The Hidden Emotional Struggles of Anxiety: What No One Talks About
- Shannon Jackson
- Sep 7
- 25 min read
When you’ve been struggling with anxiety, panic disorder, or agoraphobia for a while, there are a lot of experiences that don’t get talked about enough. Things like grief, hopelessness, anger, or shame often stay hidden, yet they’re such a real part of the recovery journey.
For a long time, I thought I was the only one who felt these things. I thought something was wrong with me because nobody else seemed to talk about it. But the truth is, these feelings are part of being human and part of healing.
So let’s walk through some of these hidden emotional struggles together. My hope is that you’ll see yourself in these words, feel less alone, and know that recovery is absolutely possible.
Comparison
One of the biggest struggles with anxiety is comparison.
Comparison with who you used to be, the version of you who could drive anywhere, go to events, or say yes to plans without hesitation.
Comparison with others who seem to move through life effortlessly while you’re stuck in fear.
I used to sit in my car, watching people around me, wondering: Why can they do this so easily while I panic at the thought? But comparison always leaves us feeling “less than.” It ignores the truth of where we are right now. And often, it feeds into something deeper: grief.
Grief
Anxiety often brings grief with it. Missed experiences, canceled plans, lost time, it all adds up. I remember the trips I didn’t take, the events I skipped, the simple everyday moments I missed out on because anxiety was running the show. At the time, I thought I was weak or broken. But really, I was grieving the life I felt anxiety had stolen from me.
Grief shows up in many ways: sadness, longing, envy, or even anger. And when it goes unrecognized, it can quietly sit under the surface until it boils over.
Anger
For me, anger often followed grief. I was furious at my body for racing with panic in the middle of the grocery store. I was angry at myself for not being able to “just get over it.”
Anger can feel scary, but it’s actually a protective response. It’s your brain and body trying to defend you. The problem is, most of us never learned how to process anger, so we turn it inward: blaming ourselves, criticizing ourselves, or feeling guilty for even being angry.
But anger usually points to something deeper: there’s pain here that needs to be acknowledged.
Hopelessness
After years of struggling, hopelessness crept in. I thought, Maybe this is just who I am now. Maybe I’ll always be the girl who panics at the thought of driving.
Hopelessness is heavy and convincing. It whispers things like: You’ll never get better. Nothing will ever change. But hopelessness is a feeling, not a fact.
Even when it feels impossible, there is always a possibility for change. And often, hopelessness is a sign that something needs to shift and that you need support and new tools.
Shame & Guilt
Shame and guilt often run hand-in-hand with anxiety. I carried shame about the things I avoided, and guilt about how my struggles affected the people I loved.
Shame whispers, You’re broken. You’re not enough. People will judge you if they see the truth. And the more we hide it, the louder it gets. But shame is really a signal that you’ve been carrying too much alone and that you deserve compassion and connection.
Isolation & Loneliness
When shame shows up, isolation often follows. You start hiding parts of yourself, convinced no one will understand. I know that feeling well: staying home, canceling plans, pretending everything was fine while feeling completely alone inside. Hiding feels like protection, but it only deepens loneliness.
Exhaustion & Burnout
Anxiety is exhausting. Living in fight-or-flight mode takes a toll on your body, mind, and emotions. I remember feeling drained before the day even started. My brain was tired from constant “what ifs” and planning escape routes. My body was tense from stress. My heart was heavy from fear and shame.
Burnout makes everything harder. It zaps motivation and makes the future feel even scarier.
Fear of the Future
When you’re exhausted, fear of the future feels overwhelming. I used to wonder:
What if I panic and can’t get home?
What if I can’t handle it?
Will I ever be able to live the life I want?
Fear convinces us that the next panic attack or setback is always waiting around the corner. And sometimes, it makes it nearly impossible to imagine a hopeful future.
