Do you catastrophize?

Catastrophizing in an exaggerated negative response toward actual or anticipated pain.

Catastrophizing jumps to the worst‐case scenario. It quickly becomes gloom and doom, breeding more negativity. You become fearful of the pain. You worry about all the bad things that might happen because of the pain. You’re more likely to choose negative thinking over positive thinking. And you can feel helpless to manage the pain.

Catastrophizing has been linked to higher levels of perceived pain, interference with daily activities, increased healthcare utilization, disability, depression, and changes in social support networks.

This video helps explain catastrophizing and provides helpful tips to stop doing it.