What Is Catastrophizing And How Does It Affect You?
Catastrophizing is the tendency to assume, prepare for, and/or worry about the worst possible outcome of a given situation. It’s a type of cognitive distortion, which is a flawed pattern of thinking common in those with mental health conditions like anxiety. Because it can cause or exacerbate certain mental illnesses and contribute to feelings of distress, it can be helpful to learn how to manage this tendency. Read on to learn more about how to recognize unhelpful thought patterns like this and what you can do to shift them.
Catastrophizing defined
Someone who catastrophizes tends to view the worst outcome as the most likely, regardless of the actual probability of things going that way. While preparing for various outcomes or worrying about how an important event will go is not necessarily harmful and can even be helpful in some instances, the APA notes that it can increase anxiety levels and lead to maladaptive behavior if relied on too frequently.
Is catastrophizing a cognitive distortion?
As mentioned previously, catastrophizing is a type of cognitive distortion, or a “negatively biased error in thinking” that research suggests can lead to increased vulnerability to depression and other mental health concerns. These thought patterns reflect negative core beliefs and views, such as that things never work out, you’re fundamentally flawed, or others are fundamentally selfish or full of animosity. There are dozens of cognitive distortions; examples include black-and-white thinking, blaming or scapegoating, and overgeneralization. Not only are the thoughts produced by a cognitive distortion typically untrue, but they can lead to a loop of negative thinking which can cause additional distress and difficulties. Examples of catastrophizing include:
- “I’m really sick, but if I don’t make it to class tomorrow, I’ll fail the entire course.”
- “If I don’t do this report perfectly, I’ll be fired.”
- “My friend is ten minutes late to lunch; something terrible has probably happened to them.”
How can catastrophizing impact mental health?
Over time, engaging in cognitive distortions like catastrophizing can create a more negative worldview, which can contribute to mental health challenges. Research supports the connection between catastrophizing and negative mental health outcomes. First, one study found that catastrophic thinking was a positive predictor of anxiety among adolescents. More recent research suggests that catastrophizing can also be a warning sign of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—which was formerly classified in the DSM-5 as an anxiety disorder—and/or may increase the severity of symptoms.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
Catastrophizing has also been associated with depression. As the “hopelessness theory” outlined in one study states, “consistently generating catastrophic inferences” can lead to hopelessness depression. Some research even suggests that catastrophizing may affect physical resilience, potentially amplifying chronic pain. By increasing feelings of rumination and helplessness, catastrophizing can lead to greater distress in people with endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and other chronic physical conditions as a result, according to a 2018 study.
In general, catastrophic thoughts can make it difficult to manage emotions in response to stressful, uncertain, or unpredictable situations, and can make it even harder to cope when something bad happens. They may be a symptom of an existing mental health condition or eventually contribute to a new diagnosis.
Tips for overcoming catastrophic thinking
Over time, it is possible to learn to recognize and shift distorted thought patterns like catastrophizing. There are a variety of other strategies that may also help you think in healthier ways and experience less distress day to day as well, including the following.
Recognize and restructure thoughts
One of the most effective ways to overcome a tendency to catastrophize is to learn to recognize when you’re engaging in this type of thinking. Once you do that, you can question the validity of the thought and work to view the situation in a more balanced, realistic manner.
For example, say you send a text to your partner and they don’t respond for a few hours, and you think to yourself: “They’re tired of this relationship and are going to break up with me.” In most cases, this isn’t a rational thought. There are plenty of other possible explanations, the simplest and most likely being that they’re busy with another task, or saw your text, got distracted, and forgot to respond. Noticing your automatic assumption, however, and then questioning and replacing it with more realistic thinking can help you minimize distress in such a situation. Learning to do this with a therapist is typically recommended for maximum effectiveness; more on this below.
Try grounding techniques
When you find yourself on the edge of a negative thought spiral, you might try engaging in some strategies to help you stay grounded and avoid giving in to the power of distorted thoughts. Breathing techniques can help you calm the anxiety response that may have already begun in your body so you can come to think more clearly. Repeating a calming mantra could also help, such as “Right now, I choose calm and peace,” “Soon, these feelings will pass,” or another that helps you feel centered so you can avoid getting swept up in a swirl of anxious thoughts.
Practice meditation
Meditation is an ancient cultural and spiritual practice that originated in India centuries ago. Today, it has become popular worldwide at least partially as a result of research that points to its many potential physical and mental health benefits. It involves breathing, relaxation, and developing a calm, nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. When it comes to cognitive distortions, engaging in mindfulness meditation in particular may help you become better able to recognize the thoughts as they arise so you can question and shift them. In fact, one study reports that a regular meditation practice was able to “significantly reduce anxiety and negative affect and increase hope” in college students who were experiencing frequent cognitive distortions.
Take care of yourself physically
Anxious thoughts like those that involve catastrophizing are even more likely to take hold when you’re not feeling your best. That’s why taking care of your body can help you be better equipped to challenge distorted thinking. Getting enough sleep, for example, may help you think more clearly so you can recognize flawed patterns, and exercising regularly and eating well can make you more resilient in the face of emotional stress.
