Catastrophizing: How to Stop Making Yourself Depressed and Anxious: Cognitive Distortion Skill #6

Summary

In this insightful video, Emma McAdam, a licensed marriage and family therapist, delves into the concept of catastrophizing—the tendency to expect the worst—which fuels anxiety and depression. She illustrates the issue with a gripping story and offers practical strategies to combat this cognitive distortion, including embracing uncertainty, reframing negative thoughts, and focusing on positive goals. The video encourages viewers to face life's challenges with courage and vulnerability, fostering a healthier mindset.

Takeaways

• 😨 Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion where one imagines the worst possible outcome in a situation, leading to anxiety and depression.
• 🛠️ The video provides three strategies to combat catastrophizing: ensuring good sleep, accepting uncertainty, and motivating through positive goals.
• 🚫 Catastrophizing often starts with a genuine setback and escalates into imagining disastrous consequences.
• 🧐 It's important to recognize catastrophizing thoughts, which often include exaggerated words like 'never', 'terrible', and 'fail'.
• 🤯 Catastrophizing can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where the negative expectations invite the problems one is trying to avoid.
• 💪 Challenging catastrophizing involves noticing the thought pattern, pausing to question its validity, and choosing more rational and helpful thoughts.
• 🛌 A good night's rest can improve one's ability to face challenges and reduce the impact of catastrophizing thoughts.
• 🤝 Accepting uncertainty as a part of life can help in developing emotional resilience against the negative effects of catastrophizing.
• 🏆 Motivating oneself through positive goals and values can be a healthier approach than using fear, which can lead to long-term depression and anxiety.
• 🔄 The process of overcoming catastrophizing includes noticing, pausing, exploring, and choosing better thoughts to replace the negative ones.
• 🌱 Embracing vulnerability and staying engaged in life despite the risks can lead to a more fulfilling life and prevent the paralysis caused by catastrophizing.

Q & A

What is catastrophizing according to Emma McAdam?

Catastrophizing is expecting the worst and interpreting current or future situations as catastrophes, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and a negative impact on one's life.

Why does Emma McAdam say catastrophizing can ruin your life?

Catastrophizing can ruin your life because it leads to anxiety and depression by imagining the worst possible outcomes, which can cause people to avoid opportunities and become paralyzed by fear.

What is the story of the man driving on a dark rural road and what does it illustrate?

The story illustrates the process of catastrophizing. The man gets a flat tire and, instead of calmly seeking help, he imagines a series of increasingly negative outcomes, leading to him reacting angrily and closing himself off from potential help.

How does catastrophizing start according to the script?

Catastrophizing often starts with a genuine setback, such as getting a flat tire, and then escalates as the person starts to imagine a series of negative outcomes, believing that something horrible is likely to happen.

What are the common examples of catastrophizing mentioned in the script?

Examples include an anxious person imagining losing control, a depressed person envisioning a future of constant sadness, a person fearing lifelong loneliness if they don't find love, and a teen feeling rejected if not included in a text group.

How does catastrophizing affect our motivation and opportunities?

Catastrophizing can lead to a lack of motivation and a withdrawal from life due to the belief that future outcomes are hopeless and dreary. It also closes individuals off to opportunities and options that might work, leading to a sense of paralysis.

Why do people continue to catastrophize despite its negative effects?

People continue to catastrophize because it serves a dysfunctional function, such as a coping strategy to avoid feeling risk or uncertainty, or because they believe that fear is the best motivator.

What are the three strategies Emma McAdam suggests to stop catastrophizing?

The three strategies are: 1) Start with a good night's rest to face challenges more bravely. 2) Accept uncertainty as a natural part of life and change how you think about anxiety. 3) Motivate yourself by what you want in life, using positive goals instead of fear.

How does Emma McAdam describe the process of challenging catastrophizing thoughts?

The process involves noticing when you are catastrophizing, pausing to question the validity of these thoughts, exploring alternatives, and choosing to replace them with more honest and helpful thoughts.

What is the role of vulnerability in overcoming catastrophizing according to the script?

Vulnerability is the potential for both success and getting hurt. It is essential in overcoming catastrophizing because it requires staying engaged even when there's a risk of things not going perfectly, which is the only alternative to guaranteeing failure.

How does Emma McAdam relate acceptance and commitment therapy to dealing with catastrophizing?

Acceptance and commitment therapy helps in dealing with catastrophizing by training individuals to get better at feeling and opening themselves up to the emotions that come with living the life they value. This approach helps in embracing life and its risks, joys, and loves, which can lead to overcoming catastrophizing.