Stoicism, Anxiety, and and Marcus Aurelius ... Gone Wrong? | EP 333

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If you're struggling with panic disorder, health anxiety, OCD, GAD, or other anxiety issues you've may have encountered online content that references Stoicism, warrior philosophy, and Marcus Aurelius. The message: master your emotions, be tough, control your fear through discipline and suffering.

But that's not what Marcus Aurelius was actually writing about.

In this episode, I dig into what Marcus actually wrote in his Meditations—his personal diary that accidentally survived 2,500 years. When you read his actual words, you see a man repeatedly struggling with the same issues: getting out of bed, dealing with difficult people, managing anger. The repetition isn't proof of mastery. It's evidence of practice.

For people with anxiety disorders, the modern misinterpretation of Stoicism can be harmful. Panic disorder, OCD, health anxiety, and GAD are all fueled by attempts to control internal experiences. The therapeutic approaches that work—acceptance and commitment therapy, exposure therapy, mindfulness—work because they teach psychological flexibility, not control.

Real courage isn't "I don't feel fear." Real courage is "I feel afraid AND I'm doing this anyway."

Topics covered:
- What Marcus Aurelius actually wrote (specific passages from Meditations)
- Why the "warrior approach" doesn't work for anxiety disorders
- The masculine shame trap that keeps men stuck
- What Stoicism really teaches about control
- Why flexibility beats toughness in anxiety recovery

Resources mentioned: The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Modern Library translation)

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The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is here

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For full show notes on this episode:

https://theanxioustruth.com/333

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