top of page
Search
Writer's pictureKay Axe

What Is Catastrophizing And How To Stop It?

Updated: Sep 11, 2023

Catastrophizing is one of the most prevalent reason as to why people are stuck in depression. It is not easy to kick a habit but I will show you the steps needed for you to stop catastrophizing and break out of the depressive loop. But first, let me tell you the story of a university student, James...


James is on his last semester in school and is about to take his final examination the next day.


The night before his final exam, James started to imagine what will happen if he doesn't do well for his paper. His GPA will probably drop and he will likely not be able to secure a good job. He will not be able to support himself, his parents and friends will look down on him and he is a failure in life. He spent the whole night worrying about what will happen and get little to no sleep. He wakes up grouchy and was unable to focus on his exam paper, thus affecting his performance.


What is Catastrophizing?


The Story of James is an example of how Catastrophizing can become a form of self-sabotage. So what is Catastrophizing?


Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion, or thinking error. It is when we think of a current or future situation as a catastrophe. It is where we jump to the worst conclusion in any scenario, no matter how unlikely it is.


"What if he didn’t call because he got into an accident? What if she hasn’t texted because she is spending time with another guy?


Catastrophizing usually starts from a thought such a


s worrying about an exam paper or a genuine setback such as failing an exam paper, which leads to an error in our belief that something horrible is going to happen afterwards.


How catastrophizing leads to anxiety and depression


Catastrophizing in itself is a psychological response when we face setbacks or challenges. When we get into a habit of Catastrophizing it can become an automatic response every time something does not go our way. Hence, it is important for us to think about our relationship with failures and how to respond to setbacks in life.


Catastrophizing brings about anxiety. It conditions our brain to see threats and failure in every situation and our brain reacts to perceived threats with a genuine fear response. The fight flight freeze response. This is a main contributing factor to social anxiety, general anxiety, panic attacks, and more. When we expect the worst, we feel hopeless and depressed about t


he future. What’s the point of trying if we are going to fail anyway? We often end up wallowing in self-pity. For example, a man who has social anxiety may believes that everyone in the room is judging him when he spills a drink in a party, but in actuality no one will even bat an eye. This may prevent him from attending any social event in the future, worsening his social anxiety.


Catastrophizing also leads to depression. When we picture a future that is bleak, threatening, or hopeless, neurologically, our brain responds by emitting less serotonin and dopamine. The very chemicals that brings us joy and boost our mood. If the future is bleak, what’s there to be hopeful and excited about? This brings about a cycle of withdrawal from life, a drop in motivation and willpower, a key symptom of depression.


Why we do catastrophize


Okay, I know, I have painted a very negative picture of catastrophizing, and some of you may start to have thoughts of “wow, my thinking pattern is ruining my life, I’m doomed” or “why am I so stupid, I know have a tendency to catasthrophize, but I cant help it, I'm hopeless”. Now, slow down that mind of yours and take a deep breath. It is normal for our mind to start thinking the negatives when it has been a habit for us, lets not go into a cycle of self judgement. Remember, doing something that isn't working for us does not mean that we are defective. There is a reason why we catasthrophize and I will explore how we can break this cycle.


So why do we catastrophize? Well catastrophizing has its “functional” purpose. When we prepare for the worst, it prevents us from getting disappointed. This is also one of a core trait of a pessimist. We remove any form of risk or uncertainty in a particular situation if we have already mentally prep


are for the worst outcome. In this way, we get to protect ourselves from any sadness and hurt if the worst outcome do happen eventually. On the surface, this may sound like a feasible protective mechanism, but what is actually happening is that when we are avoiding feeling any negative emotions, we often end up depressed and even more anxious. We have also talked ourselves out of any opportunities presented to us as we are convinced that there is no reason to try at all since the outcome is doomed anyway. It doesn't sound so “functional” now, doesn’t it?


When we are young, our parents may often use worst case scenarios as a fear factor to scare us into doing good behaviours. “Do your homework or else you will be working in McDonalds”, “finish your rice if you do not want your future wife to have pimples on their faces”, “be a good kid if you do not want to be kidnapped”. Now, we have long outgrown our childhood innocence but the habitual thought of catastrophizing still exists within our system.


How to stop catastrophizing


These are some ways for us to stop catastrophizing and cut this unhealthy cycle.


Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT for short is the most effective way in stopping catastrophizing. I’ll teach you now to apply CBT for yourself.


1. Acknowledging that unpleasant things happen - accepting uncertainty: Life is full of challenges as well as good and bad days. Having one bad day does not mean all days will be bad. This will help you build your emotional muscle to better cut off the spiral of catastrophizing.


2. Recognizing irrational thoughts: Catastrophizing often follows a distinct pattern. A person will start with a thought, such as “I am hurting today.” They will then expand on the thought with worry and anxiety, such as, “the pain is only going to get worse,” or “this hurting means I’ll never get better.” When a person learns to recognize these thoughts, they are better equipped to handle them.


3. Knowing when to stop: To cease the repetitive, catastrophic thoughts, a person may have to say out loud or in their head, “stop!” or “no more!” These words can break the stream of thoughts and help a person change the course of their thinking.


4. Thinking about another outcome: Instead of thinking about a negative outcome, try to focus on a positive one or even a less-negative option.


5. Offering positive affirmations: When it comes to catastrophic thinking, a person has to believe that they can overcome their tendency to fear the worst. They may wish to repeat a positive affirmation on a daily basis.


6. Practicing excellent self-care: Catastrophic thoughts are more likely to take over when a person is tired and stressed. Getting enough rest and engaging in stress-relieving techniques, such as exercise, meditation, and journaling, can all help a person feel better.


Remember, healing is not linear, be patient with yourself, and awareness is always the first step to growth. To break a habit requires a bit of willingness and willpower, and with enough practice, you will set yourself free from the chains of catastrophizing. I have helped hundreds of people break free of their mental chains, If you need help, reach out to me in the description below and book an appointment with me. As long as you are willing, I promise I will walk alongside you in your mental health journey. For a limited period of time, your first sessions is 50% off. Book now and get immediate help.







Sources:


27 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page