Dr. Jodi Gold

04/21/2026

When does a “normal” habit cross the line into something harder to control?

From body image to sports betting to screen use, many of today’s teen behaviors can quietly shift from routine → rigid → compulsive. And once that shift happens, kids often don’t feel like they can stop—even when it’s impacting their well-being.

I’m partnering with Parents in Action for a conversation focused on what parents actually need to know:
• How to recognize early warning signs
• Why some habits become sticky (and what’s driving them)
• What helps vs. what unintentionally makes things worse
• Practical ways to support your child before things escalate

This is not about fear—it’s about understanding the “slippery slope” and feeling more confident navigating it.

🗓 Wednesday, April 22
⏰ 12–1 PM
📍 Virtual (Zoom)

If you’re parenting in a world of constant screens, high pressure, and easy access to risky behaviors—this conversation is for you.

🔗 Register here: https://parentsinaction.org/event/when-habit-becomes-a-compulsion-with-dr-jodi-gold/

07/09/2025

This week, I spoke to PIX11 about the tragic flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas. My heart is with everyone affected — the families, the
campers, the staff, and the surrounding community. 💔

As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I’ve been thinking a lot about how parents and caregivers can support their children in the wake of
heartbreaking events like this. It starts with tending to your own emotions. Whether you're feeling grief, fear, or helplessness — those
are all valid responses. But it’s important to remember that children often look to the adults around them to understand how to feel and
respond.

When you're ready to talk with your kids, meet them where they are. Ask what they’ve heard, how they’re feeling, and be ready to listen.
Some kids may not know about the tragedy — especially if they’re away at camp themselves. Others may have questions or fears, and they’ll
need comfort and reassurance from you.

Above all, focus on safety, connection, and honesty at a developmentally appropriate level. Tragic events like this one are deeply painful — but these conversations can also be a powerful way to foster resilience and support healing. 💙

In this morning's PIX Parenting Plus segment, we're speaking to pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Jodi Gold about ways to ease anxiety for parents and children atte...

12/16/2022

Thank you CNN for allowing me to talk about the hidden epidemic of mental illness.

09/07/2022

https://pix11.com/new-york-living/parents-can-help-their-kids-ease-the-back-to-school-jitters-expert-says/

Some advice for the back to school jitters:

NEW YORK (PIX11) — As many kids and teens gear up to head back to school next week, it’s not uncommon for them to feel a bit anxious. The anxiety usually intensifies in the week right b…

09/05/2022

Generally ‘back-to-school’ jitters are a form of anticipatory anxiety. That is, anxiety about being anxious in the future. It is quite manageable once you identify it.
✏️The first step is to figure out the source of your child’s anxiety. Your child may be anxious about the social, academic, or scheduling part of the school. Ask them directly. If your child acknowledges one of these concerns, then you can directly address it. If they answer ‘no’ or ‘I don’t know’, then it may be anticipatory anxiety or back to school jitters.
✏️ Tips for managing back to school jitters:
•Identifying anticipatory anxiety is the most crucial piece
•The cure for back to school jitters is facing the fear and going back to school
•Going back to school will immediately address many of the anxieties and fears
•Until then, the goal is to recognize the source of the anxiety and recognize that you can’t control this form of anxiety
•Focus on what you and your child can control
Did you find this helpful? Have questions? Let me know in the comments below! 👇🏼

09/05/2022

🎉 It’s almost game day, back to school is literally right around the corner
🚩 Red Flags that your younger kids are worried about school:
•Increase in irritability, moodiness
•Increase in outbursts or temper tantrums
•Difficulty sleeping over the last week
•Regressive behavior: your child acting younger than usual (i.e more clingy, more accidents)
⭐️What can you do about it at this moment:
•Give your child as much agency or control over the next few days as possible.
•Encourage them to pick out the outfit for the first day (if that is fun)
•Encourage them to organize the backpack or make the lunch
•Talk about all of the fun things that will be happening at school
•If they are worried about the social aspect, text or zoom or make a real playdate with a school friend who will be supportive during the first week.
🔑 BE AS PATIENT AND ENCOURAGING AS YOU CAN DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL

Lastly, manage your anxiety. Your children will smell your fear and they take their cues from you.

Good Luck with the first week or weeks of school!

08/08/2022

Anticipatory anxiety can take a particularly extreme toll on sleep and rest on Sunday nights.
So here are a few tips to help calm anxiety on Sunday nights to better prepare you for a restful night of sleep and smooth start to the week!
🏆What to do on Sunday afternoon?👇🏻
•Firstly, it is important to try to make Sunday night less miserable. That means, it is best to get any work done BEFORE Sunday and not to push it off until the last stressful moment
•Do your weekend work on Sunday earlier in the day so you can enjoy yourself on Sunday night.
•Try to go to sleep at a normal time on Sunday night. Not early but not too late either
•So, make a broad and short list on Sunday afternoon about what you are feeling anxious about for the day or the week. :memo:This list should have 2 or 3 things on it max. It is not an exhaustive to do list (this may include responding to a few emails, finishing up one homework assignment or really anything that is sparking 𝕒𝕟𝕩𝕚𝕖𝕥𝕪).
✨📝Remember, you choose this task solely based on anxiety—not on the importance of the event.
•
🌟In summary:
·Recognize the difference between anticipatory anxiety and other anxieties.
· Avoidance and procrastination will make them worse but they go away
✨🌟When you deal with anxious tasks then the tasks become less anxiety-provoking✨🌟
Next week we will talk about another strategy that I like to use called ‘anxiety curfews’
Have a wonderful Monday 🌞🌻

