Anxiety in Children causes 5 Common Thinking Distortions

If your child suffers from anxiety it may be due to one or more thinking distortions. Thinking distortions are just that, distortions in our thoughts that are not an accurate view of reality. These errors in thought tend to cause unnecessary worry, fear and panic in children. The first step in overcoming them is the ability to identify them. So here is a list of the five most common thinking distortions.

1. Jumping to conclusions: This is when your child makes an assumption based on little or no evidence. For example, if a child is afraid of dogs, he may see a dog tied up outside a convenience store and assume it wants to bite him even though there is no evidence the dog is vicious. Jumping to conclusions is the thinking distortion that underlies all others, as they all involve some sort of assumption.

2. Magnifying: If your child tends to blow seemingly small things out of proportion, she is probably guilty of this thinking distortion. Children who magnify their thoughts believe the smallest challenges and adversity really are the end of the world.

3. Emotional Reasoning: This is when children believe things are true based on how they feel. If your child feels as though she’s going to fail the test, then in her mind she is going to fail the test. She trusts her feelings over the facts. There may be a triggering event but ultimately there is no evidence to support the thought.

4. Highlighting the Negative: This one is exactly how it sounds. Your child only sees the negative things in his situation and completely ignores the positive things. For example, a child who plays basketball may focus on all the shots he missed even if his team won the game.

5. Extreme Thinking: You’ll recognize if your child commits this thinking distortion if she uses the words “never,” “always” or “forever.” Children who think this way believe that their situations are permanent and that things will always be bad, scary, stressful, etc. This extreme mindset increases your child’s anxiety because they do not see an end in sight.

Now that you’re aware of some of the more common thinking distortions, you can help your child recognize them. This is the very important first step in eliminating your child’s anxiety.

Chris Nicoletti is a regular blogger for Mental Health News and GoZen.com. Visit GoZen to learn more about relieving the symptoms of childhood anxiety.