Overcoming Catastrophizing: Finding Stability in Times of Uncertainty

In times of war, when there is no stability, it is especially scary for one's future. It becomes difficult for a person to make decisions, or they doubt the choices they have made. Dreams are forbidden for such a person, and making plans is difficult, even if these are plans for the near future. Because of this - a feeling of helplessness.

When a person faces the unknown, the brain first tries to understand what happened - the essence of events, their causes and consequences. Then it starts building predictions: how events will develop and what I should do in this case. Among all the options, the brain selects the most realistic one, and the person begins to prepare for it.

Panic Instead of Action: How Catastrophizing Prevents Us from Living

However, if it is difficult to predict the future, when it is uncertain, and at the same time negative options for the development of events seem more obvious, a person can assess the situation as a real catastrophe and start to panic. This is called catastrophizing - a cognitive distortion in which a person regards the most negative scenario as the most likely, without considering alternatives. At the same time, a person does not rely on facts, but adjusts the facts to negative thoughts, looking for confirmation of their rightness. Since the catastrophe seems so all-encompassing to a person, a real "end of the world," the person does nothing to prevent it, but simply falls into despair.

How to Destroy this Negative Scenario?

Formulate four options for the future: the first - the most terrible, the second - "medium severity," the third - realistically positive, the fourth - unrealistically positive (fabulous), in which everything will be fine, and the situation will be resolved almost by itself.

The presence of several options for the development of events will help to return to reality. It will give an understanding that no one knows exactly what the future will be, and there are always more than one options for the future.

It will also be useful every time you are scared by the thought of the future, to answer the questions: "Why am I afraid?", "For what?", "Because of what?". It may turn out that there are no reasons for panic.

These exercises will help reduce anxiety and give strength to live life here and now.