Self-Doubt & Flickers of Hope
With all of these heavy emotions, it’s easy to doubt yourself. I often thought, Maybe I’m too far gone. Maybe I’ll never recover. But even in the middle of self-doubt, there were small flickers of hope. Like the time I got through a drive I thought I couldn’t, or when I rode out a panic attack without turning back. Those small wins didn’t erase the struggle, but they reminded me: I am capable. Change is possible. Hope doesn’t have to be big to matter. Even the tiniest flicker is enough to keep going.
You’re Not Broken: These Are the Hidden Emotional Struggles of Anxiety
If you’ve felt comparison, grief, anger, hopelessness, shame, guilt, isolation, exhaustion, fear of the future, or self-doubt, you are not failing. You’re not broken. These are the hidden emotional struggles of anxiety and they are normal parts of the journey.
I’ve felt them all, too. And I want you to know: healing is possible. You can build trust and safety in yourself, and you can create a life that feels so much bigger than anxiety.
Want help with this? Check out my free class: How to Build Trust & Safety in Yourself (Even When Anxiety Has Taken Over).
And if you’re ready to go deeper, my 10-week program Panic to Peace opens on September 10th and I’d love to support you there.
Come hang out with me on Instagram → I'd love to connect with you!
You’re doing so much better than you think. Keep taking those healthy steps forward, you’re not alone in this. ✨
Ep 199 Transcript: The Hidden Struggles of Living with Anxiety: What No One Talks About
00:01.74
Shannon Jackson
Hello and welcome back to A Healthy Push. So today we're going to talk about some of the really common experiences that show up when you've been struggling with anxiety and panic disorder or agoraphobia for a while.
00:16.57
Shannon Jackson
And these are things that often go unspoken, but I promise you are not the only one who has experienced them and felt them. You know, when I was struggling, i truly thought i was the only one who was having the experiences and was feeling the things that i was feeling.
00:34.68
Shannon Jackson
Things like grief and hopelessness and even anger. And because I really didn't hear anybody talking about any of it I often thought there was something incredibly wrong with me.
00:47.25
Shannon Jackson
And i did a lot of that searching to figure out what was wrong with me. But the truth is these feelings are a part of being human and they're also just a part of the recovery journey.
01:00.89
Shannon Jackson
so Today I want to walk you through some of these experiences like comparison, grief, anger, hopelessness, shame, loneliness, and some others. and my hope is that as you listen, you'll feel seen and validated and you'll feel a lot less alone because recovery is absolutely hard, but it is absolutely possible. Okay.
01:36.03
Shannon Jackson
Okay, so I'm going to take a breath before we dive in because I feel like a lot of this carries some weight and i encourage you to take a breath with me.
01:49.47
Shannon Jackson
Okay, let's dive in So the first one, and I know this is something that shows up for a lot of people, is comparison. So comparison can look like comparing yourself to who you used to be and what you used to be able to do.
02:06.52
Shannon Jackson
And it can also look like comparing yourself to others. And I struggled with all of it. And i know many of my students have, and I know many of you listening are struggling with this.
02:19.44
Shannon Jackson
So let's talk about this. I remember constantly comparing myself to the quote, old me, right? To this version of me who didn't struggle with anxiety and could just hop in the car, leave the house, drive anywhere, go anywhere, and say yes to things, like say yes to last minute things, say yes to bigger things, without even giving it a second thought.
02:44.20
Shannon Jackson
and when I was really deep into it and comparing myself to this old version of me, I would think things like, what the fuck has happened to me? Like, why can't I just do what I used to do? Why can't I do the simplest things? Like, why with everything that I do am i carrying so much anxiety and fear?
03:10.18
Shannon Jackson
And this is really hard because you remember all that stuff, right? You remember this version of you that could just go and do And you weren't waking up with that anxiety and you weren't thinking about how is today going to go How much anxiety am I going to experience? Am I going to be okay? Am I going to be able to sit at work? Am i going to be able to drive home? Like, am I going to be able to live?
03:33.76
Shannon Jackson
And it is so hard because of course, you know that version of you and you just want that version of you back so badly. But I wasn't just comparing myself to this old version of myself. I was also comparing myself to anyone and everyone else.
