Latter-day Saint Perspectives

Debra Theobald McClendon About The Interview: In this episode of Latter-day Saint Perspectives, Laura Harris Hales interviews licensed psychologist, Debra Theobald McClendon, PhD. Anxiety is a normal emotion with adaptive functions that provides us with important data. For example, anxiety anticipates future danger and notifies us of risk, prepares us for action, and heightens our senses. These responses help us to focus on what we need to do in particular situations. Anxiety prior to completing a task may be an indication that you need to work to build proficiency to match the demand of the moment, so it has positive benefits on performance at a moderate level.  But as anxiety continues to increase to higher levels, performance proficiency decreases significantly until you shut down and are unable to cope.  Difficulty managing anxiety in a healthy way can severely impair our quality of life.  Neal A.  Maxwell clarified: “There is a difference, therefore, between being ‘anxiously engaged’ and be