#277: Stoicism Expert Explains Why Running From Anxiety Only Makes It Worse - Donald J. Robertson

About this episode

Nick Bracks interviews Donald J. Robertson about the complexities of anxiety and the Stoic approach to facing fears.

A lot of us don’t just feel anxious...we get anxious about being anxious. In this episode, I speak with Donald J. Robertson, a psychotherapist and one of the world’s leading voices on Stoicism. We talk about why trying to get rid of anxiety can keep it alive, why overthinking often feels useful when it’s really another form of avoidance, and how facing what we fear can help us move forward. We also get into self-criticism, comparison, external validation, and why so many people chase success without ever questioning if it’s the life they actually want. This conversation is about anxiety, but it’s also about learning to stop fighting yourself. Donald J. Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, author, and leading expert on Stoicism and modern psychology. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction: Stoicism Meets Anxiety (00:29) Ancient Therapy Roots (01:40) Dichotomy of Control (02:43) Second Order Anxiety (05:27) Avoidance And Exposure (07:15) Worry As Cognitive Avoidance (09:15) Emotions Are Cognitive (14:36) Two Factor Anxiety Model (19:20) Exposure Therapy Works (27:38) Attention Narrows Under Threat (33:01) Premeditation Of Evils (34:03) Worry Versus Imaginal Exposure…

People in this episode

Host: Nick Bracks

Guest: Donald J. Robertson

Topics covered

• anxiety
• Stoicism
• self-criticism
• mental health
• overthinking
• success

Keywords

• anxiety
• Stoicism
• self-criticism
• cognitive-behavioral therapy
• overthinking
• success
• mental health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stoicism, cognitive-behavioral therapy

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