Catastrophizing is a normal thing that occurs when a person predicts the worst-case scenarios.
It also occurs when the person feels that things are far worse than they are.
It is a type of warped thinking known as cognitive distortion. This occurs both in children and adults, but people can learn through their ways of thinking and prevents getting into negativity.
Catastrophizing is not a mental disorder. But it is combined with stress, depression, and anxiety. It leads to post-traumatic stress disorder. To an extent, this is not a bad thing. People imagine the worst-case scenarios and are mentally ready to face them.
Examples:
1. Failing a test where people feel incompetent.
WAYS TO STOP CATASTROPHIZING:
1. Analyzing the reality:
Negative thoughts can sometimes lead to escaping reality. So, people should take a step back to observe how reality is different from their thoughts.
2. Journaling helps:
Writing down your experiences may help people deal with this for a while. Putting what you are experiencing on paper activates the left side of the brain. This is believed to help people see the problem more logically. Reading what is written helps in organizing thoughts and allowing people to think more realistically.
3. Changing the energy course:
Redirecting your energy to something productive helps in relieving stress. This is about practicing cardiovascular exercise or learning something new.
4. Scheduling a worrying time:
This may seem difficult, but scheduling some time to revisit all the bad thoughts during the day. This is also about acknowledging one’s ideas and thinking better later.
5. Breathing:
Taking deep breaths through the nose and mouth helps in eliminating stress. Scary thoughts activate the body’s stress and make people scared.
TREATMENT FOR CATASTROPHIZING ANXIETY:
Catastrophizing is associated with mental issues like anxiety and post-traumatic stress.
To reduce this, you need medications like:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Tricyclic antidepressants
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
PSYCHOTHERAPY:
Since, catastrophizing is associated with mental disorders, CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) is the solution. It is one of the most used types of talk therapy.
It aims in changing thoughts and behavior and this works the best.
