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.

This pattern appears frequently in families trying to help vigilant, deep-thinking, and capable children manage worries that spiral out of control quickly.

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