Have you ever been in a situation where you don’t know what’s going to happen next, but you’re sure that it’s going to be horrible? Teens who have the catastrophizing habit automatically imagine the worst possible outcome whenever they face uncertainty, even when there is no reason to expect disaster. This habit is often called “what if?” thinking because as you brace yourself for a catastrophe, you’re also picturing what your situation will be like (awful!) when the terrible thing happens. You constantly overestimate the probability of great danger, which leads to panic and ongoing worry.
Suppose your boyfriend or girlfriend goes to spend a week of summer break with family in another state. You send a text one morning to try to stay in touch, but get no response all day. Rather than assuming a misplaced phone or a dead battery, or that your friend is just too busy to chat, your thoughts jump to the worst possible explanation: that he or she doesn’t like you anymore and probably has met somebody new. You’re so sure that the relationship is over that you can’t sleep or think about anything else.
The problem with this habit of anticipating disaster is that it causes you to get stuck in a state of alarm. Our bodies protect us when we face a true danger by pumping out adrenaline and other fight-or-flight chemicals that give us the strength or speed to fight off or escape an angry dog or a burglar, for example. Your heart races, your breathing gets rapid, and your muscles tense as you prepare to spring into action. As your blood is diverted to your muscles and away from your brain and digestive system, you may feel dizzy, light-headed, and like you might vomit. And you may break into a sweat as your body works to cool off.
These responses can be lifesaving when you are truly in danger. But your health and happiness are at risk when this cascade of reactions happens again and again unnecessarily in response to panicky thoughts. In fact, the physical sensations that accompany panic are so unpleasant that some people begin to catastrophize about how their body will react when they face a challenge. “I have to skip school today. It’s my turn to give my oral report, and I know I’m going to throw up!” Not surprisingly, the long-term effect of catastrophic thinking is chronic anxiety and a tendency to avoid fear-inducing situations. Also, when you react to a problem or other situation by freezing in fear, your mind isn’t able to find solutions or positive actions you might take.
The key to breaking this off-target thinking habit is to catch yourself predicting a terrible event (Wow, Mom’s really mad at Dad! What if they get divorced?) and take a moment for a reality check. Remind yourself that what your mind is telling you is just a thought and that a thought is not the same as the truth. If you can do that, your racing heart and fast breathing will naturally slow. Then you can begin to brainstorm some other possible (and more likely) outcomes. What has happened before when Mom has been mad at Dad? At the same time, you also remind yourself that you are a capable person, and if something awful really does happen, you have the strength to cope with it.
The payoff of breaking the catastrophizing habit is that your tendency to feel panic lessens. And your overall level of anxiety subsides as you realize that the worst almost never actually happens. Gradually, you gain confidence that what you’re facing probably won’t be so bad, and even if it is, you can handle it. This more optimistic and balanced outlook helps you stop avoiding events in your life out of fear and gives you courage to take action and try new things.
Your goal is to become a “What’s most likely true?” thinker. You’ll practice recognizing predictions of catastrophe as just thoughts, not reality—and pretty unlikely predictions, at that. The exercises in cognitive restructuring that follow will teach you to catch your off-target thoughts quickly before they cause you to panic. And you’ll brainstorm to find more realistic possibilities.
Abby’s sister Catarina was supposed to meet her in the food court at the mall half an hour ago to get pizza and see a movie. But Catarina hasn’t shown up yet and isn’t responding to Abby’s calls and texts. Abby thinks: Something terrible must have happened! She just got her license. What if she had a bad accident and is hurt?
Abby’s off-target thinking error: She immediately is convinced of the worst possible explanation for her sister’s behavior. Abby ignores all of the many possible reasons that people run late and can’t get in touch.
What she does (or doesn’t do) next as a result of her catastrophizing thought: Abby hurries back and forth from the food court to the nearest parking lot in a panicky way.
How she feels: She is very anxious and agitated.
How her body responds: Her heart races, and she starts breathing fast. Soon, she feels sweaty, nauseous, and light-headed.
Reality check: What does Abby say to herself to challenge her off-target thought? She reminds herself that she has no idea what is actually holding Catarina up and that there are many possible explanations. She asks herself, “What are some other reasons Catarina might be late? What are the chances that she had a terrible accident? If a friend were in my situation, what advice would I give her? It seems like Catarina would call me if she could, but maybe her phone is dead.”
Abby’s helpful thought and action plan: Catarina is probably stuck in traffic, and she can’t text or call while she’s driving! Serious accidents don’t happen very often. Let me just take a deep breath to calm down and wait ten more minutes. If I still haven’t heard from her, I’ll call Mom at work and see what she thinks I should do.
The payoff: How do the helpful thought and action plan improve Abby’s situation? Once Abby identifies a less dire (and more likely) explanation for Catarina’s failure to show up or call, her panic subsides. So do the unpleasant sensations of a rapid heartbeat, light-headedness, and breathlessness. She can begin to problem solve. Having a plan for what to do next gives her a sense of control, which also helps ease her anxiety. As you’ll discover, recognizing catastrophic thoughts for what they are—just thoughts—will go a long way toward helping you approach life with optimism rather than fear.
