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Irrational Idea 4: Everything is a Catastrophe

Click here for the introductory document in this series.

Irrational Idea #4

“It’s a catastrophe when things don’t go according to (my) plans!”

Catastrophizing is a term used for the act of perceiving every mistake as a major catastrophe. As you can imagine, it causes a great deal of stress to those who live this way. It can cause you to become risk-averse and prevent you from leading a more fulfilling live. If these ideas sound familiar, start living by the examples for the rational idea:

  • Becoming overly upset by circumstances rarely (if ever) improves the situation.
  • This attitude is rather common with children throwing temper tantrums. Move on and show more maturity.
  • When the situation is out of your control, this idea will keep you from accepting your fate.
  • A constant desire to control every situation will keep you from recognizing what circumstances you can or cannot control.

Rational Idea: “This isn’t going the way I want, and I can’t control this situation, but I’m going to make the best of it.”

  • With this positive attitude, you can recognize what you can and cannot control to accept the situation without lashing out in fits of rage.
  • Use anger productively; channel it into efforts to correct the situation within your power.

For a happy and emotionally healthy life, contact CrossRoads for counseling at 317-842-8881 if you are in the Central Indiana area. This series was inspired by and sourced from “A Guide to Rational Living” by Albert Ellis and Robert Harper.