Challenging Anxious Selective Mutism Thoughts

Our thoughts are powerful and can have a strong impact on our emotional and behavioral responses in challenging situations. Individuals with anxiety often fall into characteristic “thinking traps” in which they tend to both overestimate the likelihood of something bad happening (e.g., thinking a negative outcome is much more likely than it really is) and overestimate the consequences of a negative event occurring (e.g., assuming it will be really, really terrible). Simultaneously, individuals with anxiety often underestimate their ability to successfully cope with stressful situations. As a result, anxious thoughts, which are often unrealistic and unhelpful, can directly trigger avoidant behavior and heighten emotional distress.