03:51.08
Shannon Jackson
Like sometimes i would just watch family or friends or even random people like walking down the street or in their car and I would watch them doing things seemingly so effortlessly.
04:03.80
Shannon Jackson
and think, why can't I just be normal? Like, I can't tell you how many times I sat in my car, like on my way to work or on public transportation, and I would think, how can everyone else do this and be totally fine?
04:19.03
Shannon Jackson
Like, why am I here freaking out just sitting in my car?
04:26.44
Shannon Jackson
And this is such a hard place to be in, right? Because you're like, this isn't
04:36.83
Shannon Jackson
And this is such a hard place to be in, right? Especially when you're doing a lot of work to heal and you're like, I'm just not getting there. like I'm still struggling and I just want that old person back. Or I just want to be like everyone else. like I want to be able to do things without freaking out and without overly thinking about everything.
04:56.08
Shannon Jackson
But here's the thing, right? Comparison leaves us feeling less than, right? It often convinces us You're so not capable. you are so far from normal. you can't do anything. You are just always going to struggle.
05:11.45
Shannon Jackson
And it's kind of silly because often when we're doing this comparison game, we're comparing ourselves to people who aren't even struggling with anxiety and panic.
05:22.27
Shannon Jackson
And we are struggling
05:31.29
Shannon Jackson
And we're comparing ourselves to this old version of ourselves who wasn't struggling with anxiety and panic. So of course things look differently and it is in incredibly frustrating.
05:42.54
Shannon Jackson
And I know it's so easy to go to that comparison game,
05:56.71
Shannon Jackson
And I know it's so easy to go down that comparison hole, but it really never leads anywhere good, right? It just feels so awful. it causes us to beat ourselves up and lose any motivation and it chips away at our self-confidence. Like it's so harmful.
06:13.50
Shannon Jackson
So when you catch yourself doing this, just bring awareness to it. Bring awareness to the fact that you are comparing and try to be gentle with yourself.
06:23.95
Shannon Jackson
Really try to meet yourself where you're at and honor where you're at. And it's okay that things are incredibly hard. And of course, you want to be back to that, you know quote, old version of yourself. And of course, you want to walk around and do things without carrying all the anxiety and panic and fear. And you will.
06:42.93
Shannon Jackson
So this one ties nicely into the next one, which is grief. And this is one i see pop up in so many of my clients and students.
06:54.18
Shannon Jackson
Anxiety and grief are often deeply intertwined.
07:01.46
Shannon Jackson
Because anxiety often means there are missed experiences, there are changed plans, there's lost time, there's just life not looking how you thought and hoped it would look.
07:15.22
Shannon Jackson
And there is a lot to grief, even if we don't recognize it at first. And I think this is often a place that I find my Panic to Peace students in. They didn't even realize that grief was a part of the picture.
07:30.78
Shannon Jackson
And it really has to be processed.
07:37.57
Shannon Jackson
Okay. Let's take that panic to peace part out. I'm going to mention that later. so let's just stop at there's a lot to grieve, even if we don't recognize it at first.
07:52.02
Shannon Jackson
you know Thinking back in my journey, I remember the stuff that I said no to. I remember a lot of the trips, the events, the simple moments that I missed because anxiety and panic was absolutely running the show.
08:06.81
Shannon Jackson
And I remember the things that I would have done differently if I hadn't been trapped by fear. and at the time, i didn't even realize what I was feeling. I just thought, I'm weak, I'm broken, and there's something terribly wrong with me.
08:21.45
Shannon Jackson
But a lot of what I was experiencing was actually grief. Like I was grieving the life I felt like anxiety had stolen from me. And this is one of the most common things I hear from students in my Panic to Peace program.
08:37.20
Shannon Jackson
You know, most of us don't even realize that grief is a part of the picture. And we rarely give ourselves permission to acknowledge it, never mind process it. But grief is so real and it deserves and it needs attention. And it can absolutely come in waves. a lot of people experience it in waves and they can be pretty intense, like experiencing sadness and a longing and frustration. and even envy, right, of what others living the life we wish we could have.
