Dr. Paul Conti

We're better for the world around us.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Anxiety can be adaptive, but the danger here is it's so, so easily for it to be maladaptive.

Right.

So anxiety is there in a way we can look at a way that it makes sense.

You know, if you see someone new and they seem to be neutral and you walk towards them and they do something very aggressive.

I'm like, whoa, and you have to step back or maybe even get hurt, right?

Then let's say you see that person from a distance.

It makes sense to be anxious, right?

Something bad happened last time.

The anxiety that's raised inside of us is protective.

It says, yeah, if I see that person from 20 feet off, something bad happened the last time we were three feet off, let me back away.

I'm worried.

Right.

That's how anxiety is an example of how anxiety makes sense.

But let's say someone is searching for a new relationship and they see someone to whom they're attracted.

They have they go towards them.

They have a conversation and they ask the person out and the person says, no, I have a partner or I'm not.

You know, you're nice.