"If I fail this test, my life is over. If I mess up, everyone will laugh at me. If I don't get invited, it means no one likes me. For many children I see in my counseling practice, these thoughts don't feel exaggerated; they feel true. As a parent, you have probably heard some version of these thoughts. They are often delivered in tears, in panic, or in total shutdown."
"Catastrophic thinking occurs when a child's mind leaps from " something frustrating just happened" to "everything is now ruined."A missed school assignment becomes proof of future failure. A missed line in a play becomes "I can't do anything right." The common denominator of catastrophic overhitting is that the emotional response is disproportionate to the situation itself. Why Kids' Brains Go There So Fast Think of your child's brain as a smoke alarm."
Many children convert small setbacks into proof of total failure, producing panic, tears, or shutdown. Parental reassurance can unintentionally amplify the child's anxiety. Sensitive children often have hypersensitive "smoke alarm" brains that react to the slightest hint of stress. Strong imaginations, intense emotions, perfectionism, and low tolerance for discomfort all contribute to rapid escalation. The nervous system becomes chronically on high alert even for everyday events. Applying steady emotion, calm structure, and a consistent, present caregiver response helps the child tolerate distress and gradually loosens catastrophic thinking.
Read at Psychology Today
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