Catastrophizing is a thinking pattern where a person assumes that the worst possible outcome will happen.

Is catastrophizing why humans have survived so long, and if we stopped, would we die out? To find out, we need to understand what catastrophizing is and why so many people do it. 

Our nervous system is built to spot threats around us.

These threats can be physical or emotional, and we’re always checking our surroundings to make sure we’re safe. 

For instance, if we see a sketchy person in an alley, we’ll probably avoid that area or run away.

The Overactive Stress Response and Its Impact on Health

This process happens almost automatically. Our brain looks at a situation, sees a possible threat, and triggers the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response, which is our stress reaction. 

But what happens when this stress response is too active and sees almost everything as a threat? Why does this happen? 

When we have a strong reaction to a small event — an overreaction — it shows there’s something more going on. 

Our brain is connecting the current situation to something bigger and more intense from our past. 

So, we react too strongly and often catastrophize. 

This means our big reaction is not really about what’s happening now but about something much larger from before.

We can start imagining the worst-case scenarios, jumping to conclusions about ourselves and what might happen. If we don’t deal with this and keep doing it, research shows it causes more pain and suffering. 

Laura Petrini and Lars Arne Neelen from the Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain mention studies that show catastrophizing not only increases pain and suffering but also leads to needing more medical advice, using healthcare more often, increased disability, and worse outcomes after surgery. 

This shows how important it is to have affordable healthcare and mental healthcare. 

If you’re in the U.S. and haven’t signed up for a healthcare plan, visit healthcare.gov. If you’re in crisis or need extra support, call the crisis response line at 988.

Research has a problem, there’s no agreement on what catastrophizing means. 

Different areas like pain management, anxiety treatments, or depression scales define it differently or leave out important parts. Honestly, it’s confusing to sort through all this disagreement. 

To understand catastrophizing better, I found an article by Dr. Ashley Cox titled “It’s All in Your Head: Managing Catastrophizing Before It Becomes a Catastrophe.” 

She found three aspects of catastrophizing: feeling helpless (it’s really bad and overwhelming), rumination (can’t stop thinking about how much it hurts), and magnification (worrying that something serious might happen).

Understanding Catastrophizing, Helplessness and Rumination

With these thoughts in mind, I think we can recognize and deal with catastrophizing. Let’s start with helplessness, the first thing Dr. Cox talks about. 

It was surprising to see it connected to catastrophizing, but after thinking about it, I understand why. 

Feeling powerless makes us expect the worst. 

If we think we can’t make things better, we’re more likely to catastrophize.

Now, onto the next thing. Rumination, if you’re not familiar, it’s when you can’t stop thinking about something, even if you try not to. 

Many of my patients get stuck in this cycle of negative thoughts and worry, unable to move past what’s bothering them.

They thought they needed to keep thinking about something bad, imagining all the ways it could go wrong, to be prepared. 

When I asked them about it, they said not thinking about it was scarier. 

They felt that as long as they had thought about the worst-case scenario, they could handle anything.

Investigating the Link Between Catastrophizing and Anxiety

The connection between rumination and catastrophizing is interesting because I’ve always linked rumination with anxiety. The constant worrying that comes with anxiety can also be seen as rumination. 

This made me wonder is there a connection between catastrophizing and anxiety? Looking into the research, it seems there is.

In an article on the American Medical Association’s website, Sarah Berg talks about catastrophic thoughts with psychiatrist Dr. Tom Zobler. 

He explains that catastrophic thinking is when people have trouble judging how likely certain outcomes are. 

They might think that really bad things, which are actually unlikely, are very likely to happen. Dr. Zobler says this kind of thinking can be very distressing, but it’s something many people experience.

He said that everyone does this to some degree. 

We’ve all had times when we say something to a loved one or in a meeting and worry, “Did I just ruin my job, my relationship, or something else?” It’s normal human behavior. But it’s important to realize when this worrying becomes constant and messes with our lives. 

Dr. Zobler stressed that this type of thinking might indicate an underlying anxiety problem, which can be helped with therapy and sometimes medicine.

Exploring Magnification, Distorted Perspectives and Heightened Concerns

If we keep thinking about how bad things are or could be, it’s normal to feel worse and only see the negatives. Dr. Cox talked about magnification in her research. 

It’s when we blow something small out of proportion, making it seem much bigger than it really is. 

Magnification is a way of thinking I don’t talk about much, but I’ve always liked the mental picture it creates.

When we use a magnifying glass, it’s because we want to see small things bigger. 

But when we’re having this problem, we can’t see things correctly. We might even think other people are wrong, not us, like we’re always wearing magnifying glasses on our eyes.

Understanding Magnification, Seeing Things Bigger Than They Are

I’m not trying to get too nerdy, but I really like the term “cognitive distortion” because it describes what’s going on. Our brains are giving us messed-up versions of reality. It’s like looking in a funhouse mirror or wearing the wrong glasses. 

We see things differently than they really are, which matches magnification well.

Imagine you give a presentation at work. Everything goes well; you go through your slides, make your main points, and everyone seems pleased. 

Later, your boss says, “Good job, but next time, could you talk more about how we exceeded our sales goals? That would be good.” 

Suddenly, you start to panic. You can’t stop worrying that you might lose your job. You’re sure your boss dislikes you and thinks your presentation was terrible. 

You talk to everyone who was there, asking them what they thought, and telling them you’re certain your boss wants to fire you.

Without realizing it, we’ve turned a small, helpful comment into a big issue involving many people in our office. 

It’s like taking one small mistake and thinking our life is over — like we’ll get dumped, someone will leave us, or we’ll have to move. This shows how catastrophizing works something happens, we blow it out of proportion, and we imagine the worst.

Understanding Catastrophizing, Its Impact and Solutions

Considering the research on catastrophizing, we might question if it’s essential for human survival and if stopping it would harm us. Our stress response has helped us survive, but catastrophizing, based on fear and anxiety, doesn’t seem as helpful. 

It usually makes us feel worse, not better. 

I believe giving up catastrophizing wouldn’t put us in danger; instead, it could make us much happier and healthier.

New research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is helpful. 

In a study from 2017, fibromyalgia patients who worried a lot found they could manage their pain better by noticing and changing their worrying thoughts. 

For instance, instead of thinking, “I forgot to lock the door and someone might break in,” CBT helps notice this thought and replace it with a more sensible one.

Here’s how it works, when we notice we’re thinking something off, we challenge it. 

For instance, if we’re anxious about leaving the door unlocked, we might call our partner or go back to check during our break. We tell ourselves that forgetting things is normal and everything will likely be okay before we get back.

Wrap it up

Sure, it takes practice, and we might feel nervous when we try not to catastrophize. But with time and practice, it gets easier.

In another study from 2017 (seems like a busy year for research), they found that catastrophizing is linked to a basic misunderstanding about ourselves and our environment. 

We often think the world isn’t safe, so we feel the need to stay alert. 

Interestingly, our catastrophic thoughts give us a sense of reassurance and readiness, sometimes even making us feel better.

To manage it better, we should find ways to relax. 

This could mean taking care of ourselves by eating, taking medicine, showering, drinking water, and sleeping regularly. By focusing on these things, we can become stronger and not let negative thoughts bother us as much.

After that, we can try different ways to let go of that nervous, hyper-alert feeling. 

We might stomp our feet, take a cold shower, or splash cold water on our face. Going for a walk, shaking it off, or doing deep breathing exercises can also help. 

If you have a method that helps you feel calmer, share it in the comments. You could help someone else who needs it.

I hope you found this article interesting and useful.

Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Don’t forget to share if you found it informative ❤

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