DESCRIPTION:

Overcome catastrophising rumination and negative thoughts! Realistic thinking as a coping mechanism against the merry-go-round of thoughts and other psychological strategies against depressive or anxious thought patterns.

Stop frequent catastrophic thinking: Psychology against catastrophic rumination and the impending cycle of negative thoughts, catastrophising, fear and panic

Introduction

Catastrophising blows uncertainties up into huge problems and sets rumination in motion.

What it's all about:

how the mind's cinema comes into being,

why it happens so often and

how you can calm it down

Tips for sharpening your perception of reality

How you can recognise and question your own cognitive distortions and take step-by-step steps towards inner peace, gaining freedom of action and leading a more fulfilling life.

What is "catastrophising" and why does catastrophic thinking occur so frequently in anxiety and panic?

Catastrophising describes a pattern of thinking that turns a small event into an impending disaster. A neutral uncertainty is overloaded with gloomy scenarios, i.e. a "catastrophe"; this way of thinking overshoots the mark and distorts the real probabilities. "I have an important meeting" becomes "I'm going to fail, and then everything will go down the drain." This is precisely where the seeds of negative thoughts lie, which only fuel an inner state of alarm and paralyse practical action and decisions. This phenomenon occurs because the brain weighs risks more heavily than opportunities – an ancient safety feature that is often overactive in modern everyday life, especially when self-confidence is fragile.

Catastrophising can strain relationships, disrupt sleep and paralyse concentration; it affects performance, mood and health. In psychological terms, this means that catastrophic thinking leads to avoidance, safety-seeking behaviour and tunnel vision when it comes to danger. People who think this way experience inner tension, interpret harmless signals as harbingers of the worst and ignore alternatives – even though every event can usually have very different consequences.

Cognitive distortion and psychology: how does research explain the phenomenon?

From a psychological perspective, catastrophising is a cognitive bias: attention is focused on risks, while reassuring perspectives are ignored. The typical mechanism behind this is jumping to conclusions, selective evidence-seeking and black-and-white thinking. This creates self-reinforcing loops in which thoughts and feelings feed off each other. Mistrust creates unrest, which provides apparent "evidence" of danger – and the spiral gains momentum: something bad is going to happen. I have to do something. But I can't do anything...

Learning processes also play a role. People who have been helplessly exposed to threats in the past develop a corresponding thought pattern. Stimulus → alarm → withdrawal – and the withdrawal remains unreflected. A cognitive distortion thus perpetuates itself because any short-term relief achieved through avoidance simultaneously reinforces the long-term uncertainty about the "danger that was just narrowly avoided" and ignores the effects on personal well-being.

Triggers of the spiral – from trigger to catastrophe

Typical causes: traumatic experiences (even subtle ones), pressure to perform, strained relationships, negative self-talk and low self-esteem. Then a glance, an email or a hint becomes a trigger and the alarm bells start ringing. Worries and fears arise and flood the mind. Even "small" triggers can have a traumatic effect when there is little support available.

This is accompanied by the aforementioned avoidance behaviour as a short-term coping mechanism: putting off difficult conversations, missing doctor's appointments, delegating tasks in order to reduce inner tension. This approach provides initial relief, but keeps the worry alive – "just don't trigger it". As a result, social withdrawal often becomes more pronounced, which can strain relationships and lead to more avoidance. Corrective experiences, on the other hand, allow for new perceptions of similar situations and weaken the familiar fear response that would lead to stress.

Anxiety vs. panic, panic attacks and panic disorder: what distinguishes these conditions?

Anxiety and panic do not simply describe intensities on a spectrum that have a negative effect on personal well-being.

Anxiety and panic – a comparison based on psychodynamics and DSM-V criteria

1. Difference between anxiety and panic: a psychodynamic perspective

In psychodynamic theory, anxiety and panic are considered different psychological phenomena, each with its own logic of origin and psychological function:

Anxiety

·         Anxiety is a diffuse, objectless feeling of alarm.

·         It indicates an internal (intrapsychic) imbalance – e.g. between an unconscious drive impulse and internal prohibitions (ego-superego conflict) or repressed emotional content.

·         It is therefore a warning signal from the ego of an impending internal conflict.

Example: Unconscious aggression towards a close person is suppressed by fear – for example, through avoidance, symptoms or displacement onto "apparent threats".

Panic

·         Panic is not merely a signal of fear, but an acute, massive breakthrough of fear that can no longer be symbolised or processed.

·         It has a traumatic character: it is overwhelming, boundary-dissolving, somatically explosive and without a clear affective focus.

·         In psychodynamics, panic is partly understood as the reactivation of early separation, fragmentation or death fears (e.g. in cases of early attachment disruptions or psychological flooding in infancy).

·         It occurs when the ego loses its control function – i.e. when it no longer has control over unconscious affects or defence mechanisms.

2. Anxiety vs. panic according to DSM-5 criteria

In the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed.), the difference is described primarily in phenomenological and diagnostic terms:

General anxiety (e.g. in anxiety disorders):

Symptoms:

·         Excessive worry

·         tension

·         Irritability

·         Sleep disturbances

·         Difficulty concentrating

·         Muscle tension

Course

·         usually long-lasting (at least 6 months for GAD – generalised anxiety disorder)

·         Situational or generalised (e.g. social phobia vs. generalised anxiety disorder)

Function

·         The anxiety is anticipatory, related to future threats ("What if...")

Panic attack (as a diagnostic feature in several disorders):

Symptoms (at least 4 of 13 must occur simultaneously within a few minutes):

·         Palpitations, tachycardia

·         Sweating

·         Trembling

·         Shortness of breath

·         Feelings of anxiety

·         Nausea

·         Derealisation/depersonalisation

·         Fear of losing control

·         Fear of dying

·         Hot flushes or cold shivers

·         Paresthesia

Course

·         Sudden, not situation-related, intense, usually reaching its peak within 10 minutes

·         May occur once or repeatedly

·         Often associated with avoidance behaviour or secondary anxiety

Diagnostic framework:

Panic attacks can be part of various disorders, e.g. panic disorder, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depressive disorders.

Summary of differences

While anxiety is a warning system of the psyche that informs us of emotional tension, panic is the breakdown of psychological regulation. The DSM-5 distinguishes between the two primarily based on intensity, symptom patterns and progression, whereas psychodynamics emphasises the inner psychological defence processes and symbolic meanings behind these states. For therapy and diagnosis, it is helpful to integrate both perspectives. In short, panic attacks are sudden peaks of heart palpitations, tightness, sweating and dizziness. Many sufferers experience "anxiety and panic attacks" as a double whammy: first, worry flickers, then an attack whips up shortly afterwards. An anxiety disorder (e.g. generalised anxiety) or anxiety disorders in general also increase the inner state of alertness; feelings such as fear then linger throughout the day and cause depression.

Another typical symptom is the misinterpretation of physical signals: a violent fluttering of the heart is "interpreted" as an impending heart attack, even though medically everything is fine. In panic disorder, everyday life becomes narrowed down to safety rituals and reassurance. The focus is no longer on the actual course of events, but on the supposedly inevitable "worst case".

Strategies for reducing anxiety in everyday life: breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation to combat the merry-go-round of thoughts

For the body:

Progressive muscle relaxation releases tension by alternating between tensing, holding and releasing.

This can be combined with relaxation exercises such as body scans, a quiet walk around the block or a conscious tea break. Each exercise marks: "I am taking action and finding my centre." Those who focus their attention on their body often experience a small but reliable reduction in their inner sirens.

For the mind:

Reframing creates new pathways. "Everything is going wrong" becomes "There are three ways I can try." This has a positive effect on motivation and focus and strengthens the feeling of effectiveness in the present moment. A sentence for your desk: "My task is not perfection, but progress in the present moment."

Escaping the rumination trap of negative thoughts: how to practise reframing and overcome rumination

The rumination trap is most likely to be broken by consciously working on three levers. First: break out – short stop signals, mini plans, small steps. Second: structures that support you – priorities, breaks, social support. Third: recognise, describe and adjust your inner autopilot and your own thought patterns, and reflect on their impact on your personal well-being.

This includes recognising and questioning fearful thoughts. Self-compassion: friendly, direct, action-oriented. If you talk to yourself as you would to a good friend, you will banish negative thinking and invite positive thoughts. This style helps to solve problems instead of going round in circles in your head and strengthens resilience. In the end, there is no magic trick, just a structured approach – step by step, pragmatic, right in the middle of life.

A realistic way of thinking is the key lever for effectively interrupting catastrophic thought processes – not just in the short term, but also structurally. It changes the inner conditions that lead to brooding or "catastrophising" in the first place by uncovering distortions in thinking.

Realistic thinking

1 Reduction of cognitive distortion:

Catastrophising is based on systematic misjudgements: black-and-white thinking, emotional reasoning ("Because I'm afraid, something bad must happen") or selective perception ("I don't recognise the cognitive distortions and overlook all the evidence to the contrary"). A realistic way of thinking interrupts these mechanisms. Those who begin to examine probabilities, cross-check evidence or interpret ambiguous stimuli neutrally reduce the stimulus-response coupling that gives rise to many rumination loops.

2 Promoting cognitive flexibility:

Realistic thinking does not mean being naively optimistic and positive, but rather remaining open to alternative interpretations and possible outcomes. This mental agility increases the effectiveness of all interruption techniques – because the mind no longer automatically jumps to the worst-case scenario, but instead thinks in a more differentiated way. This reduces emotional reactivity and leaves more room for pragmatic decisions.

3 Strengthening self-efficacy:

Catastrophising thoughts create a feeling of loss of control ("I am at the mercy of circumstances"). Realistic assessment, on the other hand, emphasises room for manoeuvre ("What can I do specifically to influence the situation?"). This increases the willingness to actively work with strategies – e.g. distracting oneself, taking a break, calming down physically – instead of getting lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.

Break through ways of thinking, thought patterns and systematic thinking errors with realistic thinking

The way out of fear begins before the peak!

First, identify the mindset and thought pattern:

"What movie am I playing right now?"

This question is the first step – but not in the midst of a panic attack, but beforehand, when you feel latent, constant anxiety, or when symptoms first appear. Then systematic errors in thinking can be identified:

·         Confirmation bias: I only look for evidence that supports my fear – and ignore milder expectations.

·         Catastrophising: I automatically expect the worst possible outcome.

·         Mind reading: "Everyone can see that I'm about to break down."

·         Emotional reasoning: "Because I feel anxious, something bad must happen."

These distortions keep irrational thoughts active. Once you recognise them, you can begin to distance yourself from them in a targeted manner:

"It feels bad – but that doesn't mean something bad is going to happen."

Brooding vs. realistic assessment: How do I stop acute thought loops?

The first step is to stop the inner voice and assess the situation realistically: "How do I measure my fear? What data really supports it?" This assessment focuses on the outcome of a situation instead of anticipating the end. Formulate specifically what you will do to find a solution – for example, ask two questions, set a deadline, write down a mini plan.

It is also helpful to keep a mini log when you find yourself brooding. Write down the triggers, typical thoughts, physical reactions and the course of events. Simply observing this can help you to see the thought loops instead of getting caught up in them. At this point, at the latest, it is worth doing a reality check: "What facts am I missing? What alternatives am I overlooking?"

What to do when a panic attack starts?

Panic does not strike like a bolt of lightning, even if it feels like it. It takes seconds to minutes to start – and this is precisely where you have room to manoeuvre:

1. Immediately orient yourself: "I am safe."

Let your gaze wander around the room: What do I see?

Say out loud (internally or quietly): "I am here. I am safe. This is my body, not reality."

2. Ground your body

Breathing technique 4-6: Breathe in for 4 seconds, breathe out for 6 seconds – prolonged exhalation calms the vagus nerve.

Consciously feel both feet on the floor, lower your shoulders.

3. Switch your mindset:

Instead of "What's wrong with me?" ask yourself, " →  " "What will help me now?"

Mini mantra: "This will pass. I've been here before. I know what I can do."

These techniques are not a substitute for long-term therapy, but they shift your inner focus away from threat mode – and that can be enough to slow down the escalation.

Important:

·         Realistic assessment is not possible at the height of panic – but it can be practised in advance.

·         Systematic thinking errors can only be recognised when the nervous system is still regulatable.

·         The onset of a panic attack is the tactically crucial moment: ground your body, activate safety mechanisms, short-circuit automatic thoughts.

·         Don't think, "I have to control the panic" – think, "I'm seizing the moment before it takes over."

This shifts the goal away from control and towards early recognition and response.

Mindfulness in crisis

In moments of acute stress, acting mindfully and focusing your attention on your body has a stabilising effect. Breathing exercises with calm, even exhalations anchor your perception in the here and now; they address emotional reactions directly. Paying attention to your pulse at short intervals, lowering your shoulders and relaxing your jaw brings your focus back from your head to your body. Step by step, space emerges to make your next move consciously instead of letting yourself drift.

