Catastrophizing
The Catastrophizing information handout forms part of the cognitive distortions series. It is designed to help clients and therapists to work more effectively with common thinking biases.
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Introduction & Theoretical Background
A brief introduction to cognitive distortions
Cognitive distortions, cognitive biases, or ‘unhelpful thinking styles’ are the characteristic ways our thoughts become biased (Beck, 1963). We are always interpreting the world around us, trying to make sense of what is happening. Sometimes our brains take ‘shortcuts’ and we think things that are not completely accurate. Different cognitive short cuts result in different kinds of bias or distortions in our thinking. Sometimes we might jump to the worst possible conclusion (“this rough patch of skin is cancer!”), at other times we might blame ourselves for things that are not our fault (“If I hadn’t made him mad he wouldn’t have hit me”), and at other times we might rely on intuition and jump to conclusions (“I know that they all hate me even though they’re being nice”). These biases are often maintained by characteristic unhelpful assumptions (Beck et al., 1979).
Different cognitive
Therapist Guidance
Many people struggle with catastrophic thinking, and it sounds like it is something you experience too. Would you be willing to explore it with me?
Clinicians might begin by providing psychoeducation about catastrophizing and automatic thoughts more generally. Consider sharing some of these important details:
- Automatic thoughts spring up spontaneously in your mind, usually in the form of words or images.
- They are often on the ‘sidelines’ of our awareness. With practice, we can become more aware of them. It’s a bit like a theatre – we can bring our automatic thoughts ‘centre stage’.
- Automatic thoughts are not always accurate: just because you think something, doesn’t make it true.
- Automatic thoughts are often inaccurate in characteristic ways. One common type of bias is ‘catastrophizing’: you assume that the worst possible scenarios are likely to happen and you won’t be able to cope with them.
- Signs that you are catastrophizing
References And Further Reading
- Abramson, L. Y., Seligman, M. E., & Teasdale, J. D. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87, 49–74. DOI: 10.1037/0021-843X.87.1.49.
- Beck, A. T. (1963). Thinking and depression: I. Idiosyncratic content and cognitive distortions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 9, 324-333. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1963.01720160014002.
- Beck, A. T., Freeman, A., Davis, D. D., & Associates. (2004). Cognitive therapy of personality disorders (2nd ed). Guilford Press.
- Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. Guilford Press.
- Beck, J. S. (1995). Cognitive therapy: Basics and beyond. Guilford Press.
- Bryant, R. A. (2001). Posttraumatic stress disorder and mild brain injury: controversies, causes and consequences. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 23(6), 718-728.
- Burns, D. D. (1981). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. Penguin.
- Clark, D. M. (1986). A cognitive approach to panic. Behaviour research and therapy, 24, 461-470. DOI: 10.1016/0005-7967(86)90011-2.
- Davey,