09:10.48
Shannon Jackson
i think this is oftentimes too why we do that comparison because we look at other people and we just envy and we're feeling so much grief, but we're not actually letting ourselves acknowledge and process that grief.
09:23.19
Shannon Jackson
And grief doesn't sit quietly, right? Like it shows up in some big ways. I know for me, it showed up as anger and sometimes hopelessness and sometimes it's just deep exhaustion.
09:37.15
Shannon Jackson
Grief is often layered under other emotions.
09:45.26
Shannon Jackson
Grief is often layered under all the other emotions we experience with anxiety. And when it goes unrecognized, it can make things feel so freaking heavy.
09:56.97
Shannon Jackson
And when we don't fully acknowledge our sadness or the losses anxiety has brought us, It really starts to simmer under the surface and it's got to come out. It's just like anxiety, right? It often comes out and it often comes out in the way of anger.
10:15.14
Shannon Jackson
And so this is the next one that I want to talk about. anger. the anger There were so many times that I was furious with my mind and my body and just my experiences and my circumstances.
10:30.73
Shannon Jackson
like I would sometimes just think, why is my mind and heart racing right when I'm just literally standing in the grocery store? And I would get so angry at myself just in general. like Why can't I get over this already? like What is wrong with me?
10:46.10
Shannon Jackson
like Why can't I just be like everyone else? And I think it's really important to say and to acknowledge that anger is a very normal response. It's actually a protective response.
10:59.74
Shannon Jackson
When you're hurting or you're feeling like things are unfair, your brain and body are trying to defend you. But anger can also feel confusing because most of us, like anxiety, weren't taught how to process it.
11:15.94
Shannon Jackson
So instead, when we feel it, we turn inward. We beat ourselves up. We criticize ourselves. We feel guilty for even feeling angry. Or we just kind of let the anger consume us and it comes out in really not fun and kind of awful ways. I know for myself, it came out a lot
11:41.45
Shannon Jackson
around the people that I really cared about and loved most. And I often sort of took that, all of my experiences and that anger and sort of took that out on them, which was incredibly unfair.
11:53.64
Shannon Jackson
but it was like at times it consumed me because I wasn't processing it and I honestly didn't know how to process it.
12:03.76
Shannon Jackson
So here's the truth with anger. It is often pointing us towards something deeper, much deeper. It's saying, hey, there's some pain here that hasn't been acknowledged.
12:16.55
Shannon Jackson
There's some stuff here that you need to acknowledge. And when you see anger through that lens, it really becomes less about it being like a bad or negative emotion and just more about being human and an emotion and experience like anxiety that makes so so much sense.
12:36.89
Shannon Jackson
Like the anger makes so much sense.
12:41.21
Shannon Jackson
Like the anger makes so much sense. Anxiety is hard and it often does feel really freaking unfair. And it often is really unfair. And this anger often hangs out with another really heavy emotion, which is hopelessness, which is the next thing I want to talk about.
13:00.69
Shannon Jackson
You know, when you've been struggling with anxiety and panic for a while, hopelessness creeps in, of course. And With it, I remember thinking, maybe this is just who I am now.
13:13.01
Shannon Jackson
Like honestly, maybe I'll just always be the girl who panics at the thought of leaving the house and doing things and saying yes and going to appointments and going to work and the girl who plans her whole life around avoiding anxiety.
13:30.48
Shannon Jackson
I honestly couldn't even imagine a future where things were different. The fears felt so strong and so permanent that I became convinced I would always have them.
13:41.89
Shannon Jackson
Like I think this is not talked about enough either. Like the intense fears that you carry and have been carrying for so long they really do feel like they're never going away.
13:54.15
Shannon Jackson
They're just sort of way too ingrained and and permanent and that they're always going to be there. I can assure you this is so far from the truth, but I just want to validate that experience because it is such a common experience.
