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Catastrophizing: What It Is and How to Best Handle It

August 8, 2022 by Justin Arocho, Ph.D.

Do you tend to focus on the worst-case scenario or spend time thinking about how terribly things will go? Catastrophizing is a common component of anxiety and depression. Learn how to address it.

catastrophizing can lead to anxiety

What Is Catastrophizing?

Imagine this situation: you’re running late to catch a train to visit some friends, and despite rushing to catch it, you miss it by a few minutes. The next train isn’t for another 90 minutes, which means you’ll be late and miss part of your visit.

Most people would agree that this situation is stressful, anxiety-provoking, or disappointing. But catastrophizing might worsen your feelings by creating thoughts like these:

  • “If I don’t make this train the whole visit is going to be ruined!”
  • “Something bad will probably happen to me while I’m waiting for the next train.”
  • “Getting there late is going to make them want to stop being friends with me.”
  • “I hate being late. I’m going to feel awful about this for days and days.”

In the above example, it’s easy to see that catastrophic thinking makes the situation feel even worse than it is. And although each of those thoughts is understandable, they have an unhelpful impact on mood and feelings.

Catastrophizing, or catastrophic thinking, is a common type of cognitive distortion in which you assume a very negative outcome. Everyone thinks catastrophically at times, especially if you’re already feeling anxious, nervous, or overwhelmed. But when you get stuck in the trap of catastrophizing, it’s easy for feelings of anxiety and despair to take over.

Catastrophizing takes an uncomfortable experience and makes it feel dire, unbearable, or both – or that things will lead to disaster. It leads you to focus on the worst possible outcomes, and assume that these are likely to come true. It also makes it seem like you won’t be able to handle the way things go.

How Does Catastrophizing Cause Problems?

Cognitive distortions like catastrophizing can have a negative impact on your mood. This is because how you think about things influences how you feel. Catastrophic thinking can affect you in the following ways:

  • Overestimating the likelihood of bad outcomes. Catastrophizing makes you believe that bad outcomes are more likely to occur than they actually may be. Over time, you can become prone to always “waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
  • Selective attention. Catastrophic thinking makes you focus more on the worst potential outcomes or consequences, and makes them seem even more awful. So, over time you can develop a habit of “awfulizing” or just assuming things are going to be as bad as they could be.

When your thinking makes you pay attention to all the things that could go wrong, zero in on the worst among those, and believe that they’re the most likely to come true, it can lower or worsen your mood and contribute to unpleasant emotions like anxiety, fear, and despair.

How to Break Out of Catastrophizing

As with all cognitive distortions, there’s no way to completely get rid of catastrophic thinking or prevent yourself from getting stuck in this common trap. But there are many ways to lessen the impact of catastrophizing and improve how you feel. For example:

  • Building awareness/recognition. If you’re more aware of catastrophic thinking and can notice when it’s shaping your thoughts, you can try to shift your perspective. Mindfulness practice is one effective way to improve this awareness.
  • Estimating the likelihood of outcomes more realistically. The most concerning potential outcomes aren’t always the most likely. Focusing on the most likely outcomes, rather than the worst ones, can help reduce feelings of anxiety and dread.
  • Thinking through how you can handle the worst “what ifs.” Letting yourself thoughtfully consider how you might cope if the worst does come true can make you feel more able to handle that situation if it actually comes up.

Changing your thinking isn’t always easy to do – in fact, it’s usually pretty tough! Fortunately, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven strategies that can help you break out of catastrophic thinking. Catastrophizing is common for many people experiencing anxiety and despair, and undoing it is a common focus of CBT. Working with a CBT therapist can help with anxiety and help you catastrophize less.

Please contact us if catastrophizing and anxiety are contributing to challenges in your life.


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Filed Under: Anxiety, Panic attacks Tagged With: catastrophizing, cognitive distortions

The Fear of Going Crazy: How to Understand It

July 18, 2022 by Justin Arocho, Ph.D.

If you suffer from anxiety, you may have moments when you wonder if you’re losing your grip, or “going crazy.” For some people, this is just a passing thought. For others, however, it can become a major fear. The more the idea dominates your thought process, the more it can seem like you really are going crazy.

a fear of going crazy can mean a fear of being institutionalized.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anxiety, OCD, Panic attacks Tagged With: health anxiety, ocd, panic attacks, panic disorder

What Is Vasovagal Syncope?

June 27, 2022 by Justin Arocho, Ph.D.

Fainting is always concerning and can happen for many reasons. Learn about the most common type of fainting, vasovagal syncope, and what causes it.

Vasovagal Syncope

Syncope is the medical term for passing out or fainting. Fainting is a relatively common experience. Around 3-3.5% of people experience fainting at some point in their life. It can happen at any age, to any person.

Vasovagal syncope is the most common type of fainting. This type of fainting comes from a sudden dip in your heart rate and blood pressure that’s caused by certain triggers (listed below). These dips make it harder for blood to reach your brain, which is what causes you to pass out. Most fainting episodes last less than one minute. But, if you try to get up too soon after fainting, you may faint again because there isn’t yet enough blood flowing to your brain. Lying down and elevating your legs can help you recover.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anxiety, Cognitive-behavioral therapy Tagged With: fainting, syncope

CBT for Panic Disorder: Everything You Need to Know

June 6, 2022 by Dr. Paul Greene

If you suffer from panic attacks or have been diagnosed with panic disorder, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) may be beneficial for you. Learn about this treatment option and how it can help.

CBT for panic disorder and panic attacks

What Is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that is especially effective for anxiety and insomnia but is also effective for other problems including substance abuse, difficulties managing intense emotions, depression, OCD, eating disorders, and addictions. It is more practical and more skills-based than traditional therapy. CBT therapists typically give patients homework exercises to do between sessions. This homework helps to build the skills needed to address the relevant problem.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Anxiety, Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Panic attacks Tagged With: panic disorder

What Is the Goal of Meditation?

May 16, 2022 by Dr. Paul Greene

People meditate for many reasons. They want to clear their minds, to reduce stress, to get centered… but are any of these things really the goal of meditation? Not quite.

Ask people what their goal is when they meditate, and you’ll hear a variety of answers. “To deal with stress.” “To calm down.” “To get rid of my thoughts.” “To feel connected to the world.” There are lots of opinions out there.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Mindfulness and meditation Tagged With: meditation, Mindfulness

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  • Catastrophizing: What It Is and How to Best Handle It
  • The Fear of Going Crazy: How to Understand It
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  • CBT for Panic Disorder: Everything You Need to Know
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