Blights my life. I get anxious over the slightest things and my mind is full of worst case scenarios. If anything it’s got worse over the last 5 years which coincides with regular injections.
Step daughter has reaffirmed offer for me to stay for a few days and all i can do is worry about it even though i know she’s made the offer because she cares. I am worrying about what i should pack /whether i am going to embarrass myself/the thought of being out of my comfort zone/ what if i meet her friends and they think i’m a freak and lots of other things besides.
This anxiety/fear really restricts my life and affects my functioning.
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Does it help to know that some of those fears are valid? I’m saying that so it might ease some of the worrying to know your fears are real.Now you can work on the DEGREE to which you want to worry. But instead of your mind worrying about mountains you can worry about hills. Or disregard this completely. I just thought it would help to know that your mind isn’t ‘making up’ problems out of nowhere. You don’t have to worry about false perceptions. Your problems are based in reality. Your reactions need to be toned down.
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The thing is how to tone down unrealistically negative expectations. I think paranoia has quite a lot to do with it. I wonder whether there’s a correlation between level of paranoia and (social) anxiety.
One of the first recognizable signs of my symptoms returning is a feeling of impending doom. Everything becomes deadly serious and I feel like something terrible is going to happen at any time. I get the feeling like everything I touch is laid to waste and that I can never fix it. Everything becomes a catastrophe.
Well you know yuour step-daughter. Can you talk to her about your fears so she can reassure you that this visit is not a big deal, it’s with family who you know ?Her friends are probably nice and do not mean you any harm. I doubt they will attack you. They’re probably neutral about you. To them, you are their friends step-dad and out of respect for her they will probably leave you alone. I do it too lately.
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Catastrophising is something I do. (I call it “awfullizing”.) I did some of it today. I’ve been feeling pressure the last few years. It makes my life less enjoyable. In my situation very little is asked of me. (I live in an assisted living center for the mentally ill.) I still feel pressure, though.
Awfullizing is a good alternative word for it. I know i felt less apprehensive when my wife was alive and well as she would take charge of situations .
Ideally i’d like something to help with the anxiety as, although the pdoc says it’s paranoia related, the antipsychotic does nothing to ease it.
I am also one for catastrophizing. The one thing I am noticing is with me always thinking that everyone is going to end up kidnapped, shot, dead… then in reality it’s never as bad as I imagined. It took a lot of times of going out and my family pointing out to me… “See? nothing happened.” after time and time of “look, nothing happened” it was easier to try new stuff.
@firemonkey, your step daughter most likely keeps holding invite open for you because she does care. She’s not setting you up to mock you or make you feel bad. Maybe just try one day? Just let her know that your not up for meeting her friends and take it little by little. I bet she would really like to get to know you and spend some time with you.
I know it’s not easy. I know it’s hard to get out of that zone once the horrific thinking starts, but it can go well. It has a very good chance of going well.
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I have this problem too, even with the smallest challenges or changes. And my APs do nothing to calm it, even at very high doses.
Sometimes, even taking Klonopin doesn’t help. So I’ve made it a topic to address in therapy. And that’s been the most helpful treatment for me. It’s helped me start to change some of my reactions to these events. And be less catastrophic in my thinking.
Do you have a therapist you can talk to about this?
Blessings,
Anthony
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I’m going through a bought of catastrophic thinking currently. I’ve been going to great lengths at keeping my youngest brother far away from my sis. It’s been exhausting. But I had this dream that he was going to try something stupid and end up shooting her.
Well, I faced it head on finally… and got the two chipmunks face to face yesterday so they could talk. My brother didn’t try something stupid, and my sis didn’t get shot. All people involved are healthy and safe. There was some tears on both their parts, but at least I’ve been able to get out of the way so those two can start to mend their bridge.
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No therapist, supposedly unsuitable for therapy.
I’m sorry that someone told you that. I personally dont think anyone is unsuitable to receive a little guidance and helping hand.
Blessings,
Anthony
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I have no constructive coping mechanisms.
A lot of the time, if you can just tell another person, using tact, what is bothering you. If I could have just done this with my mother we would have had a better relationship. I don’t think she would have been offended by what I told her.
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I was just thinking how I feel the same. My husband is interested in buying a business, which is in a poor area where there is a lot of crime, and I have visions of him being robbed or held at gunpoint. I worry every time we go driving that there will be an accident one of these days sooner or later, and worry about being hijacked. I especially hate travelling at night. Night is for being at home!
i get both catastrophising and the extreme opposite of the best case scenario. it’s always extremes. i see both in my mind’s eye. i’ve been threatened so much that it’s almost like i’ve turned myself inside out in expectation. expect the worst, dream of the best sort of thing. it’s very odd and very uncomfortable at both ends of the spectrum. i’m ok in social situations though. it’s anything related to having money or going to court that the voices threaten me about, or even just taking the dogs for a walk…apparently i’m not allowed to do that either. i’m supposed to just sit in my room and smoke myself to death…nice. but yes i catastrophise everything too.
My mind operates like this almost always - Catastrophic type thinking rules my life really. I do know I suffer from a lot of anxiety and panic - My therapist says that I suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder - GAD, I guess that this kind of thinking is common when you have a lot of anxiety. I get the feeling that a lot of my paranoia is anxiety based - there is a connection many times. I imagine and have awful catastrophic type thoughts and images take over - it is very frustrating and consuming to say the least 
I also worry a lot
It’s that way with me. When my anxiety meds got switched up, I feel calmer, and my worst case scenario thinking does seem to lift.
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Im catastrophizing right now. Im having a bad day. It started out as early morning silly brain and now its anxiety and gagging combined with not thinking straight. I think I might have AIDS.
I honestly hope this is not the case. Please keep a watchful eye on your physical health. I’m sure you already know all about HIV infections and their primary symptoms. Good luck and take care.
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