14:12.50
Shannon Jackson
And with this hopelessness, like I want to validate this too, it wasn't just this low-level worry. Like it was a deep, heavy feeling of giving up.
14:25.34
Shannon Jackson
Like some days i genuinely felt like it wasn't even worth trying anymore. And I mean, I've been recovered for eight years now, and I'm sure you can still hear the emotion in my voice.
14:37.17
Shannon Jackson
That hopelessness can be so convincing because it whispers things that feel like truth, like you'll never get better. This is just who you are.
14:49.39
Shannon Jackson
Nothing will ever change. It doesn't matter what you do. This is just a part of who you are.
15:06.03
Shannon Jackson
And this is such a hard place to be in right? To really feel it. Not just to think it, but really feel it and be convinced of it. And I remember my mom telling me, and she was my best supporter, like my best friend, and she knew what it was like to struggle with anxiety and panic and agoraphobia. And i remember her saying to me so many times,
15:29.25
Shannon Jackson
Shannon, you're going to get better. You're going to heal. Things aren't always going to look like this. You you are going to get better. I just remember that anger popping up and this feeling of hopelessness.
15:41.73
Shannon Jackson
And it was like, no, I'm not. like You don't get it. This is different. I'm different. i am not your typical, right? like This is so bad.
15:53.19
Shannon Jackson
And so that hopelessness is so heavy and it's so deep. And the trickiness with hopelessness is it often arrives after a long buildup of a lot of these other emotions like anger, grief, shame, fear.
16:10.26
Shannon Jackson
And it's exhausting to fight it because your mind and body have been running on overdrive for so long. But here's the truth. It's a feeling, this hopelessness.
16:21.97
Shannon Jackson
It's not a fact. And even when you can't see it, even when you felt it more times than you can count, there is the possibility of change, even amongst that feeling of hopelessness.
16:34.52
Shannon Jackson
And when hopelessness is
16:40.65
Shannon Jackson
And when hopelessness is paired with anger, shame, or grief, it's actually your brain signaling something important. Something needs to change and you need support.
16:53.42
Shannon Jackson
And recognizing this is really the first step toward hope, even if it feels small. When you're in this hopeless place, it's so easy to slip into shame and guilt.
17:07.66
Shannon Jackson
So these are the next things that I want to talk about, with shame and guilt. And these are really big ones. these are also things that
17:18.65
Shannon Jackson
These are also things that I see in my Panic to Peace students, my clients, all.
17:27.61
Shannon Jackson
And these are big things that I see in people who come into my Panic to Peace program. They are carrying so much shame and guilt and they have been for so long. Like I'm talking years, a decade or more.
17:40.93
Shannon Jackson
and I understand this, I get it I carried so much shame for all of it, like about the things I avoided, about the way I thought people saw me.
17:52.66
Shannon Jackson
I carried so much shame and embarrassment for all the excuses that I would make about why I couldn't go places because I didn't want people to know the truth. And i had so much guilt. Like,
18:18.50
Shannon Jackson
I'm going to go back to that, like I carried so much shame about the things I avoided, like basically go back to the semi-beginning. Don't cut out the the intro to shame and guilt.
18:35.03
Shannon Jackson
I carried so much shame for so long and about everything, like about the things I avoided, about the way I thought people saw me.
18:46.20
Shannon Jackson
I had so much shame about the excuses that I made for why I couldn't go places and do things and all because I didn't want people to know the truth. Like I didn't want people to know how bad it was.
18:59.33
Shannon Jackson
And there was so much guilt with the shame, like so much guilt that my anxiety was impacting every aspect of my life and especially the people that I loved. Like I felt so guilty that I wasn't showing up in the way that I wanted to and guilty that I couldn't just handle it like everyone else.
19:17.54
Shannon Jackson
And i just felt like such a burden to everyone and even to myself. I think that's often not talked about enough either. Like I felt like such a burden to everyone, but it was heaviest to carry for myself.
19:36.12
Shannon Jackson
I know so many people are carrying around so many layers of shame. Shame about avoidance and shame about how their anxiety shows up and shame about the things they feel they, quote, should be able to do and just shame about not being perfect.
