Your best tips to stop catastrophic thinking

[itwillbefine]

Hi all

I could use some tips to stop the train of thought.

If I hear something I fear on the news, it takes me no more than two seconds to become convinced that if happened to someone else it is likely to happen to me. It's like my rational mind becomes convinced that my fear is rational. You know what I mean... When I hit that delicate balance and the fear seems rational to me, it is difficult to REALLY convince myself that I am not right. Statistics and all sorts of scientific arguments don't seem to hit home with me, because that bad thing did in fact happen to someone else. That one in a million.

What works for you when you're battling your own rational mind?

[Danron]

I find if I try to disprove the thoughts I can make it worse where as if I 'label' the thought as catastrophic thinking and just try to let it be there it will eventually diminish. It's really hard to do and it takes practice but starting by recognising that you are catastrosising it's a good first step. Sending hugs xxx (ps sorry for the spelling, I'm dyslexic! ��)

[uru]

Claire weekes suggests that trying to 'not think about' something won't work. You have to just accept that the thought is there.

[Danron]

Yep, thats what I mean by just letting it be there. Your not trying not to think about it, but your not engaging with it either. It's part of being mindful. I won't say its easy though, or that I'm any good at it.

[itwillbefine]

Thank you both for these valuable advice. I am trying the labelling and accepting tonight and it does give me some peace of mind. Right now my fear of flying is taking precidence over HA, which is a newer thing. But they are playful twins... Counting down to flying long distance in two weeks. Postponed the trip three months because of HA. Happy - kind of - to be Well enough to travel.

[MyNameIsTerry]

That's the OCD problem, perfectionism. One of the Cognitive Distortions is all-or-nothing thinking. The need for everything to be black or white, yes or no. We can't get these answers to everything so there are various strategies you can use to deal with.

Danron's is s useful strategy. It's part acceptance, part challenging the CBT way.

Mindfulness works well too but takes time to really learn, but it powerful. It has helped me greatly with my OCD. This teaches acceptance but 7 other concepts that reinforce each ones effectiveness over the time you learn it. I found this worked better for me because I just couldn't do acceptance alone.

Another way in CBT is using a Thought Record. With this you would use the counter evidence argument that you are struggling with but at the end you also come to a new conclusion to focus on. Perhaps a bit like the labelling but not aimed at acceptance.

I would advise you to read the Cognitive Distortions on Wiki, they are accurate. You will see where you negative thinking is potentially going wrong if you spend time learning how to spot & correct them. I did this by applying them to posts on here in learning to work on myself more since it's easier on others.

Acceptance is always going to be needed in some way, whether challenging or not because we don't live in a yes or no universe. So, we also need to apply acceptance from the angle that it is ok for such possibilities to exist.

[honeybun44]

I don't know if you are religious--if not, you may roll your eyes at this. I'm a devout Catholic, and for some reason this helps me.

I recently heard someone say that "worry is sin." Why? Because it is the opposite of trusting in God's care and what He has in store for you.

Lately, when I feel intense anxiety, I say a quick prayer, like, "Lord, please get this devil away from me! Don't let him tempt me with worry!"

Sometimes it helps sometimes it doesn't. But in general, I would say it makes me more peaceful.

[hopeful927]

Which book by Claire Weeks would be a good one for me to read on overcoming anxiety?

[23fish]

They are all good, but I would recommend Peace From Nervous Suffering or Self Help for your Nerves x

[itwillbefine]

This is a great thread for me, thanks guys.

Mynameisterry, thanks for your tips and links. Mindfulness training is on my list of things to do along with a CBT course this year. I guess I have a dozen excuses for NOT getting started with the eight weeks' programme. In your experience, is there a shortcut? I will definitely check out your resources.

Your note about accepting that there isn't a yes or no universe is almost provoking to me, because that's the core of the problem, of course. The fact that possibilities of something bad happening do exist and that no reassurance can eliminate that fact...

Honeybun44, I often wish I was religious. I have a good friend who had to have a benign brain tumour removed last year. I was amazed with his complete lack of fear. He had faith in God's plan for him. For myself, I often wish I could make some bigger sense of it all, and books I've read about mindfulness and meditation do have some religious perspective, and I'm sure it really helps.

Reading Hope and Help for your Nerves, but just a few chapters into it, so still can't say, but I like her way of writing.