Sometimes, when someone you love does not pick up your call, all the negative thoughts rush into your mind, and you become anxious. This is a simple example of catastrophizing. People who do it often don’t realize they are exaggerating. They do not realize they are worrying without any real problem and impacting their mental and behavioral health. People who suffer from anxiety disorders like panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or social anxiety disorder are the victims of catastrophizing. In this blog, we will discover the meaning of catastrophizing, its causes, and its treatment of catastrophizing
What is Catastrophizing?
Catastrophizing is a belief that even in the most unrelated situation, the worst possible outcome would happen. This type of behavior is a sign of anxiety or depression. Catastrophizing involves persuading yourself that a situation is far worse than it actually is or is likely to be. It is one of the poor coping mechanisms for dealing with your anxiety and depression.
Your perception of reality is disturbed by catastrophic thinking. Doctors usually call this “magnifying” because the person assumes the situation to be much worse than it actually is. It is not easy to break free from catastrophizing because it can be built up because of traumatic experiences. One example is failing an exam and thinking that you won’t get a job after this.
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Catastrophizing Symptoms
When facing a simple problem, feeling trapped in your thoughts, having negative self-talk, and racing thoughts are the signs your thoughts are catastrophic. People with other mental health disorders like anxiety and depression are also included in signs of catastrophizing.
What Causes Catastrophizing
The actual reason for catastrophizing is unknown. Catastrophizing can be a coping technique a person might have learned from his loved ones or from the ones he usually interacts with. The other reason is genetics, and it is also related to many other mental health disorders like anxiety, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and OCD.
Catastrophizing and chronic pain are usually linked together. People with chronic pain usually think that they might not recover from this pain and that they will have to die with this pain. This type of thinking leads them to anxiety and other issues, also causing mental health issues and also with physical pain. Fatigue is one of the common issues related to physical health in catastrophizing.
Anxiety and depression may also be associated with catastrophizing thoughts along with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
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Identify Catastrophic Thinking
It is very important to understand catastrophic thinking because most of the time, people do not realize they are engaging in catastrophic thinking. Catastrophizing is a common issue among people, and almost every one of us has experienced it in our lifetime regarding our schools, relationships, and friendships. If you think you are a victim of catastrophizing, you need to recognize it by asking questions like: Why do I catastrophize? And if you feel catastrophic anxiety, then hope is the one thing you need to stick to.
In psychology, catastrophizing is not a mental health disorder, but it is better if you tell someone about your thoughts and how they are impacting your daily life to get better. But be assured that if you do not want to tell someone, you are not alone, and do the following steps to get better.
How to Stop Catastrophizing?
Time, commitment, and a consistent and continuous effort can help you regain your mental health if you stick to hope and believe in yourself. Sometimes, it can be different to deal with catastrophizing if you have been using it as a coping mechanism for a long time. But with effort and hope, you can stop being catastrophic.
- Find out the thoughts that are catastrophic, and when you feel these thoughts are arising, believe in yourself and talk to yourself: “Nothing is real, and I can control my thoughts”.
- Indulging yourself in activities like deep breathing, laughing therapy, meditation, or mindfulness can help when these thoughts arise in your mind.
- Negative thinking can be controlled by self-care practices such as getting eight hours of sleep daily, eating a nutritious diet, and exercising for at least thirty minutes daily.
- Reframe your thoughts by imagining positive results until you believe them in response to these negative, worst-case situations.
- Schedule a worry session with yourself to understand and think about your fears for a small amount of time. This helps in recognizing the triggers for catastrophizing.
- Talking to a friend or a family member about your situation of catastrophizing can also help you deal with these circumstances.
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Treatment of Catastrophizing in Psychology
While catastrophizing is not a mental health condition, it is closely associated with other mental disorders, so therapy can clearly help with catastrophic thoughts. Psychotherapy is usually used for the management of catastrophic thoughts. There are various types of psychotherapy, including marriage therapy, CBT, and couples therapy. If we go specific, then cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is used to control the negative thoughts caused by catastrophizing.
CBT understands your thought patterns and then provides coping techniques against these negative thought patterns. CBT understands these negative patterns and replaces them with positive ones. That is why it is used to treat many other mental health conditions like schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), and psychosis.
Other types of therapies used for catastrophizing in psychology include Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). It is usually used to treat bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, a primary cause of catastrophizing, helps in managing emotions, and can be used for catastrophizing. Anxiety and depression usually come with catastrophizing but can also be cured with acceptance and commitment therapy. This therapy is also a treatment option for catastrophizing.
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Medications
As it is associated with a mental health condition, the medicines that are used to treat the associated mental health conditions can help manage catastrophizing. But the point to understand is there is no specific medicine that is used to treat catastrophizing.
Looking for Catastrophizing Therapy?
If you are looking for therapy options for catastrophizing, Solid Foundation Psychiatry is the best place to get catastrophizing therapy. We have experts who offer evidence-based solutions for catastrophizing with a customized approach. Whether you are looking for telehealth solutions or clinical solutions, our telepsychiatry and clinical approach are unique and best for people. Book your appointment now and get telepsychiatry from the comfort of your home.
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Conclusion
Catastrophizing influences many people during times of stress. It might not be a mental health condition, but it is related to many mental disorders. However, if it interferes with daily life and functioning, it may be a sign of depression or anxiety. Sometimes, it can cause chronic pain as well. To treat catastrophizing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy are used. A psychotherapist can help a person manage catastrophizing thoughts, and the best place to get one is Solid Foundation Psychiatry.