19:51.63
Shannon Jackson
And it's exhausting because shame is another one that doesn't just sit quietly. Like it says things like you're broken. You're not enough. People will judge you if they see the truth.
20:04.63
Shannon Jackson
And shame thrives in silence. The more you hide it, the louder it gets. And that hiding often leads to isolation and pulling away from people and avoiding situations and pretending everything is fine.
20:19.29
Shannon Jackson
But the truth is shame is a signal that you've been carrying too much alone and that you need and deserve connection, understanding, and compassion.
20:31.26
Shannon Jackson
So many of our emotions are just signals and they're not signals of bad things like you're weak, you're broken, there's something wrong with you. It's just like, no, these emotions are trying to tell you this is too much and you need support and you need to be more compassionate with yourself and more curious and understanding and all these things that are going to be so much more helpful.
20:57.04
Shannon Jackson
So I want to talk more about this isolation. and loneliness. Because isolation and loneliness often grows out of this unspoken shame and so much freaking guilt.
21:11.57
Shannon Jackson
So let's talk about it. Isolation and loneliness. When you're carrying shame, it's natural to want to hide it. This is kind of all of our humans' normal response to shame.
21:23.63
Shannon Jackson
But when you hide it, isolation starts to creep in, right? You might feel like nobody could possibly understand what I'm going through. I am not going to share it. I'm not going anyone see it.
21:35.65
Shannon Jackson
There's no point. I know I felt this way. Like friends, family, coworkers, they were living in a completely different world. They would have no idea.
21:46.17
Shannon Jackson
They wouldn't even be able to understand a piece of what it was that I was struggling with. And even with my mom, who was my biggest and like best supporter, there was stuff I didn't even tell her because I had so much shame surrounding it.
22:05.96
Shannon Jackson
All of this can feel incredibly lonely, right? And so hard when you're navigating intense fear and panic and you really just believe nobody could truly it.
22:20.28
Shannon Jackson
And often, instead of showing our struggle, we put on another face entirely. We act like everything is fine. We pretend to be fine and we even laugh and have a seemingly good time when we're panicking inside.
22:35.26
Shannon Jackson
We say yes when we're absolutely terrified out of our minds. And we present this version of ourselves that doesn't seem to struggle at all. And it's exhausting.
22:45.94
Shannon Jackson
Like hiding the truth can feel necessary – acceptance or safety, but it also reinforces the cycle of loneliness. You feel unseen and no one can support you because they don't know the full picture.
23:02.01
Shannon Jackson
i remember so many times where I stayed home and I canceled plans and I pretended everything was fine, all while feeling completely alone inside. You know, there's
23:15.30
Shannon Jackson
And you know, that's a really common experience for people living with anxiety, panic disorder, or agoraphobia. And when this isolation lingers and it starts to get worse, it comes with another layer, which is this exhaustion and burnout.
23:33.06
Shannon Jackson
So let's talk about this. Living with anxiety is exhausting, right? And I'm sure you're nodding your head, exhaustion and burnout are almost inevitable when you've been living with anxiety for a long time.
23:47.88
Shannon Jackson
I really want you to think about it Like your nervous system has been on high alert for quite some time and maybe it's still on that high alert. Like you're bracing for anxiety and panic attacks and you're replaying those what-if scenarios.
24:01.56
Shannon Jackson
You're planning escape routes and you're managing a avoidance strategies all while trying to show up for your life. And your mind and your body – are in fight or flight mode so often that it feels like they just can't get a break.
24:16.39
Shannon Jackson
You know, I remember feeling completely drained at the end of every day and not even at the end. Sometimes it was literally as soon as I woke up, like I'm already freaking exhausted.
24:27.82
Shannon Jackson
And I felt this way even when I hadn't really done anything like physical, my brain was just exhausted from doing all the constant hypervigilance and My body was so tense from stress and my emotions felt so heavy from everything that I was suppressing.
