'Catastrophising'

We've all the feeling that sometimes the results of certain events can produce a negative aftermath. For some people, this can happen to extreme levels. I thought the covering photo for this post, of a house on fire, was an apt representation of the processes one can go through mentally. Catastrophising is an irrational thought a lot of us have in believing that something is far worse than it actually is. Essentially, people end up "magnifying" the potential results. Catastrophising can generally can take two different forms: making a catastrophe out of a current situation, and imagining making a catastrophe out of a future situation. Both acts can limit opportunities in life, work and personal relationships. It can also have an impact on our entire outlook in life. We may then go on to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure, disappointment, and underachievement. It is clear from the above that a strong connection between the act of catastrophising and both anxiety and depression begins to form. I must say now, as I have done in previous posts on anxiety and depression, they are both individual; people exhibit different symptoms. Therefore, the act of catastrophising may not apply to everyone. There can also be a significant link between catastrophising and chronic illness, as demonstrated by recent research. In this piece, I look at what contributes to catastrophising, how to curb it and my experiences. As usual, I'll round up with some useful links at the bottom. Before diving in, I just want to make this clear (I thought this was a fantastic message and wanted to include it - you can see the full, original piece here):

"It is very easy to dismiss catastrophising as over-exaggeration. However, it is often not intentional or that simple. People may feel they have no control over their worries, and it can have a significant impact on their health."

Some prime examples of catastrophising are as follows:

• "If I fail this test, I will never pass school, and I will be a total failure in life because I won't ever get a good job and will never be financially stable."

• "If I don't recover quickly from this procedure, I will never get better, and I will be disabled my entire life."

• "If my partner leaves me, I will never find anyone else, and I will never be happy again. I will die alone."

Typically, the likelihood of catastrophising can increase when certain things are involved. Here, I'll talk about the three big contributors to catastrophising: ambiguity, value, and fear. Firstly, ambiguity: vague messages can be both positive or negative. However, a person cannot know which of these it is with a bare message such as "we need to talk" (a message we've all received at one point in our lives) as there is no further information available. Consequently, they may start to imagine the worst news. The second contributor is value. Many people have relationships and situations that they hold in high esteem. The result of this is that it too lean towards a tendency to catastrophise; the reason for this is the loss or difficulty of the important relationship/situation/event can become harder to deal with owing to its significance. The final contributor is fear. This is probably the biggest contributor to catastrophising, especially when we consider irrational fears. If a person is scared of something, they could start to think about all the bad things that may result from engaging, participating or interacting with it. This applies even if the thing they are scared of is minor in nature. For example, many people have fear of dentists. A person who catastrophises could start to think about all the bad things that could result from this appointment, even if they are just going for a routine check-up.

There are many ways in which catastrophising can be addressed. The first is the most obvious and one that is very difficult to bring into practice: acknowledging that unpleasant things happen. It is important to remember that although you are experiencing a bad day, this does not mean every day will be bad. The second is recognising when your thoughts are irrational. A big step forward towards dealing with catastrophising is to recognize when you are doing it. Once you are able to track this, the sooner you will be able to begin to turn your focus on actually refraining from catastrophising. It may be best to log this information when it happens in the form of a diary. This does not have to include too much information, just try to be as objective as possible, what you thought about, and then what your reaction or behaviours were. It will become clear over time that catastrophising usually follows a distinct pattern. A person will start with a thought, which will then expand on the thought with worry and anxiety. As I mentioned in a previous post, this for me is known as "the rainforest effect". Once you are able to recognise the cycle, you will be able to stream your thoughts and change your course of thinking. Another fantastic way of combating catastrophic thoughts is to use repetitive positivity. For some people, this will include thinking of positive outcomes (or less negative ones to start with as it's extremely hard to make the transition immediately from my experience!) and giving themselves positive reassurance. It is crucial that a person believes in themselves and they can overcome their tendency to fear the worst. A simple act of looking in the mirror in the morning and giving yourself a small pep-talk may help. A final tip is to make sure you use self-care to your advantage. Catastrophic thoughts are much more likely to take over when combined with fatigue or stress. It is therefore essential to get enough rest and to engage in stress-relieving techniques or activities, such as exercise or meditation. Of course, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can also assist with giving you the tools to tackle this.

Those of you who know me well know that this is probably one of my most defining thought processes. I would completely concede that assessment as 100% accurate. When I go through a moment of catastrophic thinking, all logic goes out of the window. The worst thing for me is that I know it's completely ridiculous; the tussle I have with my mind is sustained for such a long time it becomes frustrating. Usually, it is a very small thing that results in a massive inflation of the potential fallout. For me, prime examples include essay submissions and a large overlap with my projects in law. When I sit and reflect on my past experiences, I've found that catastrophic thoughts have been there since my GCSEs at least: there appears to be a knock-on effect with my education. I think over time, it manifested itself into other forms, some of which are much more personal and close to home.

Thankfully, I've begun curbing my catastrophic thoughts. I started CBT at UCL in August/September time and began to address the cycle I went through. During my sessions, I would go through a diary of events which had taken place during the week. After a few weeks, and with the help of my therapist, I was able to start formulating flow charts of my negative thought processes. Seeing how the cycles overlap and interact was quite surprising to start with, but made complete sense when I took the time to actually consider the links in the chain. From there, I was able to recognise both when I was catastrophising and what to do to get out of that line of thinking. This includes a combination of positive thinking and applying logic to those thoughts. I have also found my sport commitments in football and more recently, running, have helped with this too. When I combine either of them with daily meditation, I do notice my thoughts are generally clearer and happier. There are also, however, times when I lose the battle with catastrophising. In those circumstances, I find it is much easier to discuss what I'm feeling with someone and to get it into the open. For me, having a second perspective can really help see things from different angles. As I have said in previous posts, this is not a finished product for me; I still have a lot of learning to do but am thankful for the progress I've been making. That said, I know it takes time, effort and patience, but ultimately, it is worth it.

I trust that this blog post has been helpful. Before I round off, here are some great links which I hope are of assistance:

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320844.php

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/friendship-20/201611/5-ways-stop-catastrophizing

• https://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-catastrophizing/

• https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/catastrophizing

Remember: you are a beautiful human being. You are loved. You matter. You have so much good that you can offer this world.

Until next time,

J x