Catastrophising again! Is it just me?

[Upcyled]

I've just realised that I'm constantly catastrophising.
A few recent examples are...
A road closure which meant driving on a dark narrow lane thinking 'if I crash the car and it's written off I have bags for life in the boot so will be able to pack the car's contents away' then mentally going through all the things in the car so I don't forget anything...
My smoke alarm recently started making a noise (low battery or something) I took it to work with me just in case neighbours heard it and called for help and the fire brigade broke in and my house cats got out and killed on the road...
I'll put a blanket in the car in case I hit an animal while driving and need to wrap it up and hold it while it dies...
It's like I'm forever planning for worst case scenario.
Is this really weird or do other people do this too?

I do this all the time. I'm quite a positive person I think, but I have a very active imagination, and am always wondering what it would be like if I have a crash that day, or if I get sick or whatever. I've imagined my funeral many times!

I do my best not to as it's not healthy - this is a really good article on why it's toxic thinking and how to try to overcome it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20220725-catastrophising-how-toxic-thinking-can-lead-down-dark-path

Like anyone, I have moments where I think of worst case scenarios, but that is few and far between.

Always good to have a blanket in the car in case you break down and need to keep warm. I have three blankets in my boot as well as water and cereal bars.

It might not be the case for you but I am like this when I am anxious about something I can’t control.

We went through a work restructure last year and I was like this for several months while I was waiting to find out if I still had a job. It stopped almost as soon as I knew I was safe.

My MIL was like it all the years I knew her but she had lost almost everyone she loved. Her Father died when she was an infant, she lost 2 husbands and was an only child. I think she just felt very insecure and this behaviour made her feel like she could prepare for things going wrong. Like she had some control.

This sounds like reasonably high anxiety to me, but I suppose only you know how much it interferes with your peace of mind and ability to lead a fulfilling life. I find meditation tremendously helpful for learning how to control my thoughts and not allow my mind to go down rabbit holes I don’t want it to. Of course it happens at times but I wouldn’t want to be thinking the way you describe on a daily basis.

This kind of thinking can become habitual. It's always good to be prepared but when you're constantly thinking about the worst-case scenario, it becomes problematic. It reminds me a little of my OCD thoughts—constant rituals to give me some sense of control.

Thanks so much for the replies so far. I am anxious with a lot going on at the moment and feel like the control helps me focus. I try to make light of it but would prefer to lessen the stress it's causing.
I do have a blanket and cushion in the car but both hold some sentimental value so was planning a more basic one that I wouldn't feel precious about if I stepped in to help at an accident or something.

I do this, a lot.

"What if me/my mum/my child get hit by a car on the way home from school and no one informs us?"

"What if I get so poorly that I can't ring the school to let them know and my son gets upset and he thinks I've abandoned him?"

Or if there's a crash somewhere on the other side of the city, I think "oh my god what if that had happened near my son's school and he got injured/killed?"

I am in therapy for it but what my therapist doesn't seem to understand is that when I'm in a full-blown panic or a meltdown, I literally cannot rationalise the situation and I end up sobbing.

My mum often picks my son up from school and if she doesn't text me by a certain time, I start thinking she's fallen ill or that they've been hit by a car.

It's fucking awful, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It got worse after our family dog died suddenly. Well, it wasn't THAT sudden - he had dementia and arthritis and was gluten intolerant, but they decided to put him down when we weren't expecting it.

I empathise with you OP x

I’m a catastrophiser and it is horrible. It’s hard to get the thoughts to stop and I know that worrying about something that probably won’t happen doesn’t help in the long run.

I occasionally take CBD tablets and have found them useful. Meditation also helps.

I have these thoughts, but I know it’s highly unlikely so it becomes a bit of a melodrama in my head. So no anxiety as such, more a tragic tale in which I am the star, like the lead character in a disaster movie, whereas in reality I would be dead in the first earthquake/zombie attack.

I think I’ve been in a few emergency situations that have worked out well, and everything was sorted, and it all worked as it should, which makes me a bit complacent.