24:46.04
Shannon Jackson
The fear, the shame, the anger, the list goes on, right? And it's a cumulative weight that can feel impossible to shake.
24:56.94
Shannon Jackson
And this burnout comes when this constant stress starts to take a toll on every part of your life. like tasks start to feel harder, even simple, easy tasks, like your motivation really starts to fade.
25:10.66
Shannon Jackson
You don't want to do anything, nevermind doing exposure work. And even the things you used to enjoy can feel really overwhelming and really don't even carry any joy anymore. You're like, I don't want to do anything because nothing is bringing me joy or happiness.
25:24.97
Shannon Jackson
and weigdda And when exhaustion is this heavy, It makes the next layer, this fear of the future, feel even scarier because it's so hard to imagine moving forward and living this different life, maybe getting back to that quote, old version of you when you're running on empty.
25:49.11
Shannon Jackson
So I want to talk about this fear of the future. You know, when you're exhausted and you're burnt out from managing anxiety all the time, this fear of the future can feel so overwhelming.
26:00.80
Shannon Jackson
And it's not just general worry, right? It's that deep, not-in-your-stomach dread of what's coming next. Like, I used to get invited to do things or I just had things that I needed to do and I would immediately think,
26:15.43
Shannon Jackson
what if I go and I freak out? What if I panic? What if I can't get home? What if something goes wrong and I can't handle it? And this was like my day to day, this constant fear of what's next.
26:28.23
Shannon Jackson
And it went way deeper than this. Like it jumped to that future future of like, am I ever to be able to do the things that I want to do in life?
26:41.14
Shannon Jackson
because I could barely get through everyday tasks, never mind thinking about the stuff that I wanted to do in the future, that I wanted my life to consist of, like traveling and having a successful career or maybe having a child.
26:55.67
Shannon Jackson
Like the future felt impossible and completely out of reach, which made it hard to imagine that life could ever feel normal or happy a again.
27:07.59
Shannon Jackson
This fear of the future often feels so heavy because it's tied to everything else that you've been carrying. All this stuff that I've talked about, the anger, grief, shame, exhaustion, all of it. And it convinces you.
27:22.45
Shannon Jackson
Like the next time I feel anxious, the next time I panic, the next setback, like all of that is just waiting around the corner.
27:31.81
Shannon Jackson
and I'm just going to get worse. And sometimes it makes it hard to even imagine a future where things could be different, right? You're like, that is not anywhere within my reach.
27:42.91
Shannon Jackson
And you kind of like honestly write some of this stuff off. You convince yourself I'm never going to do this stuff. And this fear the future really makes you second guess yourself constantly.
27:55.21
Shannon Jackson
Like, can I handle this? Will I be stuck in this anxiety forever? Am I ever going to get better? Am I actually recovering? Like, is this actually doing anything? And all of this fear feeds the self-doubt, making progress feel fragile or really fleeting.
28:11.74
Shannon Jackson
But interestingly, sometimes even in the middle of that self-doubt, you can also feel some flickers of hope. So I want to talk about self-doubt and these flickers of hope.
28:26.97
Shannon Jackson
And this is the last one that I want to talk about. So after carrying all these really heavy emotions, comparison, grief, anger, hopelessness, shame, isolation, exhaustion, and fear of the future, it's very common to feel self-doubt.
28:44.06
Shannon Jackson
I remember thinking so often like, Maybe I'm just too far gone. Maybe I'll never be able to do this. Maybe this isn't anxiety is just who I am now. And those thoughts can be really convincing, especially when everything else feels so overwhelming.
29:00.96
Shannon Jackson
Self-doubt can make it hard to even take small steps forward because you start questioning your strength, your progress, your capability, your worth. Like you're questioning everything.
29:13.57
Shannon Jackson
And yet, even in the middle of that self-doubt sometimes, there are these little flickers of hope. These tiny moments that show you maybe you can handle more than you think.
29:25.82
Shannon Jackson
Maybe you are making more progress than you think. Maybe you are actually doing this. Maybe this stuff is actually possible for you.
