Helpful vs unhelpful reassurance with anxiety or OCD

Описание: You can offer reassurance without feeding your child’s OCD or anxiety. Reassurance itself isn’t inherently harmful—it’s how you respond that makes the difference.

Both anxiety and OCD often seek comfort through reassurance. When it’s OCD, providing reassurance acts as a compulsion, offering only temporary relief while reinforcing the cycle. When it’s anxiety, constantly reassuring your child takes away the chance for them to reframe their own thoughts and learn to tolerate the discomfort of uncertainty, a crucial skill for managing anxious feelings.

❌ Anxiety and OCD Reassurance Don’ts

-Avoid completing the anxiety or OCD loop by reassuring intrusive thoughts (e.g., “The food is safe to eat,” “Your hands are clean enough,” “The thought doesn’t make you a bad person”).

-Don’t make guarantees about outcomes you can’t control (e.g., “You won’t throw up” – because sometimes, it happens).

✅ Anxiety and OCD Reassurance Do’s:

-Validate their experience without undermining it with a “but” (e.g., “I know this is hard for you.” FULL STOP).

-Express your confidence in their ability to handle this challenge (e.g., “I trust that you can work through this tough moment.”).

-Responding to your child’s anxiety or OCD struggles isn’t easy. That’s why I’m offering a free series next week to help parents learn a 3-step process for grounding themselves and responding with calm, intentional support like this!

As a therapist I understand clinically the right responses. But we lived this truth. My daughter with Emetophobia wrote the script for this reel. She knew exactly what had helped her and what made it worse. Thankfully her Emetophobia is SO much better now.

⚓️ You can register for my FREE series at www.atparentingsurvivalseries.com

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