Activity 1: Practice the Steps
Luke is a good student, but he’s had so much homework this week that he’s starting to think he hasn’t studied enough for a major history test tomorrow. He really wants to ace the test because it’ll account for a big chunk of his final grade in the class. And as he starts to think about college and where he might like to apply, he can see that this year’s grades will be important. He thinks, What if I fail this test? I might have to repeat the class! I’m not going to get into college if I blow it.
What was Luke’s off-target thinking error?
What do you think Luke does (or doesn’t do) next as a result of his catastrophizing thought?
|
Sad |
Disgusted |
Confused |
Worried |
|
Angry |
Amused |
Furious |
Alone |
|
Helpless |
Anxious |
Intimidated |
Fearful |
|
Irritable |
Comfortable |
Distressed |
Uncomfortable |
|
Gloomy |
Energized |
Embarrassed |
Sorry |
|
Tearful |
Shaky |
Panicked |
Scared |
|
Disappointed |
Hurt |
Misunderstood |
Neutral |
Other(s):
How do you think his body responds? (Circle all that apply.)
|
Feels shaky |
Muscles tense |
Heart races |
Gets lump in throat |
|
Breathes rapidly |
Feels sluggish |
Gets sweaty |
Feels cold |
|
Hands get clammy |
Feels nauseous |
Feels dizzy |
Jaw clenches |
|
Stomach gets upset |
Muscles relax |
Frowns |
Gets headache |
|
Feels energetic |
Face reddens |
Gets fidgety |
Feels spacey |
|
Gets stomach cramps |
Face scrunches up |
Fists clench |
Mouth feels dry |
Other(s):
Reality check: What can Luke say to himself to challenge his off-target thought? Luke can think about his previous performance and ask himself: “How many times have I failed a history test? How likely is it, based on what I know of the material, that I will fail this time? Plus, I can make time to study tonight.” In the same way, he can ask himself how likely it is that he would have to repeat the class or miss out on college even if he does blow the test. Write down what Luke can say to himself after considering these questions to challenge his off-target thought.
Luke’s helpful thought and action plan: I’ve learned most of the material already, and I usually do well on tests. I’ll make sure I review everything again and get a lot of sleep tonight! Even if I do get a low grade on this test, I have lots of time to bring all of my grades up before applying to college. I’ll keep studying hard and do my best, and I’ll get into a good school.
The payoff: How do the helpful thought and action plan improve Luke’s situation? Consider the impact on his mood, physical sensations, behavior, and relationships.
Do you often find yourself in a panic and braced for disaster? Try taking these steps yourself.
Activity 2: Change Your Own Thinking Habit
Remember a time when you automatically catastrophized that something terrible was bound to happen. Describe the circumstances and how your thinking was off-target.
What did you do (or not do) next as a result of your catastrophizing thought?
How did this thought make you feel?
How did your body respond?
Reality check: What could you have said to yourself to challenge your off-target thought? Some possibilities: “How likely is the worst-case scenario? Is there any evidence that it’s apt to happen? What are five other things more likely to happen? If something bad does happen, how could I cope? What would I tell a friend who had the same thought?” After considering these questions, write down what you could have said to yourself to challenge the thought.
What is a more realistic and helpful thought you might have had instead?
Describe your action plan:
The payoff: How would this helpful thought and action plan have improved your situation? Consider the impact on your mood, physical sensations, behavior, and relationships.
Clearly, there’s a big benefit in breaking the habit of expecting catastrophe! You want to practice redirecting your thinking toward more realistic alternatives as soon as you catch yourself predicting disaster and before panic kicks in. Mastering this ability will save you a huge amount of needless anxiety and give you a much more upbeat, healthy outlook on what lies ahead.
Read each example of off-target catastrophizing in the left-hand column on the next page. Challenge it by asking yourself how likely it is to happen. Think about what you might tell a friend who was having this thought. Then draw a line to match the thought with a more helpful, realistic thought from the other column.
It’s natural to worry a little when you’re faced with uncertainty. But as this exercise illustrates, the worst-case scenario is rarely very likely to occur. In your own life, that becomes clear as you practice listing the many more-probable possibilities. As you focus on the possibilities that are realistic, you feel much calmer and more hopeful.
The habit of believing the worst is bound to happen results in needless panic and worry and eventually to chronic anxiety. Blowing the danger out of proportion also tends to make you retreat from problems or challenges rather than thinking up creative ways to meet them head on. The idea is to interrupt this process and practice reading situations more accurately, which allows you to react in an effective way instead of with panic. Sometimes, of course, bad things do happen, and your fears will be justified. So it is important to remind yourself that, should disaster strike, you have the strength and the smarts to figure out how to cope.
Remember: