"Kids who tend to be anxious turn a 'maybe' into a 'definitely.' Their feelings of rejection hit before they think things through, leading to a misinterpretation of social cues."
"Labels like 'rejection sensitivity' can lock children into a pattern of thinking, suggesting they are inherently wired to be sensitive, which can limit their ability to cope with uncertainty."
"Most of the time, this isn't about sensitivity. It's about a fast-trigger alarm system that scans for rejection and turns uncertainty into certainty in seconds."
Children with anxiety often perceive ambiguous situations as clear rejections, leading to feelings of being unloved. This phenomenon, known as rejection sensitivity, can be reinforced by labels that suggest a fixed nature of their sensitivity. Parents can help retrain their children to tolerate uncertainty rather than accepting these labels. The tendency to overthink and fill in gaps with negative assumptions about others' feelings can exacerbate anxiety and rejection fears, highlighting the importance of reframing these experiences.
Read at Psychology Today
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