For OCD, anxiety, ADHD, and anyone running on stress

The Stress Drive vs. the Gentle Drive

What energy is driving you?

Everyone runs on some kind of drive. For many people with OCD, anxiety, or ADHD, that drive is stress. It can get results, but the cost is high. There's another way to power your life: a gentle drive that keeps you going longer, with much more comfort.

I'm Mark Bennett, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Idaho Falls. I help people of all ages:

Notice when the stress drive is in charge
Build a gentle drive that powers growth and success
Keep going for the long haul while protecting your mental health

Book an Appointment now!

We accept most insurances

Securely Contact Mark

Portrait of Mark Bennett, LCSW family therapist

The stress drive

The OCD / anxiety / ADHD drive

The stress drive demands extremes of success, or else. It wants results now, at any cost. It might give you superpowers, but at the cost of one of your most valuable assets: your mental health.

It fears awful consequences, but it might just be terrified of words like "average" or "good enough." It's driven by pain, and the more pain the better.

Signs the stress drive is in charge:

Demanding extremes of success, or else
Wanting results now, at any cost
Terror of being "average" or "good enough"
Believing more pain means more progress
Calling gentleness weak, hopeless, or a path to epic failure
Taking away your motivation to do the things that can heal you

The gentle drive

A drive that powers growth

The gentle drive powers growth, success, health and wellness, and relationship building. Guilt is replaced by a gentle desire to move forward in a happy direction. It can keep you going for a long time, with much more comfort. Many people find themselves saying, "This works better than all the pressure that stress was giving me before!"

Powers growth, success, health, and relationships
Replaces guilt with a gentle desire to move forward
Keeps you going longer, with much more comfort
Steady growth, with less intense superpowers
Powers success while preserving your mental health

Side by side

Stress drive: powered by pain, fear, and guilt
Gentle drive: powered by hope and a happy direction
Stress drive: superpowers that burn you out
Gentle drive: steady growth you can sustain

One honest limitation: the gentle drive isn't very good at getting you to jump out of the way of oncoming traffic. Stress has its place in a true emergency. The goal isn't to never feel stress, but to stop running your whole life on it.

Where it shows up

The stress drive in OCD, anxiety, and ADHD

The stress drive wears different disguises. Here's how it often sounds.

OCD

OCD's version demands certainty and perfection before you're allowed to feel okay.

"Not until it feels just right"
"If you relax, something awful will happen"
"Good enough isn't good enough"

Anxiety

Anxiety's version keeps your nervous system on high alert, bracing for every possible problem.

"You can't rest until everything is handled"
"Worrying keeps you safe"
"Slowing down is dangerous"

ADHD

ADHD's version uses deadlines, panic, and criticism as fuel to get anything done.

"You only work well under pressure"
"Wait until the last minute, then panic"
"Be harder on yourself and you'll focus"

Common questions

Questions about the gentle drive

Answers to what people often wonder before starting.

Won't I lose my edge without stress?

You may trade some intense superpowers for steady growth. The gentle drive still powers success, while preserving your mental health and keeping you going much longer.

Isn't a gentle drive just lazy?

No. The stress drive may call gentleness weak, selfish, or a path to epic failure. But a gentle drive still powers growth, success, and relationships. It just runs on hope instead of pain.

Is stress ever useful?

Yes, in a true emergency. The gentle drive isn't very good at getting you out of the way of oncoming traffic. The goal is to stop running your whole life on stress.

How do I switch drives?

It takes practice. In therapy we learn to notice when the stress drive is in charge, question its demands, and build a gentle drive step by step.

Getting started

What to expect when you start

In-person in Idaho Falls or telehealth anywhere in Idaho. I accept most insurance plans.

Step 1

Free consultation

An optional free 20-minute phone consultation. Specifically ask for it. Default is a regular appointment. We'll talk about what's going on and whether I'm a good fit.

Step 2

Assessment & plan

We'll look at what's driving you, where stress and fear are in charge, and set clear goals for building a gentler drive.

Step 3

Weekly practice

We'll practice gentle-drive habits between sessions and build steady, happier momentum, week by week.

Schedule Your Appointment

Try a gentler drive

You don't have to run on pain to keep moving forward. Reach out to schedule an appointment or a free consultation, in person in Idaho Falls or by telehealth.