I've struggled with anxiety for years, and I still believe that regularly venting to friends about your worries does more harm than good. A 2020 study from Stanford showed that co-rumination—endlessly discussing problems together—actually increases stress levels in both people. Sure, getting support feels nice in the moment, but I've noticed that my anxious thoughts only get stronger when I keep replaying them out loud. What if we're just reinforcing our worst fears by giving them that much airtime?