An example of catastrophizing could be an individual understanding or assuming that his or her headache could be a sign of a brain tumour without undergoing any medical tests.
Cognitive distortions are faulty thinking patterns that are not based on facts or reality. They are mostly negative and if not corrected over some time, they can affect the quality of one’s life. Catastrophizing is a kind of cognitive distortion where a person starts to believe that they are in a worse condition or situation than they might be in. It could be a symptom of mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and others.
While many dismiss catastrophizing as an exaggeration, it is often not intentional and the person engaging in it might find it difficult to stop it. An example of catastrophizing could be an individual understanding or assuming that his or her headache could be a sign of a brain tumour without undergoing any medical tests or before even checking in with the relevant symptoms. For people having this cognitive distortion, small, harmless could be perceived as a tragedy.
Catastrophizing can be a sign of mental illness
People who catastrophize might use it as a coping mechanism to deal with unpleasant situations in their life. While it is often dismissed as “magnifying”, people who engage in the behaviour could be potential victims of physical or emotional trauma. Research has shown that catastrophizing can affect both mental and physical health as the affected people might always be in survival mode and their body might experience chronic stress. Many people who exhibit this distortion might have been through repeated adverse situations.
People having an anxiety disorder can also engage in catastrophizing and expecting the worst possible outcomes in all situations. Both reflect a fear of the unknown. While anxiety can be useful sometimes, catastrophizing has no benefits at all.
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Similarly, people who have depression might experience hopelessness and low energy. It is also common for them to think of the worst possible outcome to any situation.
Some people who have heightened sensitivity can also over-read or readily notice very small changes in their body like sensations of digestion or changing heart rate and might catastrophize it.
Catastrophizing and pain
For people who have chronic pain and might engage in catastrophizing, studies have shown that people might perceive pain as more severe. According to many patients, healthcare professionals often dismiss this catastrophized pain as an exaggeration. However, it is different from intentionally magnifying the symptom. Some studies have shown that catastrophizing might be more than a psychological phenomenon, it can also affect the physiology of pain.
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