fighting the "what if's?"

[irrational]

Is the worst part of anxiety the incredible doom feeling of the "what if's?"

I know I can't be the only one who can take a simple scenario and drill it through my head so many different ways that by the time it's done, all I can think about is how doomed I am.

The worst part of it is knowing how silly and irrational I'm being, yet that does nothing to allay my fears. Even running through my past history of anxiety and knowing that not one feeling of doom has ever come true does nothing to comfort me.

Has anyone found a decent coping technique for this besides medication? Since it's a holiday weekend, I won't get near a doctor until Monday at the earliest and really need some calming down now.

[proxi]

I know exactly what do you mean. Finally I got tired with that constant worry "what if" and I said to myself "fu$k it" if I'll die let it be it, life is to fu$king short to waste time for worrying.

It actually that approach does work, looks like we just need to talk more to our brain like to a person.

[Evilbob333]

Try and remember that these are thoughts not facts...all of these what ifs are like fairy tales...they dont really exist. Also try thinking of your what ifs on a scale...on one end is the worst thing that could possibly happen and on the other is the best...try and fill in the gaps in between, look at the shades of grey, not just the black and white polar opposite outcomes. This will hopefully get you to move away from your catastrophic thinking and getting you to look at all the different possibilities on the entire spectrum.
I hope i've explained that well enough...its been a long week and i need to snooze!!!

[irrational]

Thanks for the reply Bob...that makes a lot of sense.

Funny thing is, I "what if" my "what if's!"

In other words, I rationalize a lot of my bad thought by thinking in the past that has anything I dreaded like this ever come true. Then I go, well what if this is the exception?

Boy, isn't anxiety fun?

[elgrande]

Yeah I find I jump to the negative and then work back. I guess this is a part of our condition however its probably not a healthy way to look at things. Reversing years of negative thinking is by no means easy and takes a lot of dedication which is something I'm in short supply of. Hope you fair better.

[Evilbob333]

The point is that you shouldn't try to rationalise...you should just kinda say to yourself 'i'm having this thought...its occurring, its just a thought' and then leave it there. Don't engage with it, let it come and let it go. By rationalising you're just feeding it, you're giving the thought power, you're making it imporatant to your brain by saying that it needs rationalising...it doesn't. Do you try and rationalise every other thought that you have? No, you just accept it and it comes and goes. Its a difficult concept and a tough skill to master but it is possible!
And in response to your what if this time is the exception...its a common trap, but at then end of the day you can console yourself by realising that if the worst does occur, it wont be as bad as you're imagination makes it out to be and that you will cope with whatever it might be...we always do!

[Bluebird]

This is my major symptom now with anxiety and something I am struggling with this minute. Right now I am worrying about something that could possibly occur tomorrow at work and I've been worrying about it off and on all weekend. Sometimes when I am like this it helps to say to myself "It's just anxiety" and involve myself in tasks around the house, etc. That's not doing the trick this weekend. And I'm driving myself crazy with the worrying. I know that 99% of the time that my worrying is unnecessary, but I always think, like someone mentioned, what if this is the exception and this time it will really end up horrible!