Psychologia poznawcza

Catastrophizing

Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion that involves anticipating the worst-case scenario and treating it as very likely.

Definition

Catastrophizing occurs when a single problem is immediately interpreted as a sign of serious failure, loss of control, or irreversible consequences. It may increase anxiety, tension and avoidance of action. It's not about ignoring the risk, but about separating the real probability from the emotional alarm.

Key ideas

  1. Przecenianie negatywnych scenariuszy
  2. Wzrost lęku i unikania
  3. Potrzeba weryfikacji faktów

Practice and life

Write down the worst-case scenario, the most realistic scenario, and the first emergency step. Then rate the probability of each as a percentage.

Common misunderstanding

It is a mistake to dismiss a catastrophic thought as intuition. Another mistake is to convince yourself that "it will definitely be fine" instead of checking the data.

Questions for self-reflection

  • Jakie fakty potwierdzają ten scenariusz?
  • Jaki scenariusz jest najbardziej realistyczny?
  • Co zrobię, jeśli problem rzeczywiście się pojawi?

Sources