Why can't i rationalise situations?

[molrol]

One thing that always strikes me when i have a flare up of anxiety is how quickly i lose the ability to rationalise the situation.


For example, today my boss sent me an email reminding me that some information was confidential. I already knew this, but this email pressed on me the seriousness of this information and instantly i recall having a very informal chat with someone about this information. I can't exactly remember what i said but i know we talked about it and i possibly said too much. Instantly i'm panicking. I'm shaking, cold sweats, can't eat and generally can't get it out of my mind. I spoke to my workmate and told him i was worried i might have said too much and his response was 'don't worry about it, even if you have said something just wait until you see this person again and ask them not to say anything.' I have spoken to him 3 or 4 more times this afternoon, reasking him whether it's a big deal or not and he keeps replying that it isn't, i shouldn't worry and forget about it.

Why can't i? Why can't i rationalise it like he can? Im sat here panicking going over worst case scenarios and freaking out about something that someone else has said they wouldn't even give a second thought to!!

[Sam Winter]

when we go into panic mode there so much adrenaline that the body think it needs(as it believe you're in danger) so it takes energy from other places, thats why we shake, and why we can't digest food as easily, we can't think rationally because when we're in panic mode thinking ain't important to the body so our brain becomes covered in a fog and then it can't think straight, it's something common but really annoying, i find it helps to stay calm and ask yourself, is what i thinks gonna happen a fact or opinion? will this matter in six months time? i'm i really doomed or is it fixable? ect, alot of the time you'll find you say no to these answers xx

[beatroon]

Hi there,

It can be really hard to be rational when we're in a panic. I had a similar situation to this when I lost my work keys - I was terrified I'd be sacked and of course, nothing like that actually happened at all.

This style of thinking is called catastrophising and it's good that you recognise when you are starting to do it. I've found that resisting the urge to seek reassurance is the way through it, as it's basically a form of checking and it only fuels the need for more reassurance. It's SO tempting to, for example, keep asking your work colleague to reassure you it will all be OK, but in the long run the goal would be to reassure yourself quietly, and understand that you are catastrophising about unlikely possible terrible outcomes!

It's really hard to do, but mindfulness techniques, deep breathing etc can all help you weather the storm. Perhaps you can gradually practise rationalising situations, by asking for reassurance less and less as time goes on. It can also help to keep a worry diary, where you store up your worries and look at them only once a day. It's hard at first but gets easier and it feels like a real triumph by the end. I use an app called iWorry (hilarious I know) and enter my anxieties in it as I go, then work through them in the evenings.

Good luck!