By Sarah Chana Radcliffe
Your child's irrational fear is resistant to your logic and you are getting frustrated.. Your child has an irrational fear and despite your efforts, you can't talk him out of it. Logic doesn't help. Facts don't matter. Public opinion, evidence, social pressure - nothing is budging that fear. Small children are particularly prone to such fears (like fears of clowns or someone who has a different skin color) but they usually just grow out of them. When a school aged child or teen has a "ridiculous" fear, however, he may be suffering from a true phobia, an obsession. a symptom of PTSD or some other anxiety-based mental illness. When nothing you do helps, it's time to seek professional help. It IS possible to get your child to let go of that fear, but you may not be the one who can do it.
When someone or something provokes us, the pain can last and last and last... If you want to stay angry, continue to think about what went wrong.The more you think about it, the more your blood will boil. If you want to feel normal again, make a plan to address the wrong and if that isn't possible or appropriate, put your attention on something that is right.
