Catastrophising

Catastrophising means jumping to the worst possible outcome and treating it as the most likely one. Your mind skips over all the moderate, manageable possibilities and lands directly on disaster.

"I'll be fired" → panic → "I'll never get another job" → more panic → "We'll lose the house" → despair → "My family will suffer because of me" → shame and hopelessness.

Catastrophising typically produces one of two responses: frantic action (checking, reassurance-seeking, Googling, preparing for the worst) or paralysis (freezing, withdrawing, unable to function because the imagined catastrophe feels so overwhelming).

Example: You notice a small lump on your arm and immediately think: "It's cancer. I'm going to need treatment. What if it's terminal?"

Before you've even seen a doctor, your mind has already written the worst possible ending.

Catastrophising is one of the most common cognitive distortions, and one of the most distressing. It is particularly prevalent in anxiety, where the brain's threat-detection system is already on high alert and latches onto any potential danger.