Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry How Our Goal of Eliminating Anxiety Backfires Big Time
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Apr 11, 2025 Trying to eliminate anxiety can often make it worse. Experts discuss how relying on avoidance strategies, like distraction or safety products, may hinder resilience in children. Instead, the emphasis is on embracing anxiety and teaching kids to confront their fears. Personal stories highlight the importance of tolerating uncomfortable emotions for growth. Parental support is key in guiding children through their anxiety, ultimately empowering them with personal coping strategies to manage emotions effectively.
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Distraction as Avoidance
- Distraction, often used as an elimination strategy, can worsen anxiety.
- It reinforces the idea that anxious thoughts and feelings are intolerable.
Resist Elimination Strategies
- Avoid "elimination strategies" designed to get rid of anxiety symptoms.
- Instead, tolerate uncomfortable thoughts and feelings to build resilience.
The Binaca Incident
- Robin Lyons shares a story about a singer dependent on Binaca spray.
- He panicked and ran out before a performance when he realized his spray was empty.