Understanding Anxiety and Catastrophising

Anxiety often traps individuals in catastrophic thinking patterns, keeping people fixated on worst case scenarios.

The Nature of Catastrophic Thinking

Catastrophic thoughts typically centre on a horrible, feared outcomes …such as job loss or relationship betrayal. These concerns can persist for many years, triggering intense physical anxiety responses whenever contemplated. The natural response involves avoidance behaviours to escape these uncomfortable sensations.

Reality vs Anxiety

When these feared events actually occur, the experience differs significantly from anticipatory anxiety. For instance, finding out you’ve lost your job would be horrible and stressful. However, because it’s a real situation, you have options. There are now practical steps that can be identified and implemented.

Moving Beyond Catastrophic Thinking

The key distinction lies in anxiety's tendency to maintain focus on the emotional intensity of potential disasters rather than facilitating productive responses. Once events actually happen, energy can be redirected towards solution-focused approaches and forward planning.

Therapeutic Implications

Recognising the difference between anticipatory distress and how little it actually helps, can be the first step in overcoming anxious thinking.

Rebecca Anderson for Navigate Psychology

Photo by Adolph Cabañas on Unsplash