Hi,
How’s it going?
Well the Super Bowl was yesterday.
The Steelers won in case you care : )
It actually was a great game and right down to the end.
I ate a ton yesterday and I feel sick today. I had lots of bad carbohydrates.
I gave myself a free eating day so I had pizza, wings (chicken), chips and ice cream.
I really feel sick. Oh well it was fun while I was doing it.
Hey, so let’s jump into today’s topic. These days there’s a lot of doom and gloom.
You watch the news and you would think the world is going to end tomorrow or in a hour.
Well, it’s not.
My friend was really down and was getting depressed as we talked about everything.
I told him to avoid:
CATASTROPHIZING
Do you know what that means? Take a guess and then scroll down. According to psychcentral.com it is n irrational thought a lot of us have in believing that something is far worse than it actually is”
People with bipolar disorder and their supporters do this all the time.
It’s so common.
They make something big out of something small.
In my courses/systems, I talk about what the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder are:
NEW
LEARN THE SECRETS OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
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SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
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SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
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HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
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I also talk about how important it is for you, as a supporter, to know those signs and symptoms.
And it is, no doubt.
But catastrophizing would be like if you saw only one sign or symptom and then jumped to the conclusion that your loved one was in a major episode.
Do you see what I’m getting at?
Making some big thing out of a small thing.
Like a hypochondriac, who, say, was out exercising, maybe running a little bit, and runs out of breath, then starts complaining that they’re having a heart attack. You know those kinds of people, right?
Making something big out of something small.
That’s catastrophizing.
That’s what I want you to avoid.
I do want you to be vigilant in watching your loved one for signs and symptoms of a bipolar episode (that’s just a part of being a good supporter), but I don’t want you to catastrophize over it.
Just because they have one sign or symptom, or even two, doesn’t mean they’re going into an episode.
And watch yourself as well.
Just because you have the flu, doesn’t mean you have lung cancer.
Ok, I’m exaggerating a little bit there.
But you know what I mean.
Try to keep the right perspective, and you can avoid:
CATASTROPHIZING
I seriously want to ask, have you ever done this? If so, please post a story. It’s odd how our minds many times think the worst instead of the best.
Let me know.
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Post responses below
David, I have been really enjoying your posts and it really is helping me see the deeper reasonings for my Bipolar Disorder.
You talk about preventing and avoiding CATASTROPHIZING so my question to you is how do we avoid it and keep it from happening. Specially when medication can only do so much. I truly do believe in mind over matter but when you fight this disease its much harder then that. Its like your fight something in side you all the time. And it gets exhausting.
well my little boy is the one with bioplar and he is always making something big out of something that really doesnt mean anything. we try to redirect him so it doesnt get so out of control which kind of helps alot. sometimes you just go with the flow. super bowl party and stuff like that are nightmares he just dont handle it well at all.
I know exactly what you mean about CATASTROPHIZING. I was diagnosed as bipolar about six months ago. In that time, I’ve gone back and looked at my actions and reactions to a lot of things. When you say don’t over-react to something, I definitely see myself. If my husband would ask me what I did that day, I would immediately see it as a being negative and a slam. I would become angry and defensive because I thought he was telling me I didn’t do anything all day, when he was actually just asking about my day. Over the last several months I have been trying to watch my responses to different little things, and sometimes it is hard to break the habit. My bipolar tends to run toward the depressive, with the mania episodes being angry and confrontational. I was not diagnosed as bipolar for a long time because I didn’t have the normal “high” mania. I don’t get overly happy and excited. I would notice that when I was feeling low, spending money was the only thing that brought me back up. And when I was feeling overly energetic, I was angry and had anxiety attacks. Luckily, my husband is a very loving man and has stuck with me through all of this. Now that I am being treated, we can even joke about it. He calls me Sybil, says I cycled through moods faster than he could take a breath.
I do it ALL the time. I could be having a perfectly nice day and then start to imagine the absolute worst things that could possibly happen to me or my family and really become distraught. I tend to seek out the negative as proof that the world is going to hell and we all should be worried all the time. It’s tiring. I can keep my mind occupied during the day and then my eyes pop open in the middle of the night (when everything feels worse anyway) and start imagining horrible things. Do I need to up my meds?
