#362 ‒ Understanding anxiety: defining, assessing, and treating health anxiety, OCD, and the spectrum of anxiety disorders | Josh Spitalnick, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.

In this episode of The Drive Podcast, Peter Attia interviews Dr. Josh Spitalnick, a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders, to discuss the multifaceted nature of anxiety, its various layers (psychological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral), and effective treatment approaches. The conversation covers the unifying symptom of avoidance in anxiety disorders, the DSM-5's classification of OCD and PTSD, the distinction between worries and worrying, the impact of mental rituals, and a deep dive into health anxiety, including illness anxiety and somatic symptom disorder. They also explore the roles of genetics, trauma, environmental factors like social media and wearables, and real-world case studies involving fear of flying and intrusive thoughts. The discussion further extends to treatment methods such as exposure therapy, CBT, ACT, cognitive diffusion, and the appropriate use of medication, while also addressing how alcohol and cannabis can undermine the therapeutic process.