TITLE
How to Manage Catastrophic Thinking
DESCRIPTION
This is a short fascinating article by Martin Seligman. He is past president of the American Psychological Association and founder of the field of Positive Psychology. He has written numerous articles and books on the use of varying forms of cognitive therapy to deal with everyday life situations. This article focuses on Catastrophic Thinking and how it can affect mood and disorders. The article briefly describes some work done with combat soldiers and how catastrophic thinking could be a factor in post-traumatic stress disorder. “When something really bad happens to you, how do you think about your future? Catastrophizers think, Everything will now unravel, and my life will be ruined. This mindset turns out to be an enormous impediment to happiness and, even worse, it is a major risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)….If you catastrophize, you will likely suffer more from bad events, and if you have the opposite, optimistic mindset, you will likely be more resilient.” The article presents a number of negative catastrophic types of thoughts that can affect mood and well being. At the end, Seligman discusses his own thinking style and how to change the negative thoughts to feel and become more resilient.
SOURCE
Time, January 5, 2023, by Martin Seligman
LINK TO RESOURCE
https://time.com/collection/happiness-revival-guide/6244557/catastrophic-thinking-how-to-manage/
(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/2eb2xrd7
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
•What are some examples of Catastrophic Thinking?
•Does Seligman’s work have application to college students? If so, how?
•How do Seligman’s own experiences with catastrophic thinking reverse the negative mood and move to greater resilience?
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