Hey Dave. I am a mother of a bi -Polar dughter. Yes I do catasrophsize everything. But I always called it worry. I learned it from my mother. Now that you say that, I wonder if it has had anything to do with my daughters bi-polar. Just last night my 17 years old son said his stomach hurt. He said it was a different kind i
of hurt then he had felt before. I knew he had played football at the park the day prior,so I immediatly jumped to the worrying thought that he had internal bleeding. My comon sense didn’t let me go crazy about it, but I was so worried I got a bad headach in the back top of my head and…again I thought maybe I have I high blood pressure and I’m going to have a stroke. The thoughts pass, and I don’t really believe them, but they do make me worry. People who know me have said I should be a novelist, because I have such an imagination that I can always jump to the worst thing, on just a minor thought. When the kids are late coming home from school, I had a long list of horrible things I thought could of happened to them. Any way I thought I was a prime example of catasrophizing.
Cheryl
Iam not a supporter in the sense of a third person point of view. I have bipolar who supports myself in many ways. I wish that outside help would come easy but people just label you and go on with their own lives leaving those with the disorder to tend for themselves. It is my belief that other people or the normal people see our illnessas an excuse. What can i do to make others realize that although i appear healthy I am in dire need to have that so called support.
i would like to know how to handle two people with bipolar. we both have it. i get treatment and he doesn`t. sometimes it to much for me. please tell me how to handle this?
Hello Dave….too bad the Steelers won, I wanted Arizona to win! sounds like you had fun at your party….so did we!!!!
I am responding to your e-mail about BP’s fearing the worst out of things, making things bigger than they are kind of thing….I do this to my self all the time! I get stressed out over something, anything and yeah it is a life threatening thing, till my smart other half works me through it and shows me that things are not that bad, and helps me work through them and see they are small things…yes we all do this 🙁
that is such a great descriptive word, CATRASTROPHI
ZING and yes it’s happened to me: I think it comes from the fact that after suffering the trauma of my daughters bipolar episode ( it was long drawn out, difficult and painful for all of us) any little sign my daughter expressed that looked even slightly like her last episode I would panic and worry in a big way, and to a certain extent I do so even today. However we have a mental health recovery team ( a public agency) called Frameworks which is a live in facility where the support for Rachel is phenomenal so that whilst I panic and everything they go about the business of quietly reassuring Rachel about her progress and then I realise that…..I’ve jumped to conclusions yet again, and its about remembering Rachel during her manic episode and what Rachel has accomplished to today!!!! and her way to recovery has been PHENOMENAL- I ve just got to keep remembering to COMPARE and CONTRAST and then my panic and worry drift away.
Here is how I catastrophize. I absolutely loathe this time of year. I also have way too much time on my hands which doesn’t help matters any. But, every year around this time, I think I have a brain tumor and have to talk myself out of it. I get headaches, feel tired, etc. Years ago, I did have an MRI because I was that convinced. I realized, after repeated yearly symptoms that it was my dislike of this in-between season at the end of winter. I actually develop physical symptoms from the winter blues!
Hi everyone
I am told that I am suffering from the overlap between bipola and schizophrenia. I really dont understand that but anyway recently I have run away from an alcoholic husband who at any argument would hit me and humiliate me in front of our daughter. I come from Greece and he is from UK. He would swear at me and also call me humiliating names and I would shut up before it gets worse. I spoke to my parents who are n Greece and they said that what I was thinking about the police chasing me and the social services as well was ‘catastrophising’ and in a few days it came true. My friends and family kept telling me I was ‘catastrophising’ when I was prediciting his behaviour and it did happen over the period of a couple of weeks. At the moment it is peaceful but I am scared of even that…I would like someone to tell me their opinion on this. I am seeing a lawyer tomorrow and I will take action.
hi dave; i know what you mean; our grown grandson visits us on weekends and i just thought he was oversensitive about comments i make since he internalizes everything i say and brings it up after everyone else has forgotten the comment….especially when i make a personal remark about a friend going thru a hard time or a family problem; he thinks he is responsible to fix the matter or be the family bandaid or mediator…i realize he just needs to focus on himself and his life; so i am learning not to be negative with my comments around him and try to lighten up the conversations and keep his trust….i wasn’t aware that this was part of his diability…thanks for your insight..will be looking for more clues on how to help…go steelers!!!
Yep, since I was a child, I’ve always looked on the negitive side, making mountains out of mole hills, and I haven’t even been diognosed as a bi-pola person.
It’s just that I haven’t learnt how to be positive in what I still see as a negitive world.
The news is full of it, where there always seems to be fighting, bombings and wars. There aways bad things happening, but then, that’s our human race, we don’t know how to be peaceful or at peace for long.
