Help Catastrophic thinking.

[Anxieyote]

This morning, my boss texted me and told me she needed me to cover a 5-hour shift today because someone called in. My reaction to this was a catastrophic meltdown. I had a severe panic attack, and I dug my fingernails into my skin. I cried until I fell back to sleep, and woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a train.

I heard my phone ding again, and saw another text. "Nevermind, it's already covered." she said.

I went through a full-blown meltdown over a complete non-issue that resolved itself…I should feel relieved I guess, but to be honest, I'm more concerned that the slightest hint of adversity sent me into a psychotic spiral.

Someday this is going to happen again, and I might not be able to bounce back from it. I've heard stories about people who went through mental breakdowns and never fully recovered; or exacerbated issues they were already dealing with.

Is there any way I can deal with severe overreactions like this aside from just taking more meds?

 

[TotallyIsolated]

Oh man that sounds awful, I'm sorry. I can relate.

Mindfulness is good for panic attacks. Instead of being afraid of panicking, try to accept it and just let it happen. Know that you'll still be there once it has run it's course. Try to notice your breathing and your posture. Breathe slowly and deeply, from your belly. Notice when you are tense, and try to loosen your shoulders and unclench your hands.

Mindfulness doesn't make horrible stuff go away, but it can help you to imagine or visualise your self as being separate from your negative thoughts and feelings. Studies show that emotions only last for a few seconds.

Self care is also good, though I'm a total hypocrite and I don't look after myself at all!

 

[Sanva]

i kind of do the same thing, a few weeks ago i thought my oven broke because it wasn't working correctly and I was ready to ctb right then and there, broke down completely. like i get set off by really minor things and the anxiety is so overwhelming.

I'm not really qualified to give advice. I suppose TotallyIsolated is right, you need to be mindful and stuff but it's so hard when you're having a panic attack. I usually write down my thoughts and everything I'm afraid of, then I write down some potential solutions I could try. It helps me navigate the situations better and return to rational thinking.

 

[Angi]

Everything that connects you with the very present around you could be helpful in this kind of situation. Noticing your own breathing is certainly a good one, but there are many other techniques you could try. A nice thread on them: https://sanctioned-suicide.net/threads/grounding-techniques.81102/#post-1452821

Also, the earlier you notice what is going on and start catching it, the easier it will usually be. Practice makes perfect, I guess, but personally I am not there yet

 

[Julgran]

It may not be to much use for you, but maybe you could anticipate such situations by thinking something like "One of these days, my manager will call and ask me to work some hours, and since I know that it will eventually happen, I don't need to have a negative reaction when it happens".

This tip might be completely off the mark, though, since I don't fully understand what triggered your reaction. Was the trigger that your manager called you, or was it that she asked you to work, or was it that she wanted you to work those specific hours, for example?

 

[WearyHSP]

I'm going the opposite direction in my personal quandry of overreacting. Hear me out, and forgive me if this sounds fatalistic.

I spent more than a decade teaching advanced meditation. Other than getting triggered by C-PTSD, I was generally calm and flexible.
But now I have a neuro-immune illness that has drastically changed my nervous system. I'm not saying it's useless to try all the self-care and calming techniques, but more than that, what's worked best for me is to RECOGNIZE my overreactions are due to a compromised nervous system: they're not evidence of my laziness or unworthiness, they don't mean I'm a bad person... they show me that I have a real illness. (because it's easy to blame myself otherwise.)

Having this illness has given me compassion for people who are neuro-diverse, whether it's anxiety, depression, being on the spectrum, ADHD, OCD... all those invisible challenges that are hard for Normals to relate to. It's real and it deserves your patience and love.
What I mean is, when you're having catastrophic thinking, perhaps try to be kind to that part of you who is really upset and scared or angry.

I was advised to talk to myself as if I was the adult and the upset part was a 5 year old. It totally changed the dynamic for me. I was much kinder to myself and realized I could be my own parent and listen to what's upsetting the child part, giving her a voice. That only took me 45 years to figure out!

In this scenario, it disables resistance, and that's a significant element fueling the catastrophic meltdown.