The Intelligence of Survival

We’re Not Broken—We’re Adapted “What if your symptoms are not signs of dysfunction—but evidence of how intelligently you adapted?” I often hear people describe themselves as “broken” or “dysfunctional.” And I understand why—it can feel that way when you’re anxious, shut down, overwhelmed, or caught in patterns you don’t fully understand. But clinically, I don’t experience people that way. I experience them as adapted. Each of us comes into the world with a certain sensitivity—biological, emotional, relational. And over time, we develop ways of organizing ourselves that help us feel safe enough to function in the environments we’re in. Some [...]