How can one be learn to positive if they keep alway broardcasting the bad news and not enough of the good news?
Yep, since I was a child, I’ve always looked on the negitive side, making mountains out of mole hills, and I haven’t even been diognosed as a bi-pola person.
It’s just that I haven’t learnt how to be positive in what I still see as a negitive world.
The news is full of it, where there always seems to be fighting, bombings and wars. There aways bad things happening, but then, that’s our human race, we don’t know how to be peaceful or at peace for long.
How can one be learn to positive if they keep alway broardcasting the bad news and not enough of the good news?
PS. This is not a copy of the last comment, I wrote it before I really did, but for some reason, it published in another name, even though I had my own name and my email address in the right places! How does that happen? and has it happened to anyone else?
For YEARS, I was borderline hypochondriac. I had been through so MANY medical/health problems that started out to be “nothing much,” and turned into a bleeding ulcer, or complete obstruction of my internal organs, to gallstones, to a pain in my leg that was a benign tumor! So – it came naturally to me to start believing that ANY symptomatology was an emergency. Only with my first marriage, did I finally realize I was CATASTROPHIZING!! I agree; it’s a GREAT word!
And for those who think the news is AWFUL right now, and the world is going to hell in a handbasket – it may very well be, but remember World War II, and the Holocaust. “There will be wars and rumors of wars; mighty wonders will be in the skies; brother will turn against brother, etc.” All found in the Bible, which was written eons ago. Both the Old and the New Testaments talk about the “end of time.” So – this has been going on since the time man could “think” cognitively about his situation, and what “life” was all about.
The current political news DOES worry me, because I was a poli sci major in college, as well as serving on City and County Republican Committees, so I know a little bit about politics and why some bills get passed and others don’t. I just HOPE the Republicans in Congress can be their rightful “checks and balances” against our President and the predominantly-Democratic Congress. I hope that’s not too much to ask…
During all 3 of my hospitalizations, I truly believed it was the End of the World. I saw ALL the signs, and was just waiting for Jesus to return. Thankfully, during my last hospitalization, I came to the realization that “Ends are only Beginnings,” and left the eschatology to the experts!! Whenever I find my thoughts drifting THAT way, I attempt to turn them away, do something distracting so HISTORY doesn’t repeat itself!
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. May God bless you real good. I pray for my country.
Dave;
ALL know the disorder is purely caused by the psych. & the Drugs.
IATROGENIC, VIA POLYPHARMACY! QED?
THE ONE WHO MAKES “DIAGNOSIS” & THE DRUG CARTELLS.
FANCY LILLY OF ZYPREXA, IN COURT FOR LIES…
THEN I FIND ZYPREXA CAUSES DIABETIES, & FANCY THAT, DIBETIC MEDS ARE LILLYS 2ND BEST EARNER, 2ND ONLY TO THEIR DECERIBRATION “MEDS.”
DO THEY DO A 241?
DIABOLICAL!
WHERE/WHEN IS OUR DEBATE?
YOU FOR THIS GARBAGE, ME AGAINST!
THE ONLY ONES WHO STATE PSYCH. & ITS’ DRUGS R GOOD, ARE PSYCH.
NONE WITH AN IQ OVER 15 WOULD BELIEVE PSYCH. ROT. EVEN MOST DrS> DON’T BELIEVE, NOR DO PROFESSORS IN PSYCH.
SEE CCHR! & YOU TUBE. THEY SPEAK THE TRUTH, AS IT IS HOW IT HAS BEEN FOR ME THE PAST 8+ YEARS.
ALL PSYCH. SAYS & DOES IS BULLSHIT, NO SCIENCE OR MEDICINE BACKS ANY OF ITS’ VILE SADISTIC TRADE!
My boyfriend is bipolor and its bad evevrything I have read is him I do understand so much more he has tried to hurt me in a rage and put his hands around my neck It has scared me due to he refuses to get help and says nothing is wrong I have had to involve the police and now im afraid of him I have no support and i do so much care for him yet I have been told to have no contact with him or accept his calls im due with his twins in april. And have to now protect the babies as well as myself . going thru this is hard and I have stood by his side when hes angry and sweet yet I have to let go and my heart breaks and im glad to just get this written and let it out of myself im not alone
One example of making a mountain out of a mole-hill. Today, I am on the phone with the hospital nurse who needs my background information for an upcoming procedure and my bi-polar husband is needing to get ahold of me. I do not answer our land line because I am speaking long distance on my cell. He leaves a message on the land line. I hear beeps on my cell because he has left a message on my cell. His message is that he needs me to call him right away because he is needing my assistance right now. I don’t know who you are yapping to but you need to stop what you are doing and call me right back. I called him back within 8 minutes and he has it all figured out and no longer needs my help. Does he say he is sorry for yelling, no. The world does not revolve around him.
