Catastrophizing: How to Stop Making Yourself Depressed and Anxious: Cognitive Distortion Skill #6

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Catastrophizing is a thinking error (aka cognitive distortion) that makes you anxious, depressed, and unmotivated.
In this video, I explain what catastrophizing is, how to stop, and what to do instead.

Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

About Me:
I’m Emma McAdam. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and I have worked in various settings of change and growth since 2004. My experience includes juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, wilderness therapy programs, an eating disorder treatment center, a residential treatment center, and I currently work in an outpatient therapy clinic.

In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC
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[undeadpresident]

I think catastrophizing can be a result of previously having a more positive attitude but getting burned repeatedly.

[leycree]

the only time when i think and talk positively is when someone else is worried or anxious about something

Edit: Since a lot of people have seen my comment, I just want to say that everything will be alright and you should all take care of yourselves. I'm doing better now and if I could do it, so can you! Reach out to family and friends, or a professional if you're struggling with something <3

[Sonja]

"You don't have to believe everything you think."
I love this 💜

[asnoopy]

1. Get some sleep
2. Accept uncertainty. Build up emotional muscles.
3. Motivate yourself by what you want, not by what you fear
4. 1)notice catastrophizing 2)challenge those thoughts. Don't need to believe your thoughts, let them pass. 3) replace with more helpful thoughts. Other possible outcomes.

[lostininnerspace]

One of my favorite quotes: “My life has been a series of misfortunate events…most of which never happened to me”.

[vaskintaap]

i wouldn't wish this shit on my worst enemy. stay strong brothers and sisters, you're not alone.

[angelfernando]

I really thought that imagining the worse that could happen would make you feel better once it happens, because you haven't had much hope to begin with. It sort of became a principle in my life. I didn't realize it's a vicious cycle that keeps you continuously anxious, paranoid and alert all the time until I watched your video. Thank you.

[nilynazemzadeh]

I usually feel physically bad when I have a negative thought which interferes with me trying to be positive because that pain, nausea or bad feeling stuck with me very early making it hard to undo the damage.

[kazilziya]

Please take her advice. I'm 68yrs old now and have been trying to change all my life. After 35yrs of therapy i'm living with the guilt of not beating this. Don't give up and remember, you are valuable

[Alisha.]

This is basically me 😂 My brain is split into 3; one part is ruminating, the other part is catastrophizing and the other part is fighting to prevent the other two parts from overtaking. Sometimes I feel like my head will explode

[bookreader]

I have totally been in the midst of this thinking/overthinking, catastrophizing, anxiety, and depression cycle. It comes from a necessity to feel safe. Great video!

[runninrebel]

I overthink for the worse. Then nothing happens. I wish I didn’t care so much. Just want to be and be normal or feel normal if anything.

[jasonsands]

“You don’t have to believe everything you think.” Brilliant. These videos really help!

[dianneschoenberg]

I was always a worrier! Looking back, 99% of things I worried about never happened. Stuff happened I could have never anticipated. After 50 years, I finally have given up expecting bad things. I realized I cannot see the future, and I was making myself depressed and anxious trying to avoid pain, which usually never came. But I had screwed up the present moment! I hope others who read this and watch the video realize it much earlier in their lives! Sending love to all💜

[emma.]

Can we all just acknowledge that this woman is wonderful?! I know she makes money off these videos, which is a compensation for her time, but when you think of the amounnt of people shes helped that arent willling to or cant afford therapy its such a beautiful life spent !

[Belief_Before_Glory]

"We suffer more in imagination than in reality."
—Seneca

"You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this and you will find great strength."
—Marcus Aurelius

[ikozary]

If you're reading this please pray for me, Im loosing myself in this isolation....please

[Mindhunter]

I tend to go over every bad scenario in my mind. I think it’s because I don’t want to be caught off guard.

[cindyduong]

I started crying when you said "You can do hard things"

[jimmi-leekendall]

You have saved my life, being sent from one mental health support service and back again and around to others in a time of absolute crisis! I’ve been stuck in a anxiety and panic attack loop for about 7 months, it just hasn’t stopped. Your videos really helped me understand a lot of what was going on and had been a constant source of uplifting and a positive reinforcement on the absolute worst of days, and even on the good ones. Thank you so much for all the time you’ve put in to your channel. Single handedly you’ve done more for a lot of people than an entire funded organisation can do. Bless you x