Helping Kids Discover Core Fears Driving Anxiety or OCD

Our kids can have a million different intrusive thoughts, anxious feelings and compulsive behaviors. But often there will be a core fear that groups these fears together.

It is important to note, that regardless of what theme or core fear a child has, the framework of how to address OCD or anxiety is exactly the same. 

I outlined the framework to address OCD, regardless of theme, in this youtube video.

But understanding your core fear can help with a few things:

-You can spot new issues that center around the same theme.

-You can feel less overwhelmed knowing that you can clump together many of your issues under just one theme.

-You can learn that you are not alone and that your theme is shared among many people.

-You can develop very specific exposures/challenges that get to the heart of the core fear, making them more effective.

Sometimes it can be hard to figure out the core fear. This is for many reasons. Some people don’t realize that a core feeling can also be a core fear. The fear is centered around not wanting to experience that feeling indefinitely.

Besides worries, core fears can be centered around:

-Feeling disgusted or grossed out

-Feeling things aren’t just right

-Feeling bodily functions

-Feeling things aren’t even

The fear can be…

What if this feeling never goes away? What if I always feel…

Disgusted

Uncomfortable

Over aware

Imbalanced

In this week’s Youtube video I talk to kids and teens about how to discover their core fear or feeling and what to do about it!

Click here to view:

Don’t have time? Click here to subscribe to my Youtube channel on anxiety/OCD and watch later.