The Brain Pattern Behind Your Child's Endless Worry |
If you are like many parents who reach out to me, having an overthinking child can really be challenging. They are overthinking school, their peers' perceptions of them, and many things that have not yet occurred. Just the other day, James [whose name has been changed], age 11, ensnared in overthinking, shared with me, "My brain just doesn't let me be happy. I know bad things have not even happened yet, but I keep thinking they will."
Before we go further, let me make a distinction between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and everyday overthinking. Overthinking occurs when a child becomes caught in worry loops, such as repeatedly replaying thoughts; however, with appropriate parental guidance, they can usually move away from them. OCD is when scary thoughts feel so overwhelming and out of control that the child performs........