08/03/2022

📚When I wrote 'Screen Smart Parenting', there was literally no research. The field is growing but much slower than you might expect. Over the next few videos, I will outline for you what good research does exist.
Co-engagement with your child leads to the most positive impact of screen time on your child.
What does this mean? This means that when parents are on technology with their kids, the kids get the most positive impact. The research generally applies to little kids but does have implications for older kids. This is why Sesame Street was created. It was the concept that if parents watched sesame street with their kids and discussed it then TV could actually be educational and positive for social and emotional health.
In 2022, that means occasionally watching and discussing shows and videos and playing games with your child. Watching and playing with very young kids teaches language and the intricacies of conversations. Watching and playing with your elementary school kids can be a key to social and emotional growth.
📲Taking an interest in your child’s digital journey is every bit as important as your child’s soccer and ballet schedule.

It is never too early to be an active part in your child’s digital journey. There is solid scientific evidence to support it.

🌟Thanks for joining Screen Smart Parenting

07/25/2022

✨Do you lie in bed on Sunday night thinking about the week ahead (and all the things you need to do; and all the ways you might fail or procrastinate)?
You might be a member of an illustrious club.
You may have what is called, ‘anticipatory anxiety’
Let’s identify what type of anxiety is keeping you up 👀
Anticipatory anxiety about what is to come. You may be one of those people who is convinced that they are going to fail a test or screw up a presentation but you never do. You work fine under pressure but you can’t handle the pre-game nerves.
Anticipatory anxiety is usually the night time anxiety that keeps you awake. Sunday night, is the night that I prescribe the most anti-anxiety and sleep medications– that is because of anticipatory anxiety.
Here is a little trick: ⬇️
The treatment for anticipatory anxiety is generally to force yourself to do the thing that you are avoiding. Send the dreaded email, prepare the annoying presentation. The first step to addressing your anxiety is to figure out what you are anxious about. Tonight try to identify what you are actually anxious about. If it is something on your to-do list, remind yourself that you aren’t really anxious about the email, the meeting, the party. You are anxious about the lead-up, the pre-game.
💛Recognizing that you can handle the event/activity, it often enough to allow you go to sleep.
Post your thoughts or questions below⬇️
Join me next week when we talk about anxiety curfews for Sunday night and what night you need them.

07/20/2022

Last time, we spoke about parents needing to be honest about their own relationship with technology. Today, we are speaking about the best style of parenting in the digital age.

There are 4 styles of parenting:
Laissez-Faire: hands off parenting. You are probably not laissez-faire if you are bothering to watch this video.
Permissive: You focus on the unique of needs of your child but arent great at consistent limit setting.
Authoritarian: Your strength is consistent rule setting and instilling your value system but you may not be focused on the unique needs of each of your children
Authoritative: You balance consistent limit settings and family values with the unique needs of your children.

If you haven’t guessed yet, your goal is to be an authoritative parent both online and offline.
Children of authoritative parents are:
Have higher self esteem
Stronger sense of self
Make better grades
Lower levels of obesity
Lower levels of metabolic abnormalities (i.e. diabetes)

In the digital world, authoritative parenting understanding how and why your child might be online. It means not taking the phone away arbitrarily but rather it means balancing your fears with your child/teenager’s temperament, mental health and unique needs.

Thanks for joining me :)
Feel free to ask questions and follow me on instagram

07/11/2022

What do A+ sleepers and Rapha Nadal have in common?
💤 They both has consistent routines. Last week, I spoke about getting an A in sleep hygiene and I want to continue with grade grubbing. (not that I ever did that).
🗓 Today we are talking about creating a routine. If you are having trouble with consistency in sleep, then you need a routine.
🎾 Whenever I talk about sleep routines, I must go back to sports psychology. All great athletes use routines and rituals to manage nerves and stay consistent. I am tennis fan, so I have to mention Raphael Nadal who is an extreme example. If you watch him serve, he has an elaborate routine that includes touching shoulders etc. It looks a little bit silly but boy does it work.
⚾️ The great baseball pitchers have and golfers have visible and rigid rituals. These athletes can fall back on their routines when they are nervous, stressed, or exhausted. Good sleepers like precision athletes need routines. ⛳️
Let me start with what your routine should NOT look like:
· No alcohol
· No cannabis/vapes/cigarettes
· No intense violent or emotionally upsetting shows
· No intensely stimulating video games
⭐️ Routine could include:
· Should be short: 1-10 minutes
· Could be a device free moment or you could use your devices to help with the transition
· Could include relaxing music, podcast, shows
· Could include mindless/relaxing game on your phone. A short one?
· Could include a one-minute meditation—doesn’t need too.
· Could include “satisfying” images of cats or goo on YouTube—but very time limited
· The routine should be anxiety free and easy
· Goal is to create some routine that tells your body that it is time for sleep.
⭐Please comment & share
Let’s stay connected:
•IG:
•Twitter: DrJodiGold

07/06/2022

What role does technology play in your life?

Today, we're shifting away from the conversation about our children and their screen time to focus, instead, on parents.

If you're a parent, chances are you're what I call a 'digital immigrant'- or someone who was raised without social media. For instance, this isn't your first language, and you may still find it all discomforting. In our conversation last week, it was mentioned that this can introduce fear and conflict into our relationship with our children, since they live a lot of their lives in the digital world.

It may be time to step away from the ineffective 'limit screen-time' solution, and take some time to decide what role technology and screen time plays in your own life.

A solution is to carve- out a 'screen smart' plan for yourself and your family.

Please comment or message with questions.