Mindfulness serves as a daily practice: small islands without a screen, walks, tea without distractions – and above all, practising mindfulness. A simple guiding question is: "What am I focusing my attention on in the present moment?" Those who repeatedly gather their attention experience more stability and a noticeably calmer emotional well-being – a practical counterweight to the inner alarm.

Professional help: when is it a good idea to seek help?

As soon as everyday life becomes a burden, sleep suffers or withdrawal takes over, professional help becomes an option. Cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on thinking and behavioural experiments: identifying triggers, testing hypotheses and analysing the effects on personal well-being. This strengthens anxiety management and builds healthier ways of responding. Those who are ready to seek support to better deal with anxious thoughts and distorted thinking gain a structured space to sort out patterns and courageously try new things.

Therapeutic work also addresses underlying issues: attachment, shame, self-esteem, old hurts. The goal remains practical – less alarm, more leeway, more stable relationships, improved well-being. Not pathos, but craft: observe, name, practise – and celebrate when things get easier.

Cognitive behavioural therapy and other psychological methods for promoting realistic thinking processes

1 Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT):

It is the gold standard for dealing with catastrophic thoughts. CBT teaches:

Socratic questioning: systematic questioning of fears

ABC model (triggering event – evaluation – consequence)

Behavioural experiments to identify the gap between thoughts and reality

Records of dysfunctional thoughts for self-observation and reattribution

2 Metacognitive therapy (MCT):

This method focuses on ruminating about ruminating. It asks: "What is my belief that I have to ruminate?" MCT reduces what is known as "cognitive attention to threat" and helps to de-automate thinking habits.

3 Mindfulness-based methods (MBCT, ACT):

These strengthen the ability to perceive thoughts without identifying with them and to consider their impact on personal well-being. The practice of "inner observation" (decentering) makes it possible to see catastrophic thoughts as mental events – not as facts.

Methods such as:

·         Breathing anchors

·         Body scan

·         Value-based action planning

increase the distance from the content of thoughts and strengthen more realistic self-control.

4 Self-instruction training:

The aim is to replace automatic negative self-talk with realistic, factual alternatives. Example:

Catastrophising: "If I do this wrong, everything is over" are fearful thoughts that often make it difficult to deal with the situation.

Realistic: "It would be unpleasant, but solvable – I can get support."

5 Exposure with cognitive reframing:

In stressful situations, conscious attention is paid to mental evaluation. By reflecting on the situation afterwards ("What actually happened?"), errors in thinking can be refuted and new, realistic assessments can be established as habits.

Conclusion and summary

Catastrophising is not merely a thinking error, but a learned, often deeply rooted pattern of response to internal and external uncertainty. It arises when the mind wants to take control but gets caught in automated loops – fuelled by fear, old experiences, systematic distortions and a nervous system that is programmed for alarm. In these moments, the body and mind enter a state of overload in which logical thinking, the ability to act and self-regulation are severely impaired.

People who catastrophise do not suffer from weakness, but from internal overload, which usually has a good reason: early experiences of loss of control, prolonged stress, repeated boundary violations or a lack of emotional security. However, these patterns can be changed – not through self-reproach or sheer "willpower", but through a combination of conscious observation, targeted thought examination, physical regulation and a fundamentally more realistic way of thinking.

What does 'realistic' mean in concrete terms?

Realistic does not mean naive optimism, but rather:

·         differentiating instead of generalising

·         distinguishing between probable and extremely unlikely scenarios

·         separating feelings from facts

·         systematically going through possible outcomes

·         recognising inner automatisms instead of believing them

This form of thinking is a training process, not a spontaneous gift. Those who regularly examine their way of thinking can mitigate typical cognitive biases such as black-and-white thinking, emotional reasoning or confirmation bias. Over time, this leads to greater cognitive flexibility – i.e. the ability to take alternative perspectives in stressful situations instead of falling into the familiar cycle of catastrophising.

Strategies only work if they are accessible

Many good tools – breathing exercises, cognitive reframing techniques, mindful interruptions – remain ineffective if they are used too late. In an acute panic attack, the survival system dominates: fight, flight, freeze. Rational thinking is switched off at this point. That is why it is crucial to recognise the early signs of escalation:

When the symptoms are rising but the mind is still responsive, realistic assessments, clear inner language and physical anchors can help. The earlier access is gained, the more effective each technique will be.

