Good Way to Overcome Fear

What is one thing people with anxiety are known for? Their prime commonality that is even above worry? One word:

Catastrophizing.

For many, it's not just a worry of having a panic attack or feeling a certain way in a given situation. And since most anxiety sufferers are very imaginative people (including myself), they can visualize every wrong thing that could happen in this world of what ifs. It's not just a pain in the chest, perhaps it's a heart problem, because though UNLIKELY, it isn't completely, 100% out of the realm of possibility.

This is how the mindset of those with anxiety works and I get it. I have it. For some reason there's a bit of security in worrying because since you've used it before and nothing bad had happened, it becomes habit and almost an illusion for controlling a situation.

Anyway, I'm going to work on minimizing my fears. Though it feels like I could use a hundred adjectives to describe my fear, I'm going to start downplaying my fears.

And eventually, you may just see yourself believing them, just as you did with these.

[Rob9771]

Totally agree - I have used a book called Thrive by Rob Kelly that looks at catastrophizing and teaches a method of changing the mindset.

[Hidden in reply to Rob9771]

Read the same book! I need to re read it.

[hairyfairy]

I blame my mother for my tendency towards anxiety. She was always expecting the worst. If i was 5 minutes late home from school, she`d give me the spanish inquisition! & once when I was 18, she went to the police station to report me missing because I`d gone to a party, & hadn`t come back by 11pm!

[Hidden]

Hi I totally agree with the comments maybe I should re readmy books on anxiety x

[Flowerpower_nafas]

I've followed the Rob Kelly Book, went to a Therapist who used it. It did work. I must get back to it. I Agee with everything you say. Mine is health anxiety also picked up from my mother who was always ill with anxiety but lived until she was 95! It is the what if's.

But I had a total thyroidectomy with complications a year ago, which were a complete shock to my system & the anxiety has been getting worse.

I'm 68 and going to India to do some work in about three weeks and because if all my thyroid issues, terrified I won't be able to cope and will die out there.

My husband is coming with me as my minder, but I'm so scared of letting people down by not being able to cope with all my symptoms.

I must get back to the book!

[boawoman]

Beautifully said! My goodness you have truly hit it ... Thank you so much for sharing. I am going to write this down and post it on my mirror so I can remind myself whenever I find myself catastrophiIng...you certainly have me a gift.

[Hidden in reply to boawoman]

I'm so glad it helped. Last night I was catastrophizing. I had a migraine from how I was sitting and I like ran around to grab Motrin and kept freaking out in bed. Nothing happened. It went away in two hours, and I believe it took longer cause I panicked. It's like I've never had a migraine before!! I have. I get them maybe once a year, but for some reason, I couldn't put that together.

[boawoman]

So wonderful and inspiring that you put that together and shared. Thank you so much!