MSI Press Blog

  When people think about suicide, they often picture depression — the heaviness, the hopelessness, the emotional collapse. Anxiety rarely gets mentioned. It’s seen as nervousness, worry, overthinking. But anxiety, especially when chronic or severe, has its own quiet relationship with suicide risk. It’s not the same relationship as depression. It’s sharper, more frantic, more driven by fear than despair. But it’s real. What the Research Shows Studies consistently find that people with anxiety disorders — panic disorder, generalized anxiety, PTSD, OCD, social anxiety — have higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than the general population. The risk increases when: anxiety is long-standing or untreated anxiety coexists with depression anxiety leads to avoidance, isolation, or functional collapse anxiety triggers panic, agitation, or a sense of being trapped Anxiety doesn’t always look like a risk factor. Sometimes it looks like someone who’s “high-functioning,” “on edge...

  Anxiety isn’t usually the first thing people associate with 12‑step programs, but many people discover that the structure and community of the steps ease the emotional load that fuels their worry. They’re not a clinical treatment for anxiety — but they can create conditions that make anxiety more manageable. What 12‑Step Programs Offer for Anxiety 1. Predictable structure Anxiety thrives in uncertainty. The steps offer a steady rhythm: meetings, inventories, calls, amends, service. That predictability can feel like a handrail when the mind is spinning. 2. A community that interrupts isolation Anxious people often feel alone with their thoughts. Hearing others name their fears — financial, relational, existential — breaks the illusion that anxiety is a personal failing. Shared experience reduces internal pressure. 3. A framework for surrendering control Anxiety is often a form of over-responsibility: If I don’t hold everything together, something will go wrong. The “...

  Recently released: audiobook edition of   Anxiety Anonymous   by Dr. Dennis Ortma\. Book description: Break Free from the Grip of Anxiety with a Proven 12-Step Program Do you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, worry, or fear? Does your need for control interfere with your daily life? If anxiety leaves you feeling powerless, out of control, or hopeless, you're not alone—and there is a way out. In  Anxiety Anonymous , psychologist and former priest  Dennis Ortman, Ph.D. , offers a groundbreaking approach to healing: treating chronic anxiety as an emotional and behavioral addiction. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and the trusted  Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous , Dr. Ortman provides a practical roadmap for recovery from anxiety, panic, and obsessive worry. This powerful guide will help you: Recognize anxiety as an addictive pattern Understand how anxiety hijacks your thoughts, emotions, and behavior Work through each of the 12 Steps to transform an...

  Recently released: audiobook edition of   Anxiety Anonymous   by Dr. Dennis Ortma\. Book description: Break Free from the Grip of Anxiety with a Proven 12-Step Program Do you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, worry, or fear? Does your need for control interfere with your daily life? If anxiety leaves you feeling powerless, out of control, or hopeless, you're not alone—and there is a way out. In  Anxiety Anonymous , psychologist and former priest  Dennis Ortman, Ph.D. , offers a groundbreaking approach to healing: treating chronic anxiety as an emotional and behavioral addiction. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and the trusted  Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous , Dr. Ortman provides a practical roadmap for recovery from anxiety, panic, and obsessive worry. This powerful guide will help you: Recognize anxiety as an addictive pattern Understand how anxiety hijacks your thoughts, emotions, and behavior Work through each of the 12 Steps to transform an...