Catastrophising
This is not a diagnosis or a personality trait. If you recognise yourself here, it is an invitation to gently check for other explanations rather than to label yourself.
What it is
Possible difficulties rapidly expand into the worst scenario, while resources and alternatives are underestimated.
How it arises and is maintained
The mind plays out scenarios to prepare for them. The distortion arises when one scenario — the heaviest — expands while the others shrink. It is sustained by anxiety and by experience where unexpected trouble did happen; it is reinforced by a habit of «thinking ahead» in the form of fears rather than a plan.
How it may sound
- «If I make a mistake in the report, my career will be over.»
- «A delayed flight will ruin the entire trip.»
Soft signs in yourself
- The thought quickly slides from «what if» to «and then everything».
- It is hard to stop at one step and not play out the whole chain.
- Resources and outside help are not taken into account.
- Anxiety grows faster than real facts appear.
Questions for a Socratic dialogue
- What is the actual probability of the heaviest outcome?
- What could be done at each step to stop the chain?
- Who and what could help if the difficulty did arise?
- How have you coped with similar situations before?
Self-directed exercise
Stop the chain and make a plan
- Write the chain «what if → and then → and then» up to the heaviest outcome.
- Estimate the probability of each step separately.
- Write what can be done at each step to break the chain.
- Formulate a thought that describes the real difficulty and a plan, not only the catastrophe.
Core beliefs it may be linked to
- ««If something bad happens, I will not bear it».»
- ««There is no help to expect».»
- ««Difficulty is always a catastrophe».»
- ««Thinking about the worst is the only way to be ready».»