29:35.10
Shannon Jackson
You know, for me, sometimes it was just those small wins of like, getting through a drive that I didn't think that I could get through, or riding on a panic attack without pulling over, turning around, and hightailing at home, or just facing a situation i had avoided for a long time. you at those moments you know Those moments didn't erase the struggle, but they definitely helped to remind me i am capable, change is possible,
30:08.59
Shannon Jackson
And maybe I can,
30:12.45
Shannon Jackson
and maybe I can heal. Like maybe I can get better. You know,
30:19.96
Shannon Jackson
You know, I want to emphasize this here, like hope doesn't have to feel big to matter or to have an impact. Even a tiny flicker of hope is enough to remind your brain and your body that recovery is possible.
30:33.42
Shannon Jackson
And recognizing these flickers is a powerful tool for moving through the self-doubt and the fear and the exhaustion. So even when it feels like you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, those small moments are proof that it is there and that you're already moving toward it.
30:58.76
Shannon Jackson
So if you've ever felt comparison, grief, anger, all of these things that I've talked about, I want you to really hear me. You are not failing.
31:10.49
Shannon Jackson
You are not broken. These are normal parts of the journey. I felt all of these things too. And so many of my students come to me and they're like, dang, I thought I was the only one. And there are so many people in this group. There are so many people that are sharing my same thoughts and experiences and my fears.
31:33.59
Shannon Jackson
I want you to know healing is absolutely possible. even in me Even when you can't see it You can build trust and safety in yourself and you can create a life that feels so much bigger than anxiety.
31:50.60
Shannon Jackson
And you will.
31:59.16
Shannon Jackson
So this is the part where I give you some healthy nudges.
32:06.84
Shannon Jackson
So this is the part when I encourage you and give you a little nudge to take a healthy step, a little push here.
32:15.84
Shannon Jackson
I'm going to redo this.
32:20.59
Shannon Jackson
So this is the part where I give you a little healthy push and some encouragement. even if you're feeling all of these things, or maybe you're just feeling a few of these things, but it feels so freaking heavy and you're like, I can't do this anymore.
32:35.50
Shannon Jackson
I don't want to do this anymore. I want you to check out my new free live class that I'm teaching on September 10th. It's all about how to build trust and safety in yourself, even when it feels like anxiety has taken over.
32:50.71
Shannon Jackson
Building that trust and safety is such a big foundation of healing.
32:58.91
Shannon Jackson
So I want you to check out that class. i The link will be in the show notes.
33:04.59
Shannon Jackson
But I also want to encourage you, if you've been somebody who has been looking at my Panic to Peace program and you're like, I don't know, maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't, maybe it's been years for you.
33:14.92
Shannon Jackson
This is often a... This is...
33:21.97
Shannon Jackson
And this is something I hear all the time. Shannon, I have been on your waiting list several times and I haven't joined and I finally did and I'm so glad that I did. Like I wish I had done this sooner. if you are somebody who is in that spot, you've been like eyeing it, you've been thinking about it, I really just want you to listen to yourself.
33:40.57
Shannon Jackson
If you're getting that If that little voice within you is saying, hey, you should try this, I really want to see you inside of my Panic to Peace program this round.
33:54.04
Shannon Jackson
So the doors will open September 10th, the same day as my free live class, and doors will stay open for think 11 or 12 days and that's it.
34:04.70
Shannon Jackson
And this is the last time I'm teaching this program for a while, at least until 2026.
34:10.92
Shannon Jackson
So the link for Panic to Peace will be in the show notes as well. And if you're on my wait list, you get first access to the program and you get a really special discount. And if this episode has resonated with you, I would love it if you would share it with someone who you think might need to hear it.
34:29.62
Shannon Jackson
And if you haven't yet, make sure you subscribe to a Healthy Push podcast so you don't miss any future episodes. And I want you to hear me. You are doing so much better than you think.
34:40.47
Shannon Jackson
And I'm over here cheering you on every freaking step of the way. So keep taking healthy action.
