional mental health or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call emergency services or a local crisis line.

The Bonnies welcome Jordan Roberts, a writer and director with a long career in television and film, who has also built a coaching practice focused on creative blocks, addiction, ADHD, and shadow work.
Jordan describes his background in a show-business family, his struggles as a young person with drugs, alcohol, anxiety, and not feeling good enough, and how early therapy opened a different way of thinking. He talks about pursuing validation through creative work, even after major professional success, and how that left the deeper issue of self-worth unresolved.
They discuss the shift that came for Jordan from shadow work and from recognizing inner parts that had been hidden or rejected. Jordan explains how he began to allow rather than judge vulnerable, ashamed, or fearful parts of himself, including a late diagnosis of ADHD, and how medication and practical tools now support him.
They also talk about anxiety, shame, and the “second arrow” of self-criticism. Jordan describes how meeting his own parts with attention rather than fixing them changed his experience, how this affects his writing now, and how he sees creativity, risk-taking, and emotional honesty as connected to this ongoing work.
HIGHLIGHTS:
4:01 Jordan’s Background
6:45 A Powerful Commencement Speech
7:55 Showbiz and Self-Doubt
13:52 Validation Never Filled It
17:03 Meeting the Shadow
20:35 Parts Work and Anxiety
23:18 Allowing the Feeling
25:44 Late ADHD Diagnosis
33:08 The Anxiety Gap
35:50 Feelings Are Not Bad
37:25 Reparenting Through Shadow Work
39:21 Men and Emotional Shame
42:17 Shadow Work Fuels Creativity
44:11 It’s Never Too Late

mentioned in episode
Jordan's Commencement Speech: https://www.youtube.com/live/sxC8gYAOKe4?si=142nL-SPqAvoGTGh&t=1913
Permission to Feel: https://a.co/d/0hksoWy5
Stick Up For Yourself: https://a.co/d/0j2lScIn
The Artist's Way: https://a.co/d/07ZzanXe
Driven to Distraction: https://a.co/d/08odLBuE

CONNECT WITH THE BONNIE ZUCKERS:
Bonnie Zucker Ph.D.(west)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerphd.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://bonnie-zucker-ph-d.kit.com/d44b57fcdf
Books by Bonnie West: https://a.co/d/04aNJFDZ

Bonnie Zucker Psy.D. (east)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerandassociates.com
Books by Bonnie East: https://shorturl.at/MxvRZ
The content of Anxiety Matters Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute mental health or medical advice, nor is it a substitute for professional mental health or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call emergency services or a local crisis line.

The Bonnies discuss detached mindfulness as a strategy for anxiety, including how it fits within metacognitive therapy. They explain the idea of shifting from participating in thoughts to observing them, especially when a triggering thought leads to rumination or catastrophizing.
They describe how this approach is used with health anxiety and panic, where people may focus too closely on bodily sensations. They talk about moving attention outward, noticing when the mind is returning to familiar anxiety patterns, and treating those patterns as a brain habit rather than as facts.
BZE also explains a practical exercise for detached mindfulness. The exercise uses a short set of neutral, false, and anxiety-provoking statements, which are read aloud several times before ending with the reminder that thoughts are just thoughts and have no power unless we give them power. The practice is meant to help clients step back from anxious thinking in daily life.
They compare this with other mindfulness approaches, including breath focus, body scans, and sound-based exercises, and note that some methods can be difficult for people with anxiety. They close by emphasizing that the goal is not to eliminate thoughts, but to relate to them more as an observer than as a participant.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1:27 Anxiety as Thought Traps
3:54 Observing Body Fears
7:15 Detached Mindfulness Practice
10:05 Testing Thoughts Out Loud
15:25 Traditional Mindfulness Options
17:11 Body Scan Memories

mentioned in the episode:
Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression: https://a.co/d/02NNphWN

CONNECT WITH THE BONNIE ZUCKERS:
Bonnie Zucker Ph.D.(west)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerphd.com
Newsletter sign-up: https://bonnie-zucker-ph-d.kit.com/d44b57fcdf
Books by Bonnie West: https://a.co/d/04aNJFDZ

Bonnie Zucker Psy.D. (east)
website: https://www.bonniezuckerandassociates.com
Books by Bonnie East: https://shorturl.at/MxvRZ
The content of Anxiety Matters Podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute mental health or medical advice, nor is it a substitute for professional mental health or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call emergency services or a local crisis line.