Anxiety And The "Almost" Story | Ep 353Anxiety And The "Almost" Story | Ep 353
The Anxious Truth - A Panic, Anxiety, and Mental Health Podcast
Drew Linsalata explains how the "almost" story in anxiety and OCD keeps people stuck in fear and compulsions, and outlines ways to challenge that pattern. The focus stays on recognising "almost" as a story rather than a fact and learning to let anxiety rise and fall without relying on safety behaviours.
29:19•23 Sept 2026
The Anxiety "Almost" Story: Why Your Brain Keeps Saying You Nearly Lost It
Episode Overview
- Treating "almost" experiences as facts strengthens the anxiety and OCD cycle and keeps you stuck.
- Recovery depends on allowing the natural rise and fall of anxiety without rushing to safety behaviours or compulsions.
- The story you tell yourself after a difficult moment can fuel anticipatory anxiety and future triggers.
- "Almost" is described as a cognitive distortion – a fear-driven story, not an accurate report of what happened.
- Progress comes from noticing the almost story, challenging it, and choosing to carry discomfort while doing what matters to you.
“There never was an almost. It only felt that way.”
Curious about how others cope with the constant feeling that disaster is just around the corner? This episode of The Anxious Truth zooms in on the sneaky role of the word "almost" in anxiety and OCD, and how that single word can keep you stuck in a exhausting loop.
Host and therapist Drew Linsalata talks about the "almost story" – those familiar lines like "I almost passed out" or "I almost ruined everything" – and explains how treating those thoughts as facts quietly fuels panic, compulsions, and avoidance. As he puts it, "There never was an almost. It only felt that way." You’ll hear Drew break down how the anxiety cycle works before, during, and after a trigger.
He shows how the story you tell yourself afterwards – giving full credit to rituals, safety behaviours, or escape plans – reinforces the belief that you narrowly dodged catastrophe. That story then feeds anticipatory anxiety, leaving you constantly on guard for the next "almost" moment. Rather than promising magic fixes, Drew stresses slow, steady change: spotting the almost narrative, calling it what it is – "a story, not a fact" – and gently challenging it.
He encourages people to act bravely in the face of fear, to "bring the discomfort with you" and let anxiety rise and fall without rushing to be "saved". With a mix of clinical experience, personal history, and a bit of dry humour, this episode speaks directly to anyone who feels trapped by what their body and mind are screaming at them.
If you’ve ever thought, "I get the theory, but it all goes out the window when I’m triggered," you’ll probably feel seen here. So next time your brain yells "I almost…", could it just be telling a dramatic story rather than reporting a fact?
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