The scariest part about this is the waiting for whatever it is you’ve convinced yourself will happen. It’s so crippling that you literally don’t want to move/live because “what’s the point when it’s coming for you anyways?”
I've learned, through therapy and a lot of struggling and reflection, that my catastrophizing was learned thinking from my mother and other family members. Doom and gloom. It was hard, still is, to change the habit of immediately thinking everything will end in disaster. I learned to lean into the worries and fears....so what if everything ends in disaster? When I go further with the thoughts, peace comes about. Mindfulness helped me, I learned some exercises from that book "30 Days to Reduce Stress" by Harper Daniels and through other books like the Tao Te Ching.
Same here, my mother used to catastrophize everything in life that would happen to me. That behavior really impacted my upbringing and my mental state. Now I'm like her and when I talk to her about it, she gets thrown off.
Really, really struggling with anxiety right now. I've made a mistake, already been punished for it yet I still feel things are going to get worse. It's ridiculous. It's done now, there is nothing more to come.
The problem is I can never convince myself that I'm just catastrophizing. My brain always comes up with reasons why the fear is valid, ave the feelings of panic and nerves going haywire typically override my ability to even think about it. It's as if my thoughts aren't working. 😢
I've got the same problem. My brain refuses to accept that the stories it invents aren't true. The only way I can sometimes deal with this is by focusing on my breathing and, at the same time, watching the thoughts. Arguing with them is pointless.
Thank you so much for this really helpful video! I tend to catastrophy things in my life a lot and this technique is super helpful. I’m taking a therapy sessions and I learned to plan problem solving the way you are suggesting. Once I have a plan it makes everything easier in my life. And I also learned to think about positive outcomes as well, not only about worse cases. Now I started noticing this pattern of thoughts and questioning myself is it really true. It turned out that I learned this way of thinking from my mom and still can’t get rid of it. I’m learning mindfulness and hand embroidery is perfect for me. Sometimes I do crochet 🧶 and beading.
This was very helpful, thank you! I always find that it is very difficult to just stop negative behaviour (i.e. catastrophizing thoughts), it is much easier and long term successful for me, if I can find an alternative behaviour that can replace the negative behaviour. E.g. if you want to stop smoking, don’t just try to stop, maybe everytime you have the urge to light a cigarette, instead make yourself a cup of tea and take it outside with you in the fresh air, inhale/breathe deeply, get all the benefits (short break, outside, fresh air, deep breathing) but substitute the bad parts with something good or at least less harmful. So when you talked about replacing unproductive worry with productive worry and explained what productive worry looks like, that really clicked for me. I had not heard this suggestion before. This is exactly the positive substitute I need to be able to quit catastrophizing. I found this video very helpful, thank you so much! 😊
I thought I was really unusual/weird for doing this, reassuring to hear it's quite common. I did this for eleven years over a property boundary issue, in the end it was nothing. Thanks
I've been through this heavily through 2020-2021 and still kind of is now and you're spot on with this video everybody it's going to be ok keep praying do as much calming down techniques as possible and get around some strong positive encouragement but also most important keep taking positive actions to conquer your problems one at a time
I actually was diagnosed with a horrible disease, its causing me anxiety so bad. But my worry is more toward my husband, "what if" it gets worse how will we do this or that and money issues if things get worse. He can't drive due to his own health problem so we rely completely on me to. I worry if i can't i don't know what we'll do, cause we don't have anyone to help us. Those are my main worries. I use to never worry or have anxiety until my physical health took a big the past 3 years plus menopause came along.
My two cents here, I think our ego's main goal is to keep us exist, so it naturally wants to make sure we are safe, by mapping out the worst scenarios, its intent is to help up prepare for the worst outcome. The things we catastrophize are associated with what we care the most, in turns, are the things we fear the most if it goes the other direction
Its all a matter of what if.You need to boil it down to what if it did....then what...what could you do and what will happen...Ask yourself what will really happen....and will it really be that bad ...and most of the time it never happens at all.
This was very helpful. I go into major catastrophizing over the health of my immediate loved ones (wife, children, grandchildren). Any little thing because the worse possible scenario. I find that when I come out of it, I am still rattled and depressed for a while. Like still reacting to a bad movie I saw, days after I saw it.
This video is so helpful. First, just hearing someone verbalizing the things plaguing my mental health already helps tremendously. Also, I've been able to identify why I've been catastrophizing about my cats' health and overthinking every little thing about them. I had a young cat die very suddenly with no symptoms and no warnings and my brain has been stuck there ever since. I've been spending too much mental energy on unproductive worries and I need to switch to taking workable steps.
