and hidden. Evidence of something he didn’t want me to know.
The evidence: I had no evidence. Just fragments. But in the absence of information, my brain created narratives. And the narratives were terrifying.
The spiral: I replayed recent conversations, looking for clues. Had he been distant? Had he been moody? Had I been missing something? I found “evidence” where none existed.
The emotional toll: By the time I texted my sister, I was in a state of near-panic. My heart was racing. My stomach was in knots. I was ready to confront him, to search his room, to call his school.
All over a hermit crab shell.
Why Our Brains Do This (The Psychology of Parental Panic)
Let me explain why I (and so many parents) jump to the worst conclusion.
The brain’s negativity bias: Our brains are wired to pay more attention to potential threats than to potential
