No, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. All anxious people tend to blow their problems out of proportion to at least some extent. Sure, some people do it more than others, but the reality is that if you feel anxious you tend to view minor problems as potential nightmares.
The question is why? Why do otherwise rational human beings torture themselves like this? To my mind, much of this has to do with the fundamental nature of anxiety itself. We can use many words to describe what that is, but most basically it boils down to anticipation. And if you want to get real specific, you could say that at its heart anxiety is the expectation of danger.
There’s more to it, of course, but when you think about it in these terms it makes complete sense why anxious people create soaring mountains of terror from little more than a hand full of dirt. This happens because anxiety creates a heightened state of vigilance and a deep-seated need for safety that is often satisfied by worry and mental preparation for the absolute worst-case scenario. Unfortunately, the more you maintain this heightened state of vigilance the more anxious you’ll become and the more you will catastrophize. It’s a cruel cycle, indeed.
In this week’s episode of The Anxiety Guru Show we’ll explore:
- Additional factors that contribute to catastrophizing
- What you can do to decrease this unpleasant mind game
- How I dealt with this specific problem
- And other ramblings in-between
Listen to The Anxiety Guru Show…
To listen, you can click the play button below or visit the AG iTunes page.
I love your subjects on anxiety but i find them much more comfortable to read rather than listen. I wonder if there can be a wsy to read about your subjects rather than listen. Hope your not offended by this its just that my mind wanders when attemting to listen. Kind regards Ty.
Hey Ty, no offense taken. I think you’re asking for a transcription… that would be awesome but unfortunately that’s not cheap. If I ever make money off this site that will be on my to do list – I promise. =)
Paul
Many many Tks for your podcast.It help in that the podcast remind us again the trick anxiety play on our mind.Was wondering is there a method or a way whereby the information that we already know regarding anxiety can stay in our mind in such a way that anxiety will not hijacked our mind try as they will.The reason I asking is I realized that anxiety is emotional based and when it captured our attention our intellectual mind just shut down and whatever knowledge we know about anxiety is out of the window.So how to stop our intellectual mind being hijacked in the first place.And also do you have a forum on anxiety whereby your clients can help each other through sharing their experience.tks
Great job Paul. You always seem to come up with podcasts that are so relevant and easy for me to relate to. I think my anxiety experience must be pretty similar to what you went through, but I sure as hell hope I don’t have to enjoy having it for ten years like you did. Just know that your work is a huge benefit to me, and I am sure countless others. I also want to thank you for keeping your site ad free. I hope all of us who benefit from your efforts can make donations to help support the site. Keep these great podcast coming!
Paul, today is my first day on a two week leave from work, due to how crippled I have become from castrophizing and anxiety. I am trying to find productive tools and techniques to help get my life back to normal and found your site. I listened to your PODCAST and it described PERFECTLY what I have been dealing with since December. In December, I was diagnosed with a genetic heart condition and that needs to be monitored once a year by a cardiologist. I have been on six different meds, trying to find one that lowers my heart rate and doesn’t cause side effects. The more I have gone through with this, the more anxious I have become. I now get daily burning headaches adrenaline rush feelings in my chest almost daily that are long lasting, and costochondritis. OMG, it has been brutal. I will be visiting your site often from NC. You are a welcomed visitor in my home now and what you are doing in very valued.
Thank you Michael. I hope the show helps as you work towards finding a long-term solution. It’s good to hear that you’re seeking treatment and being proactive.
I too would appreciate being able to purchase written transcripts. I have a slight hearing problem and sometimes find your accend (no offense) hard to understand. Also I prefer written matter and like to be able to read and re-read in my own time and space. I highlight parts that are particularly pertinent so that I can find them easily when I most need them.
I think your work is important for all of us anxiety sufferers to be able to access. Is there any way this could happen? Just a written transcript of the video that we could buy and print of at home. Many thanks for all your good work.
Hi Margaret, I’ve actually had a few people make this request, but unfortunately transcription is expensive and not something I plan on implementing soon.
Paul,
Thanks again for another great podcast. I’m thankful you choose to continue to share your thoughts and experiences on this topic that many of us find so consuming. You hit the nail on the head with a few things on this podcast that I really connected with.
I like the idea of a transcript, especially for being able to search for specific items you’ve spoken about, but I ultimately enjoy listening… your inflection and personality bring something to the table that words on a page cannot.
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy life to help make ours a little more manageable.
Good luck with your current and future endeavors.
Great post, and catastrophizing (sp?) is DEFINITELY something I still tend to do from time to time. It was much worse though back int he day, before I got things under control. Learning to live in the present while focusing less on the past/future and fictional what-if scenarios was key for me.
Hey, thanks Paul. I really enjoyed this podcast.
My catastrophising has increased over that past couple of years to the point of even looking up at the sky and thinking if it would be a good day or not to be flying in an aircraft – and I don’t even have any flights booked; I wake in the middle of a rainy night and think my house might get caught up in a mudslide (and our hills are made of limestone!); I won’t stay in a seaside bungalow because there might be a tsunami; I think that I don’t want my 17 year old daughter to get her drivers licence as she might have an accident and die; I think that if I try to call my estranged daughter that she might reject me further; etc etc.
You’ve given me some good ideas to prevent/avoid my anxiety from escalating into catastrophising – but I need to work out if I can put this into practice, given I have only just listened to you podcast.
I only just saw a psychologist yesterday and after telling her my life stories she described me as being in a heightened state of vigilance but thinks that there is a link to my not processing my emotional traumas that I have experienced over the past 5 years (my estranged daughter siding with her Dad, my other daughter being rejected by her Dad, some of my staff at work losing their own child or parent, or my staff losing their jobs, my boss telling me that he doesn’t trust me). That perhaps not processing those issues/matters and suppressing my hurt has now manifested into a fear and avoidance of both physical and emotional trauma.
I will look through your website for more tips and advice, and try to put some of it into practice.
I liked listening to this one because I like the philosophical spin because in the end, what is the purpose of life?
Thank you,
Angie