Catastrophising is not officially categorised as a mental illness, however, it is a symptom of several mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. It is also a symptom that antagonises mental health disorders and conditions such as PTSD and makes them more severe.
Focus on solutions
Part of catastrophising is the belief you are unable to deal with problems and negative situations. With your 'worry list' brainstorm other possible outcomes. Make a list of all the solutions you can think of. Focus on what you can change, rather than what is beyond your control.
Some suggest that low self-esteem and fear form the root cause of catastrophizing. You may feel like you can't successfully handle a problem or event. Other possible causes of catastrophizing include: depression.
Since catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion or, simply put, a malfunctioning thought process, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is recommended most often when it comes to addressing catastrophic thinking. Research has proven CBT to be effective against catastrophizing as it is based on the principle of awareness.
There are several potential reasons for catastrophizing: Depression: Having depression may cause a person to ruminate on negative emotions, causing them to catastrophize. Anxiety: High anxiety may increase a person's risk of catastrophizing.
Below are some helpful techniques you can use to avoid worst-case scenario thinking. Stay in the present: The moment is what it is. Focus on the facts: Describe what is happening at this particular moment. Shift from thinking “what if” to thinking what is!
Catastrophic thinking can happen in response to traumatic events in the past that reframed your worldview or led to or reinforced beliefs such as the world is bad, people shouldn't be trusted, and taking chances leads to getting hurt.
Medications may also be used to treat underlying disorders that cause catastrophizing, such as Benzodiazepines*, SSRIs**, and SNRIs**. These are often used to target symptoms of anxiety and depression. That being said, there is no medication that specifically treats catastrophizing.
Catastrophic thinking, also known as catastrophizing, is irrational thinking that may cause you to assume that adverse outcomes will occur. There are many potential causes for catastrophizing, such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and chronic pain.
It's also known as "catastrophising," and it happens to many people at some point in their lives. It might be a result of your previous bad experiences that you can't shake, or it could be linked to mental health issues like anxiety or chronic depression.
The way I see it, catastrophizing is a universal ADHD trait. It runs alongside depression and anxiety and the propensity to overthink. Catastrophizing is an insidious process; a hijacking of the mind's eye that causes it to see only oblivion as it peers into an unknowable future.
Minimizing: the opposite of catastrophizing. This distortion reduces the importance of good things that happen, like awards, recognition, and accolades, while usually giving more value to the negative.
Catastrophizing functions as a cognitive distortion that feeds anxiety and depression by overestimating negative outcomes and underestimating coping skills. Consequently, catastrophizers feel anxious and helpless over their perceived inability to manage potential threats.
Notably, PTSD symptoms after the attack were significantly correlated with pretrauma internalizing symptoms, violence exposure, rumination, catastrophizing, and attack-related media exposure.
Catastrophising is a tendency to assume the worst will happen when imagining a future situation – even if you have evidence that this is not the most likely outcome. People who like to feel in control (and are therefore intolerant of uncertainty) are more likely to catastrophise.