118. Breaking the Achievement Trap: Finding Fulfillment Beyond Success

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Anxiety Rx

Russell Kennedy

132 episodes

6 days ago

I am an anxious doctor. Or at least I WAS an anxious doctor. After literally decades of suffering from intractable anxiety, and seeing over 50 different types of healers I found my way to heal my anxiety through very unconventional (for a medical doctor at least) means. In 2013 I was so anxious I considered suicide and a friend suggested I try LSD, and although that scared the crap out of me it showed me the path to healing. You don't have to do LSD to heal, I took it for you! I'm a medical doctor, neuroscientist and intuitive. (I know, common combination!) I found my way out and it is counterintuitive and very non conventional (but not scary!). I will show you the way out too, you just have to listen to me, dammit!

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118. Breaking the Achievement Trap: Finding Fulfillment Beyond Success

Anxiety Rx

55 minutes 44 seconds

5 months ago

118. Breaking the Achievement Trap: Finding Fulfillment Beyond Success

Welcome back, everyone!

In this episode, I sit down with psychiatrist Dr. Dimitrios Tsatiris to unpack a spicy little tangle many of us know all too well: anxiety and achievement.

We dive into how our culture’s obsession with success can quietly (or loudly) erode our mental health—think burnout, chronic worry, and that nagging sense that no matter what you do, it’s never quite enough.

We explore how trauma can wire us to chase gold stars at the expense of our nervous systems, and why learning to be here—not three steps ahead—is actually the most revolutionary act of self-care.

Dimitrios brings a grounded clinical lens, I bring my usual blend of neuroscience, stand-up comedy, and soul (yes, that’s a combo now), and together we offer some real-world tools to soften your grip on striving and build a gentler, more present relationship with success.

Come for the insights, stay for the laughter... and maybe, just maybe, leave with a little less anxiety in your achievement.

Thank you for listening and you can find me on IG: @theanxietymd

P.S. If you would like to join the MBRX family of 5000+ anxiety HEALERS who are shifting from coping with their anxiety to actually HEALING it, click the link below:

https://www.theanxietymd.com/MBRX

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction to Anxiety and Achievement

00:57 The Pressure of Achievement in Society

03:51 The Illusion of Happiness Through Achievement

07:01 Recalibrating Our Relationship with Achievement

09:54 Mindfulness and Presence in Nature

13:00 Understanding the Default Mode Network

15:53 Agency and Control in Managing Anxiety

19:00 The Role of Trauma in Anxiety

22:01 Practical Strategies for Managing Anxiety

30:46 Understanding the Amygdala's Role in Stress Responses

33:34 The Importance of Somatic Awareness in Managing Anxiety

36:46 Repetition Compulsion: Patterns from Childhood to Adulthood

39:30 The Pressure of Achievement and Its Psychological Impact

42:04 Finding Happiness in the Present Moment

45:32 The Power of Expression: Talking and Writing as Healing Tools