Hey David, thx’s 4 your email***again ;D **** Honey! I KNOW I’M SICK!I got the PAPERS to prove it ;D !!! really thro, I try to keep up to date,on mental health “my BIPOLAR, see my Dr.’s, take my med.’s/excerize,etc. don’t keep up w/ all the info,so much to read!!! over whelmed(i b A.D.D. 2*just 4 “good musure”,don’t cha ‘no ;D) anyway,always looking to learn(?) more….But! one thing I know helps me,is my christian faith(which i don’t push my’ideals’on anyone)that,& I DON”T TAKE MYSELF TOO SERIOUSLY,little levity,in general, goes along way!*** thx’s again,catch cha’ on the other side of’ RIDLIN’…. Peggy
My ex-husband often did the exact opposite to catastrophising. With his unrealistic business ideas which he described in a very credible way. “My friend can show us how to do abc and then we can achieve xyz and in a year’s time we will be very successful and well off and never need to look back.” His enthusiasm worked to some extent. He spent all his money on a business which seemed a great idea at the time, convinced it would pay for itself in a year or so. All it ever did was getting us deeper into debt. Although we’re separated we keep in touch over a friendly distance. He will never admit to having bipolar disorder and refuses get help. With every episode comes another business idea, except now he has no money left to throw away and all he can do is talk about it with enthusiasm.
DAVE, that dinner you had last night would make most of us queasy – chips and ice cream (lol). I have noticed that during a manic episode some people are eating very strange food, eg. baked beans and jam, coffee with olive oil and lemonade, charcoaled toast. My ex-husband, my boyfriend and recently a lodger who went into an episode all cooked up some really strange concoctions, they wouldn’t dream of eating while stable. Is this common? Has anyone else done / noticed this?
I was just reading about this topic in one of those “How to be Happy” self books. It said that appreciation is the antidote for catastrophizing. When you start to feel yourself going down the worry, what if, routes actively think of things that you appreciate about your life. Start making up Top 5 lists like what are your top 5 songs of the year, or top 5 movies or top 5 people you like to hang out with. Your mind will be channeled into another direction and it will stop the worrying…
I know what you mean whwen you say that your supporter starts to catastrophize your every move. They have a preconceived notion about your illness and what to look for that thy over do it. My supporter turns mountains out of mole hills. It’shard to survivewhen your supporter is always catsrophizing your every move.
This weekend, on PBS, I saw a show by Dr. Amen, a psychiatrist. He was speaking about ‘killing the AuNTs’ the Automatic Negative Thoughts. Actually, he called it ANTS, but I refer it to AuNTS because I have a couple mean aunts *who I would NEVER kill* (I am a really nice person)…anyway, he says we need to stop thinking negatively. We should think how we feel making things worse than they are and how we feel when we are doing well. We should know the difference between our thinking.
Catastrophizing for me, is most likely the one single thing that makes living with bipolar so difficult.
I am of nature a ‘sensitive’ person so, I have to constantly analyze whether or not I am making a too big a thing out of something smaller without compromising on my core values and believes as that is the only thing that gives me peace at times “knowing who I am still”.
In a situation where my partner & I land up debating the point of “catting” or just standing up for “what I believe in” I can get so violently mad and at the end (that can be exhausting or disastrous hours later)I end up seeing that I have been “catting” again.
This takes me too such a low that it takes days for me to get to a normal level frame of mind. And this all just because my own judgment being poor. This is such a major frustration for me, every time I say next time I will know, I will “see the signs” and will remain calm and think clear, Just to find that when it is all over I reacted in the same old manner as before.
It feels like since I’ve had bipolar that “good healthy judgment” for me has gone out the door. It to me feels like having lost control over ones bladder.
Hi Dave,
I have been a bipolar endurer for over thirty years back in the days when they called manic depression.
Catastrophizing to me is two things –
1) a state of mind with the emotions that enhanced the situations and feels very real .
2) Catastrophizing my situations or feelings in an attempt to get the person or people whom i am communicating with to understand the impact my head of situation is having on me , usually my srink !
maggie