I started catastrophizing when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 3 years ago. The first year I thought I was going to die which I haven't. But I am still tormented by catastrophizing. That my Parkinson's is going to put me in a wheelchair or worse than that make me bed ridden. I would sure love to know how to stop catastrophizing about Parkinson's. Can you help me?
So sorry to hear this. Honestly, catastrophizing is catastrophiz ing no matter how serious the problem… I know that is super hard when one has a progressive or chronic illness, but it is true. Planning is reasonable. Catastrophizing will make you miserable and not helpful. The same techniques as are in this video (and others of mine on anxiety) would apply. Truly! I hope this is helpful … wishing you the best.
This is great - thank you - I will try to put this into practice! Please may I ask, do you have any advice about how best to support a loved one who is the victim of a narcissist? Thank you ❤
So would it be considered catastrophizing if you were almost in an accident " you are fine" ,but the anxiety keeps throwing up the worst " could've happened " senerio. Or is it something else?
Is still catastrophizing because you still fine just because you were almost hit let’s say by a car it doesn’t mean is going to happen again but you mind still saying is going to happen is not easy
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The scariest part about this is the waiting for whatever it is you’ve convinced yourself will happen.
It’s so crippling that you literally don’t want to move/live because “what’s the point when it’s coming for you anyways?”
You are not alone 😌
This is so true to what I have been experiencing for the last 2 months..how are you dealing with it
You hit the nail right on the head
I've learned, through therapy and a lot of struggling and reflection, that my catastrophizing was learned thinking from my mother and other family members. Doom and gloom. It was hard, still is, to change the habit of immediately thinking everything will end in disaster. I learned to lean into the worries and fears....so what if everything ends in disaster? When I go further with the thoughts, peace comes about. Mindfulness helped me, I learned some exercises from that book "30 Days to Reduce Stress" by Harper Daniels and through other books like the Tao Te Ching.
I've figured out that I got it from my mom too people who haven't healed themselves will bleed on you
Yessss! It's like that Adam Sandler skit.
NOOO THEY'RE ALL GOING TO LAUGH AT YOU!!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Same here, my mother used to catastrophize everything in life that would happen to me. That behavior really impacted my upbringing and my mental state. Now I'm like her and when I talk to her about it, she gets thrown off.
Really, really struggling with anxiety right now. I've made a mistake, already been punished for it yet I still feel things are going to get worse. It's ridiculous. It's done now, there is nothing more to come.
The problem is I can never convince myself that I'm just catastrophizing. My brain always comes up with reasons why the fear is valid, ave the feelings of panic and nerves going haywire typically override my ability to even think about it. It's as if my thoughts aren't working. 😢
I've got the same problem. My brain refuses to accept that the stories it invents aren't true. The only way I can sometimes deal with this is by focusing on my breathing and, at the same time, watching the thoughts. Arguing with them is pointless.
If i stop catastrophising then the bad things will come to fruition. Thats how things work, my constant fear will keep it from happening.
Exactly! I feel the same…how do u stop it
This was very helpful. I torture myself when waiting for test results.
Thank you so much for this really helpful video! I tend to catastrophy things in my life a lot and this technique is super helpful. I’m taking a therapy sessions and I learned to plan problem solving the way you are suggesting. Once I have a plan it makes everything easier in my life. And I also learned to think about positive outcomes as well, not only about worse cases. Now I started noticing this pattern of thoughts and questioning myself is it really true. It turned out that I learned this way of thinking from my mom and still can’t get rid of it.
I’m learning mindfulness and hand embroidery is perfect for me. Sometimes I do crochet 🧶 and beading.
This was very helpful, thank you! I always find that it is very difficult to just stop negative behaviour (i.e. catastrophizing thoughts), it is much easier and long term successful for me, if I can find an alternative behaviour that can replace the negative behaviour. E.g. if you want to stop smoking, don’t just try to stop, maybe everytime you have the urge to light a cigarette, instead make yourself a cup of tea and take it outside with you in the fresh air, inhale/breathe deeply, get all the benefits (short break, outside, fresh air, deep breathing) but substitute the bad parts with something good or at least less harmful.
So when you talked about replacing unproductive worry with productive worry and explained what productive worry looks like, that really clicked for me. I had not heard this suggestion before. This is exactly the positive substitute I need to be able to quit catastrophizing. I found this video very helpful, thank you so much! 😊
I thought I was really unusual/weird for doing this, reassuring to hear it's quite common. I did this for eleven years over a property boundary issue, in the end it was nothing.
Thanks
I've been through this heavily through 2020-2021 and still kind of is now and you're spot on with this video everybody it's going to be ok keep praying do as much calming down techniques as possible and get around some strong positive encouragement but also most important keep taking positive actions to conquer your problems one at a time
This is me which has lead me into a depression :( I thank you for this Barbara! You have hit it on the head!
