Dr. Jud on the ZDOGGMD Podcast: How to Unwind our Pandemic of Anxiety

Overview

In this episode of The ZDoggMD Show, Dr. Jud joins Dr. Zubin Damania (ZDoggMD) for what the host calls the most fun you will have learning about mental health. The conversation explores whether awareness and curiosity can serve as the primary tools for fighting the epidemic of worry and anxiety that has accompanied modern life — and intensified during the pandemic era.

Dr. Jud and ZDoggMD discuss how anxiety operates as a habit loop driven by the brain’s reward-based learning system, and why traditional approaches like willpower and positive thinking fall short. Dr. Jud explains how his lab’s research has led to clinically tested programs that use curiosity as a core mechanism for breaking bad habits and unwinding anxiety. The episode blends medical expertise with humor, making the neuroscience of mental health accessible and engaging.

Key Takeaways

• Awareness and curiosity are the core tools: Dr. Jud explains that rather than fighting anxiety with willpower, the most effective approach is to notice it with genuine curiosity. This shifts the brain from a contracted, reactive state to an open, learning state.
• Anxiety is a public health issue, not just a personal one: The conversation frames widespread anxiety as an epidemic with neurological, social, and environmental drivers — not a sign of individual weakness. Understanding the brain mechanisms behind anxiety removes self-blame and opens the door to effective strategies.
• Accessible language matters: Dr. Jud discusses how using words like curiosity and awareness instead of traditional meditation terminology makes mindfulness exercises more approachable. His clinical programs are designed for people who have never meditated, not just experienced practitioners.

Listen to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or online here.

Related Resources

• What Is the Habit Loop?
• Curiosity: Our Superpower for Breaking Habits
• A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit
• Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety and Stress