Worrying about Worst Case Scenarios

[Anxious4Days]

It seems like my GAD tends to manifest itself mostly in the form of ruminating thoughts about bad eventualities - even if I can reason that these things are very unlikely to happen. For example, I've recently been applying to a lot of new jobs trying to find another employment opportunity with a less stressful workplace and more positive company culture/management. I've recently secured a few interviews for over the upcoming weeks. I feel like I should be proud of this positive feedback, but instead I'm caught up in the fear that none of these companies will want to hire me post-interview, that I will never find a new job, and that I will be stuck in this stressful situation forever. How have you found success coping with these types of thoughts? How can I get myself out of this pattern of negative thinking?

 

[jajingna]

Maybe you will be hired? Good luck with it.

 

[Anxious4Days]

Maybe you will be hired? Good luck with it.

I certainly hope so! I'm preparing for my interviews so I think I'll do well. I just keep on getting stuck reciting this mantra of "You'll never get hired," and worrying about other bad things. I'm trying to get unstuck from that type of thinking. Thanks for the support.

 

[Mayflower7]

Hi,
You've done ever so well to secure interviews. You are preparing which is excellent.
Wishing you loads of luck.
Hopefully the more you prepare the less anxiety you will have.

 

[Anxious4Days]

Hi,
You've done ever so well to secure interviews. You are preparing which is excellent.
Wishing you loads of luck.
Hopefully the more you prepare the less anxiety you will have.

Thank you so much for the well-wishes!

 

[Bizzarebitrary]

I have to practice feeling good. Knowing that I have a mental health condition which distorts cognition helps motivates me, cause I know the illness is stacking the odds against me.

I'll have a catastrophizing thought. Okay, how do I create a more balanced thought with the understanding that feelings aren't facts?

Maybe I'll remind myself that "I don't know" doesn't actually mean "I do know and the outcome will be bad."
And sometimes, dialing down the stakes helps: "This is actually not my last, best chance. I'm gonna be okay whatever then outcome and I know this because I've survived uncertainty before."

In my experience nothing "works" all the time but something works most of the time, which is why I practice balancing distorted thoughts all the time.


How do you practice challenging distorted thoughts?

 

[Jep88]

It seems like my GAD tends to manifest itself mostly in the form of ruminating thoughts about bad eventualities - even if I can reason that these things are very unlikely to happen. For example, I've recently been applying to a lot of new jobs trying to find another employment opportunity with a less stressful workplace and more positive company culture/management. I've recently secured a few interviews for over the upcoming weeks. I feel like I should be proud of this positive feedback, but instead I'm caught up in the fear that none of these companies will want to hire me post-interview, that I will never find a new job, and that I will be stuck in this stressful situation forever. How have you found success coping with these types of thoughts? How can I get myself out of this pattern of negative thinking?

I can relate. I often feel my work situation is too stressful and that it will never improve. We really don't know what the future will bring. The best we can do is think of all the things we have to be grateful for now and continue trying to improve our situation so it might get better in the future.