Psychological support strengthens in the long term

Anyone who finds that their thoughts keep going round and round in circles – despite exercises and despite understanding – should consider seeking professional help. Methods such as cognitive behavioural therapy, metacognitive techniques, mindfulness-based approaches or depth psychology offer a space in which not only the symptoms are addressed, but also the underlying conditions that enable and perpetuate catastrophising.

This is not about blame or "wrong thinking," but about learning new patterns – on a cognitive, emotional and physical level. Change means repeated, small corrections that stabilise in everyday life and lead to more freedom of action.

The most important points at a glance:

·         Catastrophising is a common, anxiety-driven thought pattern that arises from uncertainty and distorts our perception of reality.

·         It is based on cognitive distortions fed by past experiences, inner conflicts and automatic judgements.

·         A realistic way of thinking acts as a counterbalance: it creates distance from automatic fear responses and enables clearer, more actionable thinking.

·         In acute moments of panic, cognitive analysis does not help – physical orientation, breath regulation and self-anchoring do.

·         The most effective intervention takes place before the peak – when physical symptoms are noticeable but the ability to think is still accessible.

·         Long-term change requires repetition, patience and often psychotherapeutic support in order to recognise and restructure the underlying structures.

·         Those who regularly examine their thought patterns develop greater self-efficacy, emotional stability and a more robust inner balance in the long term.

Conclusion

A realistic way of thinking is not a "tool" that can simply be applied – it is an attitude that can be trained. The clearer your thoughts, the calmer your nervous system. Those who have the courage to take their inner alarm seriously without blindly following it are taking the first step towards self-regulation, freedom of action – and ultimately, mental freedom.

PS: Because it is so difficult to revisit fear and panic – embrace your fear – it does not want to destroy you, it wants to protect you!

The most common reaction to fear is an inner "get rid of it". Many people are ashamed of their fear or see it as a flaw: they want it to disappear, remain invisible, function silently. This attitude is understandable – because fear makes us vulnerable, robs us of control and brings with it physical symptoms that are quickly perceived as "weak" or "embarrassing".

But what happens when we try to suppress, ignore or disarm fear with arguments? It gets louder. It lingers. It clings on. Fear cannot be driven away – it wants to be seen. And the more we fight it, the deeper it becomes embedded in the system.

What if fear is not an enemy, but an overzealous protective mechanism?

Don't think of your fear as a source of disruption, but as an overcautious companion who cries out too soon: "Watch out – that could be dangerous!" – even if the real threat is long gone or doesn't even exist. Fear is not a malfunction. It is an evolutionary alarm system that has become overactive – mostly because it was often right in the past. People who react strongly to uncertainty rarely have "excessive" fear, but rather learned vigilance. They know (consciously or unconsciously) what it is like to be overwhelmed, left alone or existentially threatened.

Fear is often the psychological imprint of experiences in which no one intervened to protect us. That is why it sometimes seems like an overprotective inner child who constantly sounds the alarm to prevent future danger. In this logic, "pull yourself together" does not help, only a different inner climate. A climate of attention, not defence. A sentence like:

"I see you, fear. You are allowed to be here. I am here now – you don't have to deal with this alone."

– can change more in such moments than any argument.

This attitude replaces the usual reaction with conscious regulation. Not: get rid of fear. But: offer it a safe inner framework.

In concrete terms, this means:

·         Feeling how it manifests itself in the body – as tightness in the chest, trembling, pressure in the stomach.

·         Allow it without analysing or getting lost in your thoughts.

·         Breathe consciously and slowly – not to "get rid of" the fear, but to anchor yourself.

·         And above all: develop a friendly inner attitude, as you would towards an overwhelmed child. No one would shout at or ignore a panicked child. So why do we do that to ourselves?

Imagine that your fear is a younger part of you. Maybe five years old. Maybe twelve. Maybe not yet able to speak. And this part is not calling out from the present, but from a time when you were actually overwhelmed – emotionally, physically, existentially. Once you understand this, your approach changes: you no longer fight the fear, you take care of it.

This is not a path of self-indulgence. It is an act of psychological maturity: attitude instead of defence. Closeness instead of control.

Those who learn to face their fear do not lose strength – they gain clarity, grounding and self-commitment. Fear is not a final boss that must be defeated. It is an internal early warning sensor – sometimes oversensitive, but never hostile. If you listen to it without letting it take the wheel, a space emerges where self-compassion can grow. And where there used to be a struggle, a new form of inner coordination can now emerge: you lead, fear follows.

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