what do you do when Worse case scenario thinking overwhelms you?

[sky]

i have CPTSD from years of abuse from my ex husband.  Now i have worse case scenario thinking and feel completely at its mercy - often feeling completely terrified. i try to apply CBT and alter my thoughts but the WCS thinking seems overwhelming.  I'd be interested in hearing what others do who experience this problem.

[rainydiary]

Sky, that is such a difficult thing.  I personally try to find a way to bring myself to the present.  For me this can be by crying, doing yoga, being in or around water, drinking my favorite tea, and sometimes journaling.  It doesn't always work and sometimes takes a while.

[sky]

I appreciate what you said RainyDiary.  As I was thinking about this I thought of a technique I heard of recently called Acceptance - instead of seeing the Worse Case Scenario thoughts as staying with me I could just see them on leaves floating down a river and away.  Somehow I thought that might be worth a try.

[NarcKiddo]

I am not sure if what you are describing is the same as what happens for me, but I call it war-gaming. Where I go through every possible thing that could happen so I can work out how to react to it if/when it happens. My scenarios become increasing bizarre and implausible but I still feel a need to work through them "just in case" although this causes me huge stress and anxiety.

My therapist has suggested that this is a trauma reaction from my inner child who needed to predict the behaviour and rages of a very volatile and unpredictable mother so I could respond to it in the moment. She suggests that when I catch myself doing it, I remind myself that I am an adult, with agency, and that I am capable of reacting appropriately in the moment, so there is no need to waste emotional energy on every single possible outcome. None of them might happen, and certainly all of them will not. I try to comfort my inner child and tell her that adult me is in control and is capable of protecting her so she does not need to do all this war-gaming. It can be hard in the moment when I am in a big spiral of war-gaming but if I can catch myself when I start I can usually redirect my thoughts.

[sky]

oh my gosh NarcKiddo - thank you SO MUCH for sharing the solution your therapist gave you - Yes, this is exactly what i do - its tortuous isn't it? To feel so compelled to think about what could go wrong and then, how could i handle that?  could I?  wave of terror, repeat - its so exhausting.  It's such a relief to know someone else feels this way!!!     I was just listening to this video put out for soldiers and although i'm not a soldier I think it would help anyone with CPTSD who has experienced traumatic situations and people.  https://www.ptsd.va.gov/gethelp/coping_RESET.asp  (scroll down half way on the page and watch the "reset" video.  In it she talks about how to deal with troubling thoughts - the more we try to manage them the harder they are to manage and she gives 4 things that can be done - I hope this video helps you and others - i think it could help me as well.  Again NarcKiddo - i'm very grateful for you sharing your therapists thoughts - I NEVER thought of doing the things she suggested and I really think it will help me!   Best, Sky.

[CactusFlower]

My response is kind of a cross between imagery and science. I imagine the worst case stuff, then I picture my inner Critic saying it. (I've personalized him as a cartoonish type of character so I can take it less seriously) Then I just imagine myself sneering and saying to him, "That is utterly ridiculous and so statistically unlikely to happen that the chances are not worth worrying about. So shut up."

I know it's a little harsh, but it works and also works that "standing up to critic" muscle.