Catastrophic thinking

[JamesDean130]

Anyone get catastrophic thinking all day? Just ruminating over and over the same catastrophic thoughts?

[Kainan]

Yeah it's awful isn't it. I used to get those horrible thoughts all day all the time. It was just always negative, negative, negative.... I hated it and I hated myself. Any time my loved ones tried to talk to me I would always spin everything back onto me and it would turn negative automatically almost immediately. I didn't even realize it, it just happened so fast I couldn't pay attention to it. And then half hour later, I would be like ohhhh snap, here I am doing it again. It's about catching those moments. The sooner the better

[JamesDean130 in reply to Kainan]

Yes it's all day thinking I screwed up something in my past I can't fix. Over and over.

[Hidden]

It can be so hard man just try to go as easy on yourself as possible as you struggle with this illness. It can feel terrible like everyone is moving forward and enjoying life and you're just stuck but many are in that same boat they are just coping with drugs or hiding it.What type of things are bothering you so much?

[JamesDean130 in reply to Hidden]

Just past things that I can't fix. So they now are coming back to haunt me. So it's constant that I screwed up and there is no re doing the past.

[Agora1]

James, When you get a minute, I'd like you to listen to a short video on

"How to Stop Catastrophic Thinking" spoken by a Counselor,

Julia Kristina She looks you in the eyes and speaks directly to you.

Listen to her every word, I think it may help some. xx

[JamesDean130 in reply to Agora1]

Wow that was really great. I liked her page and joined her group. Thank you!

[Agora1 in reply to JamesDean130]

I'm glad you liked her. Once you find something that works

for you, practice, practice, practice. xx

[zperry4]

Yeah this shit is rotten, I get them about a lot of things. As you might know, after a while, it just becomes the style of how you think, which is horrible. I think that learning little ways to slowly gain back control of your head is useful. Meditation and mindfulness for starters. Attention training. But don’t fear it, just learn to relax your head and be at peace with it while you work to fix it.

[JamesDean130 in reply to zperry4]

Yes I have been doing mindfulness for eight weeks now. It helps. Thank you

[zperry4 in reply to JamesDean130]

Good to hear

[Booklover0219]

Yes I’ve been doing this a lot lately and I want to stop it.

[JamesDean130 in reply to Booklover0219]

Hoping it works for you.

[Want2BHappy3]

I did, I spent about 80% of the last 3 year's in bed, not eating. I've gotten better, but my health has taken a turn for the WORSE. I've been diagnosed with Diabetes, a desease that's going to make me eventually Blind. I've been having anxiety about going to sleep, Insomnia. I'm trying to keep it together

[JamesDean130 in reply to Want2BHappy3]

I'm so sorry to hear. My thoughts are with you

[Saltwater]

I do it all the time too. It is so draining and self defeating. Mine can be about anything and everything but I find that when I am upset in the present about something, I go back and play over all the negative stuff in my past. I do this as a sort of weird self defence mechanism. I am upset in the present so my brain takes me to a place that was worse and then I forget about the current problem and the past takes over again.....and I become trapped in a cycle of ruminating.

Is there perhaps something now that's bothering you and are you going over the past to forget the present? Do you find you do this more when you are stressed? If you do, this could well be your mind trying to direct you away from what is bothering you now. Negative memories are far more powerful than positive ones and they are the ones that seem to come up the most when we are upset or stressed.

I can even turn something nice, like a compliment into a fight. I must be hideous to live with as my partner is always having to reassure me and explain that it wasn't meant like that, that I am taking it the wrong way.

The thing is JamesDean130, I think I CHOOSE to take things wrong. I don't know why, but I can't seem to allow myself to be happy and think nice thoughts. I don't even think it is me that is doing it anymore, it is my brain. It's automatic. It seems wired and trained that way. It is like someone else said....a way of thinking and it becomes the norm.

Someone doesn't like me in my head and is always, always trying to take me down and make me think bad of myself and others. I am hardest on the ones I love and that's just not fair.

I often retreat to a space on my own so as not to cause this sort of upset to people. I can feel myself doing it and know why I do it, but I can't seem to make it stop. Going out of the way seems the only way for me to exist some days and that sucks.

It is so sad.....I am working on mindfulness and waiting a period before I respond with negativity or with a question. Sometimes this works for me because I forget what it is I was going to be negative about. That's how meaningless it all is because sometimes I can't even remember what upset me. I get upset by accusing others of thinking the way I have just thought. They aren't even their thoughts, they are mine but I blame them for the way I think.

It is so pointless.

You really have to try not to open Pandora's box....once you start with the negative way of thinking, it leads to more negative thoughts. Your mind will take you to a bad place and that triggers all the other negative memories in your head and you end up feeling utterly miserable. One bad thought leads to another. It's your brain trying to rescue you from your own way of thinking....it goes 'oh you think that was bad, what about when this happened??? Remember that? Then that memory opens up something else and you can't get out.

You mention that you can't fix the problems in your past so then you need to accept them. If you can't fix the past then you cannot solve this issue with any amount of ruminating. You have to learn to accept that what is done is done and get your peace back.