How therapy can help
Therapy can be helpful for people who frequently experience cognitive distortions and associated distress. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in particular is a methodology that’s based on helping an individual learn how to recognize and shift distorted thoughts. A qualified cognitive behavioral therapist can guide you in building up an awareness of when such thoughts are occurring and then equip you with the tools to shift them in a healthier direction. If you’re experiencing these distortions as a result of a mental health condition and/or are experiencing other symptoms, they can also help you address these.
If you live in an area where there are few mental health care providers or you have trouble traveling to and from appointments, you might consider online therapy. Whether it’s for convenience, comfort, or accessibility, you can feel confident in choosing this format, since a meta-analysis of studies on the topic suggests that online therapy can offer similar benefits to in-person sessions. With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can get matched with a licensed therapist who you can meet with via phone, video call, and/or in-app messaging to address the challenges you may be facing.
Takeaway
What does catastrophizing mean?
Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion, a flawed pattern of thinking. Specifically, catastrophizing involves assuming, preparing for, or worrying that a scenario is going to have the worst possible outcome. For example, someone who catastrophizes may assume that they are getting fired if they are called to their supervisor’s office, even if they have done nothing wrong. Other examples can include:
- Someone finds a spot on their skin and convinces themself it is cancer
- A student does poorly on a test and convinces themselves that they are going to fail out of school and be unemployed
- A person’s partner doesn’t text them back right away, so they assume they are cheating on them
- Someone thinks that their friends don’t like them anymore after seeing a social media post that doesn’t include them
How to stop over-catastrophizing?
One way to stop catastrophizing can be to learn to identify these distorted thought patterns and shift to healthier ways of thinking. Grounding techniques, like breathing exercises, and activities like meditation and mindfulness, can help you stay focused on the present moment and resist giving in to catastrophic thoughts. You can also focus on getting regular exercise, as physical activity can help you manage stress and anxiety, which can help keep catastrophic thoughts at bay.
What is an example of catastrophizing?
One example of catastrophizing can be the following scenario. Say you call your friend, but they don’t pick up the phone. You leave them a message, asking them to call you back, but they still have not returned your phone call by that evening. While the reality might be that your friend is busy with work or family obligations or dealing with something stressful in their own life, if you catastrophize, you might worry that your friend is ignoring you or that they got into an accident and are too injured to return your call.
Another example could be if you have a lunch date with someone, and they’re running late. In reality, they may just be having a difficult time finding a parking spot, but if you are catastrophizing the situation, you might believe that they are standing you up on purpose or that they got into an accident rather than thinking there is a simple, reasonable explanation.
Is catastrophizing a form of OCD?
Catatrophizing is not a form of OCD, but it can be a symptom of OCD. People with OCD often amplify worst-case scenarios as a way to drive their compulsions. They may tell themselves that something bad is going to happen until they complete their rituals to avoid these catastrophic outcomes.
When people with OCD complete their rituals, it can seem that they were effective: the catastrophic scenario that they imagined didn’t happen, so they must have prevented it from happening, which can reinforce their symptoms.
What is another word for catastrophizing?
A term in psychology that is similar to catastrophizing is magnification, which occurs when a person magnifies or focuses on failures and jumps to negative conclusions.
What are the three types of catastrophizing?
Three types of catastrophizing that are sometimes referred to are downward spiral, scattershot, and circling. In a downward spiral, one negative thought triggers another and another, leading the person to imagine a disastrous out-of-proportion scenario to the original thought.
Scattershot catastrophizing is similar, except the triggered thoughts are unconnected to one another. For example, say someone gets called to their supervisor’s office for a meeting after lunch. Someone in a downward spiral might spend the morning thinking, "I just turned in my report; I must have made a mistake." Then, “If I made a mistake, I’m going to get fired. If I get fired, I’ll lose my health insurance.” At this point, someone experiencing scattershot catastrophizing might start thinking, “I’m going to lose my health insurance, so I’m going to get sick. I’m going to get a terminal disease.”
Circling involves getting stuck in a loop of imagining the worst possible outcome. Thoughts go round and round without moving forward. In the above example, someone who is circling might spend the morning thinking, “I'm going to get fired, and then I’m going to get sick” over and over again.
What triggers catastrophic thinking?
Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion, and cognitive distortions can be caused by a number of things. For example, some cognitive distortions are the result of a survival instinct, where we rely on fear and worry to stay alert for potential dangers. In some cases, catastrophizing and other cognitive distortions result from a negativity bias, which can cause us to worry about the future.
Other factors can also trigger catastrophic thinking, including chemical imbalances associated with mental health conditions, memories from traumatic events, and external factors, like social media posts or mainstream media images.
Is catastrophizing a mental health problem?
Catastrophizing in and of itself is not a mental illness, but it can impact mental health and is associated with a number of mental health conditions. Catastrophizing is associated with depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD, and it can lead to amplified and worsening symptoms of these conditions.
Is catastrophizing a symptom of ADHD?
Catastrophizing is not an official symptom of ADHD, and it is not one of the diagnostic criteria. However, catastrophizing and other cognitive distortions can be somewhat common in people with ADHD.
What kind of people catastrophize?
Catastrophizing is not limited to a certain type of person; anyone can catastrophize. That said, it may be more common in people with certain mental health conditions, like OCD, ADHD, PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
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