Catastrophizing- how do I stop?

[Noshowlomo]

Hi MN,
Tonight for some reason I am panicking about losing my job. Thinking of anything I could have done that has upset or offended anyone even going back 10 years. I work in public sector but my job seems relatively safe and I know I am lucky to say that in this day and age but I feel like something is coming and i have a massive knot in my chest.
Is this normal? I am coming off sertraline slowly so don’t know if that’s got something to do with it but I’ve never felt this anxious before. I feel like my peers all know that I’m getting sacked soon and I’m spiralling. Does this happen to anyone else ? Is it just me?
How do I stop feeling like this?

Bump

Hi. This is exactly how I was before I started sertraline, you say you are slowly coming off yours, maybe this is your body’s way of saying you aren’t ready to just yet? More and more people are suffering with anxiety at the moment and taking tablets such as sertraline, if I was you I would rethink coming off them just yet. Be kind to yourself x

Are you having any kind of therapy? I found CBT helpful for stopping catastrophising.

You also need to talk to yourself about how realistic it is that you would actually lose your job.

I used to be the same as you, and had major issues catastrophising. But now I say to myself- if I was to cock up at work- there'd be an email trail behind me showing that I was trying my best. Also, surely you'd get a warning first!

As a single mum this used to be a major concern but I've realised that what will be will be- and I need to spend more time on the present instead of worrying about what "might" happen. My exMIL only ever gave me one bit of useful advice- which is try and worry about something when it is an appropriate time to worry about it. I.e don't worry about what hasn't yet happened.

Best of luck, and I hope you start to feel better.

I find the 'imagine a friend said this to you, what would you say' approach helpful as it tricks the brain into having a more positive balanced response (assuming you'd say some kind words to them!) and then it's almost like ah-ha see there is a different possibility to the one I am imagining after all. It doesn't take the anxiety away fully, but lessens its grip.

I catastrophise all the time and I’ve just started on fluoxetine. It’s part of my ocd. Have you found that the sertraline helped. Maybe your not quite ready to come off it yet x

Meditation has helped me, well not actually mediation but some of the ideas behind it such as 'we are not our thoughts' but I think anything that puts a space between what you are experiencing and the part of your brain that can recognise what it is doing is helpful (so in some ways no different to CBT etc.). CBT wasn't such a good fit for me but I know that it is brilliant for others and there are other approaches out there.

However, perhaps you aren't ready to come off of the AD's? You may need some medication to be able to access other ways of managing your thoughts (I know I couldn't handle them at all at some points and isn't advised to start meditation when you are in the throes of a bad episode of depression/anxiety etc.)

Also... be kind to yourself in this very difficult time. I think we are all under enormous stress, it's almost the new normal sadly...

Another trick I had was to 'schedule' a worry e.g. for a health worry I would decide I would call the GP in a week/2 weeks etc. and then would park it.

Other than ADs I have two suggestions that work for me:
I get a notepad and write it all down, by getting it out of my head and onto paper I find I stop worrying.
I promise myself to only think about what is happening today.
Good luck.

Thank you all so much, I appreciate every comment.
I’ve thought about coming off sertraline and maybe it’s not time but I’m nearly at nothing now so I don’t know what to do. I just want to be me again, without any help if that makes sense, but when I first went on them they changed my life. God what a minefield.
I love the idea of writing stuff down @Spaceman1 so I’ll do that later.
That’s the thing @mildlymiffed there is no reason for me to lose my job, I know that as I have great feedback but I just feel that everyone knows something that I don’t. I don’t know where these thoughts are coming from.
Thanks again all xx

I’m off work at the moment and have been for two months. I convince myself I can’t go back to work COs of my anxiety. I think about it 24/7 and it’s awful. I am depressed and can’t imagine teaching a class full of kids. I worry I will loose everything. I’ve only been off two months and start CBT this week so hoping it helps me but I lie awake in a panic. It’s awful xx I’m on AD And only been on it for three weeks. I’ve been on mertazipine 2 months and they’ve added another so hoping that helps me. I’m in constant fight or flight mode and chest is tight. I need to get on top of this. I’m not going down without a fight. X

I’m so sorry @Mammy1981! I feel lighter than when I posted this and I’m glad but I know it can come back any time.
If you don’t mind me asking, is there anything that triggers your anxiety and thoughts? x

Being off work seems to trigger mine now but I’ve always been anxious. It came out of no where just trying to get on top of it. X