# Is Anxiety Your Secret Weapon?

An episode of [Raising Good Humans](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1473072044), 17 Apr 2026, 35 min.

Audio: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/RRE5745809165.mp3

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). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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