Catastrophizing thoughts (cognitive distortion):what it is and how to cope with it

[ADFSDF1996]

Ever feel excessive stress and worry for a small nuisance, you know it’s nothing to be worried about but you can’t help but worry about it? Well, that is known as catastrophizing which is a type of cognitive distortion. And catastrophizing is what I’m going to talk about here today.

The mind of someone going through cognitive distortion

Cognitive distortions and anxiety disorders are not synonymous with insanity: Before we get started, it is very important for people to know that cognitive distortions and anxiety disorders aren’t synonymous with insanity. Unfortunately we still have a bunch of dumba**es out there who still think that every mental health issue is synonymous with insanity. When in reality only a few mental health issues are synonymous with insanity. So I repeat, cognitive distortions and anxiety disorders are not synonymous with insanity. As a matter of fact, people who suffer from cognitive distortions and anxiety disorders are completely aware of their conditions and are still themselves.

So catastrophizing which is classified as a type of cognitive distortion, comes in all shapes and sizes, it can be small and dissipate in a few minutes. While other times it is much more severe and can go on for days, weeks and even months. The impact they have on the individual also varies. Light cognitive distortion is usually only a small nuisance that goes away in a few minutes to about an hour. The worst kind of cognitive distortion can drain an individual’s energy and make them feel as if something really bad is about to happen to them, the individual will become more sedentary and feel extreme fear, worry, helplessness and depression all at once.

Catastrophizing is usually based on a person feeling that a hypothetical worst case scenario is upon him or her. Most of the time, this fear is nothing more than a delusion and has no basis in reality. The person’s brain manages to convince itself that something really bad is coming but in reality there is no such threat or the threat is minuscule, hence the name cognitive distortion. The person actually realizes that their fear is nothing more than a mental fabrication but they just can’t seem to help but worry even though they know their perceived threat is non existent or significantly smaller than their brain has them think. And the main reason is because they don’t have all of the facts of what is causing their worry.

The person might also keep their catastrophizing thoughts to him or herself because they are afraid of being judged for it or having people misinterpret what the person is feeling.

Severe catastrophizing thoughts can fluctuate. At times they cause great distress but eventually become weaker to the point the person feels some level of temporary relief but then the catastrophizing once again becomes strong and then becomes weaker. That pattern can go on for days depending on many factors including if the person suffers from some type of anxiety disorder.

Those who suffer from anxiety disorders are much more prone to getting moments of catastrophizing thoughts because catastrophizing comes from anxiety and uncertainty. So people who suffer from

• Obsessive Compulsive disorder(OCD)
• Generalized anxiety disorder(GAD)
• Panic disorder
• Social anxiety disorder(SAD)

and many other anxiety disorder tends to experience frequent catastrophizing thoughts. I know this because I’m a person who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder. And I can make the connection between my anxiety disorders and my very rare occurring catastrophizing thoughts.

The symptoms of severe catastrophizing thoughts are the following

• The first thing a person might feel is extreme fear based on their concern. They’ll feel like “oh no!!! What is going on!!!” that’s only the beginning.
• the next symptom is compulsion, this symptom is mostly common amongst those who have OCD. The person will resort to a repetitive behavior until they feel they “got it right” and thus feel some level of relief. Mild Catastrophizing usually ends here. However, severe catastrophizing can go even further.
• Uncertainty is usually what follows if the compulsiveness either fails or only offers some relief. The person will start to feel desperation based on the uncertainty. Even though they felt satisfied from the compulsive behavior, there is still some level of doubt which will prompt the person to search for reassurance that everything truly is okay. If the person has OCD the person will seek reassurance in a repetitive pattern which is absolutely stressful.
• Depression is the most notable symptom because it is the strongest one. The person will feel emotionally numb to many things that normally had their interest like politics, entertainment, hobbies etc. But will become very emotional and sensitive to other things. The person will find themselves crying over every little thing like a song, a commercial, certain phrases, even hospitality from someone can bring this person to tears.
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, stomach aches, trouble breathing, joint pain, lack of appetite, rapid heart rates, butterflies in chest, chills and misc body pain may be experienced.
• The search for reassurance can be very stressful for the individual especially if there’s a test of patience involved and it involves compulsive behavior. The person will feel jittery and very nervous as they wait to get the reassurance that everything is alright.

So the question you may be is asking is how does a person fight against catastrophizing thoughts(cognitive distortion)? And the answer is very complex, there are 5 methods that I know of that can be used. I personally use all of them.

