There’s a lot going on in the world and maybe in your personal life, as well. When we’re faced with uncertainty and unknowns, it can be easy to slide into spiraling and catastrophizing. In order to protect our mental health and be able to remain productive, it’s important to learn how to avoid catastrophizing.
Catastrophizing vs. Avoidance vs. Preparedness
What is Catastrophizing?
Catastrophic thinking is an emotional reaction based on irrational fear or worries about the future. Your emotional level is intense and outside the window of tolerance. When faced with uncertainty, do you imagine the worst case scenarios? These fears and worries are often not evidence-based, and lead to heightened anxiety and even depression. You might feel hopeless and paralyzed, or on the other end of the spectrum, it leads to behaviors that are extreme and unhelpful.
Example: Going on Vacation
You panic leading up to the trip. You have thoughts like, “The plane is going to crash!” “I’m going to get sick!” “There’s going to be a natural disaster!” You are projecting that something bad is going to happen. You end up overpacking and bring a lot of items that will most likely be unnecessary, which is unproductive and makes the trip more difficult. Or perhaps your anxiety is unmanageable and debilitating and you cancel the trip, taking away from experiencing joy.
Avoidance
Sometimes when people are overwhelmed by uncertainty, they avoid planning and preparing. When you are so nonchalant about everything, you don’t plan ahead, prepare, or take any precautions. It’s unproductive, and when things don’t end up working out well, you scramble, freeze, or panic at the last minute. We can’t control everything around us, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan ahead.
Example: Going on Vacation
There are too many unknowns and a lot of work to do to plan for the trip, so you wing it. You don’t book a hotel, you don’t check the weather, and you just don’t worry about it… until it’s time to go on your vacation. You arrive at your destination and don’t have a place to stay. All the hotels are booked up and you panic because you don’t know where you’re going to spend the night. It’s raining and you didn’t bring an umbrella or rain jacket. You avoided the unknowns and worries leading up to the trip, but now your trip is ruined and your anxiety and stress is through the roof.
Preparedness
It’s important to be informed about what’s going on in order to correctly prepare yourself for future possible outcomes and situations. But unlike catastrophic thinking, being prepared comes from a rational place. It’s about considering the different circumstances and a variety of outcomes (not just the worst). It is based on real-world evidence and not just fear.
Example: Going on Vacation
You planned ahead, booked your hotels, looked at other hotels in the area and their availability in case you want to extend your trip. You pack extra medication but don’t ever think, “I’m going to get sick and die!” Instead you think, “I hope I don’t get sick, but I’ll bring antibiotics just in case.” You checked the weather forecast before you left and saw there was a chance of rain, so you packed a rain jacket. You use rational thinking to pack just in case there is a time of crisis, but the evidence so far suggests there won’t be any crises to worry about.
Being Present
Practicing mindfulness and staying present can help you from catastrophizing and increasing your anxiety. When you use rational thinking, looking at the evidence, and staying present and mindful, you can put up safe guards to protect yourself and do what you can that’s within your control without spiraling. It is possible that things could go bad, but you don’t catastrophize to the point that it hurts you in the present moment. Nothing is guaranteed, anything can happen, but that doesn’t mean it will. Do what you can to be informed about the world, laws that may affect you, possible outcomes and scenarios, but don’t let it ruin your life as it is now. You can’t control everything around you and you definitely can’t control the future. Focus on what is in your control and let go of what’s outside of your control.
Stop Spiraling Thoughts
If you can’t stop yourself from having spiraling thoughts, therapy can help you find that balance between catastrophizing and avoidance, so you can be prepared for the future and feel grateful for your life in the present moment. Dr. Heather Violante provides teletherapy (online video therapy) to adults living in Florida and New York, as well as all PsyPact enrolled states (listed below). Contact her online or call (754) 333-1484 to request a HIPAA compliant online therapy session.
Offering Online Therapy in 42 States
I am a licensed psychologist in the states of Florida and New York. Additionally, I have Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) from the PSYPACT Commission. I provide telehealth (online video therapy) to adults living in the 42 participating PSYPACT states listed below. For a list of current PSYPACT participating states, please visit the PSYPACT website at: https://www.psypact.org/psypactmap.
PsyPact enrolled states:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming