Raising Good Humans

Is Anxiety Your Secret Weapon?

April 17 · 35 min
0:00-35:28

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What if anxiety isn't the enemy but the edge you've been missing?

Dr. Aliza Pressman sits down with clinical psychologist, professor, and author Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary to challenge one of the most widespread misconceptions in modern parenting: that anxiety is something to be eliminated. It isn't. And understanding why could change how you show up for yourself and your kids.

Dr. Dennis-Tiwary unpacks the surprising science and history behind anxiety, from its ancient roots to how modern psychiatry transformed a normal human emotion into a medical diagnosis, and why that shift has made things harder for all of us.

What you'll learn:

  • Why anxiety is actually a superpower (backed by dopamine and oxytocin science)

  • The parenting mistake that makes kids' anxiety worse, and what to do instead

  • Why "fixing" your child's feelings is the one thing you should stop doing today

Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is the author of Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad).

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