119. How do safety behaviours reinforce anxiety?

In today's recast episode of Overpowering Emotions, I wanted to readdress the often-overlooked realm of safety behaviours and their impact on anxiety, especially in children and teens. Learn about how these behaviours, while seemingly helpful in the short term, can paradoxically worsen anxiety over time by reinforcing the belief that certain situations or feelings are unbearable without certain actions or objects.

I discuss the subtle nuances of safety behaviours, from seemingly harmless acts like wearing a toque with built-in headphones to more overt actions like avoiding social interactions. The episode highlights the importance of distinguishing between healthy safety measures and those that perpetuate anxiety in safe situations.

This is an important episode as I dive into the this complex web of avoidance, reassurance-seeking, and misattributed safety that traps many individuals in a cycle of anxiety.

Join me as I help unravel the intricacies of these safety behaviours, offering insights and strategies to recognize and address these patterns in children and teens. This episode is a crucial listen for anyone seeking to understand and effectively manage anxiety, breaking free from the confines of safety behaviours to embrace a more empowered and resilient approach to life's challenges.

In today's episode we look at safety behaviours and how they make anxiety worse. Essentially, safety behaviours are things children and teens do to feel a little safer and/or less anxious. The problem is, these behaviours reinforce the anxiety story that they can't handle the situation or the discomfort anxiety brings. Therefore, in any work we do, we must ensure there aren't safety behaviours impeding progress in managing anxiety. Be sure to download the safety behaviour handout (https://drcarolinebuzanko.com/safetybehaviours) to use with your anxious children and teens!

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