1.) Resist: The first way of fighting back against catastrophizing thoughts is to decrease sensitivity to the thoughts. This is the most recommended method by mental health experts but it can also be the most difficult because it requires a person to resist the thoughts and compulsions. The person has to convince their mind that the worry is all BS and if there is compulsive behavior, the person has to abstain for as long as possible from performing their compulsions. It’s a very stressful therapy but the idea is that over time the person’s sensitivity to the thoughts gets weaker to the point that the person manages to no longer be bothered by them.

2.) Find the truth: The next method is to find a solution or reassurance that everything truly is alright. Better known as “getting the facts”. This can also be quite difficult especially if the person doesn’t know where to look and or suffers from OCD. However if a person does some asking around to the appropriate people and gets reassurance by them, then the person’s catastrophizing thoughts can instantly be suppressed. This Method can help a person rationalize their fear and realize that there’s no real danger. For example if you are freaking out over the fact you accidentally dropped a receipt out at the store’s parking lot but then get reassurance that since only part of the credit card number is visible on receipts then you may feel that much needed relief.

3.) Get emotional support: The third method is to basically speak up. A person with severe catastrophizing thoughts should not be keeping their fears to themselves. This requires the afflicted to find emotional support with friends, family and even some experts who can all help guide the afflicted person to finding peace of mind. This is the simplest method but it is also quite hard to do if the person is too scared to speak up.

4.) Get some medicine: Of course there is also the possibility that a person may require some type of medicinal treatment whether it be herbal supplements or prescribed psychiatric medicine. This is often considered last resort for a person with these thoughts. Fortunately when I went through my cognitive distortion phase, I didn’t need any prescriptions. I only used herbal supplements like St. John’s wort, Lemon balm, Gingko and other herbs which helped make my symptoms manageable enough.

Gingko leaves

5.) Remove the pollutant: If you know what is the main source of your catastrophizing thoughts, do something about it. Many times a person who is experiencing catastrophizing thoughts needs to discover the source of those thoughts. Once the person knows what this source is and what to do about it, the person can almost instantaneously overcome the catastrophizing thoughts. For example if you are catastrophizing about eventually having to pay a hefty fee for using some type of service, even though you know that the service is free and no such fee exists then contact that service and ask them about it just to be sure about it. And get your peace of mind.

So yeah I had to use all 5 methods to overcome the catastrophizing thought I was dealing with for the first two weeks of December 2020. On the third week it got better but I was still dealing with some residue of the cognitive distortion, it wasn’t till the 4th week of December when I finally managed to regain control. So basically right around Christmas I managed to overcome my cognitive distortion. My experience was absolutely maddening, I never felt such helplessness and despair before. But fortunately with these 5 methods and most importantly with the grace of God I was able to overcome my catastrophizing thought. It took a lot of energy out of me but I’m just glad I was able to find peace of mind and reassurance that everything is alright in a timely manner.

The recovery process is the moment where I start to realize that everything is going to be alright. I stop catastrophizing and manage to reduce the influence of that worry. During this process I still have the worry but it no longer bothers me as much as it use to bother me. I also start to regain my interests in hobbies, entertainment etc. I slowly stop to feel the symptoms and I feel a sense of euphoria and relief.

I’m posting this to spread awareness of an issue that torments many people. Unfortunately issues like OCD and cognitive distortion are often ignored, feared and even laughed at by the ignoramuses of mainstream society. Like every mental health issue, unless you’ve actually had it, you probably won’t understand why it’s so debilitating to people. It’s easy to say “Oh just tough it out.” But a mental health issue isn’t the same as falling off your bike or hurting yourself at the gym, mental health issues are much worse and are harder to treat and or tough out than a scraped elbow or a torn muscle. It’s even worse when the ignoramuses assume the sufferer is “just acting” or the sufferer is blamed for their own affliction, we all know how “blame happy” society can be. So if you suffer from a cognitive distortion or any form of mental anguish, then take the necessary steps to treat your affliction. I know most societies treat people with mental illnesses with contempt which is why you should only let the people closest to you know what you are going through. Don’t bother telling everyone at work what you’re going through because chances are they aren’t going to care and may even shun you out of fear. But just know that there are many trustworthy services out there that can help you out, won’t try to exploit you and won’t try to confine you to a mental institution. And if there’s people you are very close to who will always have your back, let them know so they can be there for you. Knowing that many people have your back can actually make your recovery process go faster.

#stopcatastrophizing

[strateguy632]

coping is difficult.

[msc545]

Thanks - good mytake