The thing is, JamesDean130, my ruminating and overthinking has cost me and my family dearly. I spent 18 years with gambling addiction trying to bury all my negative thoughts and I have thousands of debt now to deal with and I still have all the same problems. My mental health has spiralled because of all the overthinking and spoils my happiness every day.

You have to address the issue by accepting that there is nothing more you can do about it and move on. However hard that is. Do you think that maybe you are putting this obstacle in your way to prevent yourself from moving forward. That is what I do and it keeps you stuck in the past and stuck in the pain. Sometimes we hold on to bad memories because it is better than having no memory at all, especially if it is about a loved one, but it is harming you. If this is about a loved one, then letting go of the bad thoughts is not you letting go of a loved one. It's just letting go of the hurt. Sometimes, we can hold on to the pain as a way of holding on to someone we cared for or something that we wished we did differently and we won't let ourselves move on from it because we can't accept the way things went. Is that something you relate to at all?

I really hope you can get some peace with this. It sucks to be in your head 24/7. Focus on the now and try and keep your mind in the present. Don't wander back because it is self sabotaging since there is nothing you can do to change the past and the only thing we can do is either accept it or learn from it.

Remember.....THOUGHTS ARE NOT FACTS!

All the best.

[JamesDean130 in reply to Saltwater]

Wow this is great. I really appreciate the lengthy response. I was at my therapist today. She is starting acceptance therapy. Very much like you describe. Accepting the errors I made in the past, that I can't correct them and move forward. It's hard. It's been a rough 12 days. I increased my Prozac from 20-30mg 12 days ago and I'm thinking that is also contributing to the extra ruminating and anxiety. Thx so much.

[Saltwater in reply to JamesDean130]

You are so welcome. I have spent 30 years in my own head and you do learn a lot when you're in there! Yes, you may be right. Your levels may well be fluctuating due to your dose changes. If it doesn't settle, you can mention it to your doctor. Sometimes, these changes can improve depression but worsen anxiety. Mood can improve but you feel wired and agitated. If you find this, talk with your doctor. They may be able to find you something that will work better for you.

I have anxiety and depression but I am not treating it. I am scared to give in to the drugs. (weird fear of losing control thing) Mindfulness is a Godsend. I am able to distract myself and get out of my head when I am out in nature. Being on this site has restored my faith in human kind. So many people sharing kindness that you just don't get in 'real life'.

Stay well.

[Shutterbug65]

I know exactly what your feeling. I constantly think of my past failures and all the failed opportunities. I keep thinking I’m a failure, that I never amounted to anything. So I understand about catastrophic thinking and how it can take over your thoughts. It’s like being on a hamster wheel your stuck in the moment and you never get anywhere. If only I had made things happen instead of waiting for things to change. On and on it goes.

How are you?

[Shutterbug65 in reply to Shutterbug65]

I made a lot of mistakes in my past and I know that’s the reason I’m the way I am today. I guess that ruminating.

[Hidden]

I get caught into catastrophic thinking often when I'm trying to go to sleep. It seems that all the things I fear most -- bad accidents, losing my husband, terminal illness -- rear their ugly heads then, and I ruminate on them over and over. Scary scenarios. When I look back on my past, it seems that all I can remember are the times I've screwed up badly, not all the successful things I did. I'm going through a depressive episode right now and all my past mistakes are haunting me again. I'm trying to find a way out of this spiral. I hope you can, too.

[JamesDean130 in reply to Hidden]

Yes night and morning are the worst for me. Hoping you feel better as well

[Philjc]

Yes, I have been trying to explain this feeling to colleagues.

I know that if someone crashed through the front window, I would definitely be strong and practical enough to deal with it perfectly, but because it's an imaginary "fear" that something catastrophic is going to happen I am on edge all day, and moments after I have thought about it, I start thinking about it again, ad infinitum.

I conclude that it's a misfire in my flight or fight response, and keeping the adrenaline going (with the imagined fear) keeps me on my toes throughout the day.

The only problem , in reality is that I feel withdrawal symptoms and silly once the adrenaline drops when I get home.

( I almost feel as if I want to return to work and do more)- but that soon passes.🙂

[JamesDean130 in reply to Philjc]

Same! I know if someone broke in my house I'd fight them. But the imagine what if scenarios just ruminate over and over and I can't just say, I'll deal with it if it happens.

[Philjc in reply to JamesDean130]

The thing is, it is a learned response, you don't have to say I'll be able to deal with it if it happens.

The anxiety you feel gives you the momentum to do other things well ( it's a bit like a performer having nervous energy before a great performance- no matter how spectacular his performance, he'll feel nervous the next time - if the nerves weren't there his performance may be terrible).

x.

[Hidden]

Hi just caught that and think they call it going loopy ok in little doses but not good prolonged mate . if its an emotionall issue i guess it must be someone once told me that the thoughts are often pictures in the mind if we have a mind to we can change the pictures to nicer ones i feel i have been were you are loopy as fxxx i have been and it felt fear driven so start painting Peace and Tranquility always Yo Maxv 4