I actually was diagnosed with a horrible disease, its causing me anxiety so bad. But my worry is more toward my husband, "what if" it gets worse how will we do this or that and money issues if things get worse. He can't drive due to his own health problem so we rely completely on me to. I worry if i can't i don't know what we'll do, cause we don't have anyone to help us. Those are my main worries. I use to never worry or have anxiety until my physical health took a big the past 3 years plus menopause came along.
Hoy RUclips me recomendó tu canal, hoy RUclips me hizo uno de los mejores regalos de este año. Un fuerte abrazo desde Argentina. 🌷
Thank you Barbara you are the best!
My two cents here, I think our ego's main goal is to keep us exist, so it naturally wants to make sure we are safe, by mapping out the worst scenarios, its intent is to help up prepare for the worst outcome. The things we catastrophize are associated with what we care the most, in turns, are the things we fear the most if it goes the other direction
Yes! This makes sense to me. TY.
This is so incredibly helpful! Thank you.
Thank you for teaching about this topic! I appreciate the calming tips.
Thank you 🙏 very helpful … I find a useful way of interrupting the rising panic can be laughing at it …
Thank you, Barbara!
Brilliant advise
Helpful. thank you
Thumbs up very practical information thx
Glad it was helpful!
Its all a matter of what if.You need to boil it down to what if it did....then what...what could you do and what will happen...Ask yourself what will really happen....and will it really be that bad ...and most of the time it never happens at all.
I always end with “What’s the worst? Dead?”😂😂😂
I can sometimes shut it down by reminding myself I am telling a story and storytime sucks!
Thank you so much! Metacognition right?
GOOD TIPS👍🏻
Love and gratitude. I learn a lot from your videos! Thank you ❤🇨🇦🍂
Me too.
Would this have it's roots in ruminating?
One step at a time first things first
But what if your mind is right
this was very helpful and resonates, much appreciated Barbara for your insights. I can tell your good at this.
11:10 Label it!
I LOVE labels!!
(But she MIGHT be talking about a different label…)
Is there any way I can message you directly. You will change my life pls 😢
Onlyonly thE REal Rightright otherwise Notnotnotnot EvEr
Im afraid of my mind
This was very helpful. I go into major catastrophizing over the health of my immediate loved ones (wife, children, grandchildren). Any little thing because the worse possible scenario. I find that when I come out of it, I am still rattled and depressed for a while. Like still reacting to a bad movie I saw, days after I saw it.
Mine is always money, but it is based on a narcissistic marriage to a woman that abused and bankrupted me. I have become an anxious mess!
Thank you so much for this. I catastrophise a lot and the ideas here are so helpful. I will be watching this agin.
You’re so helpful!!! Thank you so much for your video, you are amazing! ❤
Thank you.
This video is so helpful. First, just hearing someone verbalizing the things plaguing my mental health already helps tremendously. Also, I've been able to identify why I've been catastrophizing about my cats' health and overthinking every little thing about them. I had a young cat die very suddenly with no symptoms and no warnings and my brain has been stuck there ever since. I've been spending too much mental energy on unproductive worries and I need to switch to taking workable steps.
Thank you.
I try to steer these thoughts to funny, absurd and happy. Think minions to the rescue. If I can do this occasionally, I may change my subconscious
I started catastrophizing when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 3 years ago. The first year I thought I was going to die which I haven't. But I am still tormented by catastrophizing. That my Parkinson's is going to put me in a wheelchair or worse than that make me bed ridden. I would sure love to know how to stop catastrophizing about Parkinson's. Can you help me?
So sorry to hear this. Honestly, catastrophizing is catastrophiz ing no matter how serious the problem… I know that is super hard when one has a progressive or chronic illness, but it is true. Planning is reasonable. Catastrophizing will make you miserable and not helpful. The same techniques as are in this video (and others of mine on anxiety) would apply. Truly! I hope this is helpful … wishing you the best.
May 15, 2024
Love the video God bless
Omg 9:40➡️
😬
This is great - thank you - I will try to put this into practice!
Please may I ask, do you have any advice about how best to support a loved one who is the victim of a narcissist? Thank you ❤
how are these thoughts don’t stop aghhh. God save us
Thank you i really need to hear this
So would it be considered catastrophizing if you were almost in an accident " you are fine" ,but the anxiety keeps throwing up the worst " could've happened " senerio. Or is it something else?
Is still catastrophizing because you still fine just because you were almost hit let’s say by a car it doesn’t mean is going to happen again but you mind still saying is going to happen is not easy
Thank you, this video is very helpful. I've been catastrophizing my whole life and I'm trying to get it under control.
This is brilliant. Thanks
this is me!