If you have a child with anxiety or OCD they are bombarded daily with horrible, upsetting thoughts. This sea of overwhelming images and ideas can drown kids and pull them into a dark abyss. It can be hard to cope with anxiety or OCD when you are constantly fighting these thoughts.
Kids will often ask what they can do to get some relief from these thoughts, images and ideas. One of the best weapons I have used in my practice is teaching kids to create a “world.”
How to Not Compare Your Child to Other Kids The comparing game can be so tempting. Why can her kids do that and mine can’t? Why is it so easy for them and everything is so difficult for us? Why do we have to go through this? I wish my child was like that. Trust me I get it, I live it. But in this […]
How to Help Anxious Kids Help Themselves It is hard to watch our anxious kids suffer. It is hard to stomach their pain. It is very tempting to swoop in and protect them. To soften their fall. To protect them from feeling discomfort. But that is robbing them of the opportunity to build their skills. I find that the best way to help anxious kids […]
No one will get it. They’ll think you are crazy. Your thoughts are ridiculous. You better keep them to yourself.
Anxiety and OCD’s most powerful weapon is shame and secrecy. That is why the very first thing I do with kids is normalize their anxiety and OCD. Right after that I let them know anxiety and OCD’s favorite tactic…secrecy.
Do I Tell My Child They have Been Diagnosed with Anxiety or OCD? Often one of the initial hurdles parents face when their child has been diagnosed with anxiety or OCD is what to tell their child. Do they even tell them at all? If they do, is it going to help or hurt the situation? I do have some strong opinions about this […]
Sometimes it just seems impossible. Beating anxiety or OCD seems like an insurmountable task that is not worth taking. This is especially true for our kids. When just getting them to do their homework or eat healthy is an uphill battle, how on earth can we encourage them to take steps towards their fear?
Helping Kids with Anxiety or OCD who have Holiday Overwhelm What can be wrong with lots of time off, plenty of parties, some pent up excitement and gift giving? Lots actually, especially if you are a child with anxiety or OCD. It is not unusual for kids to struggle a bit more during the holidays. The reason for this varies depending on the child’s issues, […]
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