The Uncanny Power of Catastrophic Thinking

Catastrophic Thinking is usually something that usually doesn't affect me too badly because I recognize it for what it is and adjust how I am thinking about a problem.  I think that my coping skill were a little compromised after the long few weeks we had and I got caught off guard.

Something minor happened at work and my mind blows the whole 'molehill' out of proportion.  Next thing I know, I am stressing about potentially losing my job and what the loss of stability would do to our family.  The stress doesn't let up until I have the opportunity to talk to my manager and he assures me that I have nothing to worry about.

I am so relieved that the physical manifestation of my stress is alleviated so quickly I get a migraine and they have to send me home from work.  I was not in any shape to drive and Dani was out of town visiting her parents.  I had to call my folks and ask them to come get me.

Long story short, I blew it.  I should have known that I was overreacting but I didn't catch on in time and the obsessiveness that it Catastrophic Thinking took hold and made my life hell for almost five days.  So everything was calming down and something minor and simple at work creates this kind of havoc.  Go figure.  I keep on fooling myself into thinking that I can let my guard down for a minute.  Invariably, that's when something will slip past my defenses and trigger a bad PTSD reaction.