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...

  Excerpt from  Anxiety Anonymous  by Dr. Dennis Ortman --  Introduction   “Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe.” —Tao Te Ching  In our fast-paced society, living with stress seems normal. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. You may rationalize the stress as the inevitable price of ambition and success.  What you call stress is really anxiety. It is your fearful, nervous reaction to the many challenges of your life. That anxiety may escalate and persist to the point that you tell yourself: “I’m powerless over my anxiety, and my life has become unmanageable because of it.”   If your anxious reactions become harmfully excessive and beyond your control, you have crossed a line. You have become addicted to your anxiety. You experience it as powerful as any drug, taking over your life.  Nancy’s Story   Tonight was a special night for Nancy. She planned a surprise thirtieth birthday dinner...

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 anxious t...

  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...