But the fact is we"ve got it backwards. The problem isn"t anxiety. Anxiety is the messenger – telling us that we"re facing uncertainty and need to rise to the challenge; or pointing us to ways that our life needs to change or we need support. Instead, one of the key problems is that our beliefs about anxiety stop us from believing we can manage it, from accessing and benefitting from coping strategies and treatments that do exist, and to learn to use it to our advantage. And when our beliefs make anxiety worse, we are at greater risk for travelling down the path towards debilitating anxiety and anxiety disorders.