If jumping to conclusions was a sport, I would be competing in the Olympics. See you all next year in Tokyo 😉 !
When something bad happens like I make a mistake or I’m having an argument with somebody, my anxiety launches me to the worst possible conclusion. I get hurt, put on my jet pack and zoom off far away from reality!
My anxiety has always influenced my reactions to something that has either hurt or scared me. It takes me from the actual situation and sucks me into my mind where it tells me that something horrible is about to happen.
“Megan, you’re so stupid, why would you even say that? Everyone now knows how dumb you are.”
“Megan, why would you do that? Now they hate you! They never want to speak to you or see you again.”
When I get like this I hide. I hide away in my room if I’m at home, I hide in my office at work or hiding can be me not speaking to anybody for a while. I do this out of guilt and fear that everybody hates me.
I also jump to the worst possible possibility when I’m reading too deeply into something. My mind tells me that “they’re doing that because nobody wants to be near you” or “this is happening because you’re a terrible person that nobody likes.”
I know it’s all rooted in anxiety which intensifying the fears I’ve held on to all my life. But when you but an ant under a magnifying glass, it can look pretty damn big.
In therapy I’m working on not jumping to conclusion so fast. I’m trying to take time in my thought process and attempt to assess reality (which can be really difficult).
If you struggle with jumping to conclusions, is there any tips that you have on how to work through them and return to reality?
You are all such strong individuals, I love reading the posts on this blog. It absolutely makes me feel less alone in my mental illness.
The Bipolar Writer Mental Health Blog 
I deal with anxiety a lot as well. I can relate so much to this. What makes me feel better is when I ultimately cycle back to my rational thoughts and sometimes have to laugh at how carried away I got.
Talking with my partner and friends helps too!
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I’m glad I’m not the only one going through similar issues. Sometimes looking at reality makes those irrational thoughts seem quite ridiculous. Just in that moment when they’re swallowing you whole, it’s terrifying. Thank you for sharing, Paper Crow!
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You’re gonna have to take home the silver cause I am a gold medalist in this event. 😂
Here’s what works for me. I take one bite at a time. First I see what could be the smallest fallout from my mess up. Then if that’s palatable, I take the next bite and so on.
Next thing you know, you’ve brought it down to size. It’s too big in our minds. You e gotta break it down. Make it manageable.
As Iyanla Vanzant asks, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
I hope this helps.
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Hahaha! We have some competition! Thank you for sharing these words. You’re right to take small bites of whatever the issue is in my mind.
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😁
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I thought I was the only one going for the gold. I feel like I am driving myself crazy. My bipolar, anxiety, depression, and ocd all wrapped in one event for the gold. I am 49 and still learn how to deal with this. I go to therapy. I am unable to take the medicine that can help me out my psychiatrist anymore. We are always trying. I have Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease, I was diagnosed with that in October 2017. I got that from Chronic Interstitial Nephritis. I feel as though I cannot win. And the good ole PTSD just pops up. I do alot of writing and personal journaling. I do meditation. I try so much to feel what “others” call normal. But I have accepted my mental illnesses and my many health issues and just, just really try to manage. My kitties and my therapist and psychiatrist do help me a lot!
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You’re definitely not alone in jumping to conclusions, Kathy! It makes me feel crazy sometimes too. My cats and therapist help me out too 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
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The thing that works for me is to get out of the place which triggers the response and come back and respond after I cooled down. Initially, it looked weird and hard but in time, I learnt how not to react to things right away. So, I don’t need to leave the room now.
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That’s a good idea to leave the space that you’re in. Sometimes it gives some clarity to breathe different air. Thank you for sharing, Betul!
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It helps!:)
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I think one thing that helps with jumping to conclusions is journaling about these things after they happen and noting how it didn’t end up being a bad as you imagined. Constantly and consistently reinforcing to yourself that your expectations did not match up with reality can be helpful in ultimately adjusting them.
Also one thing that’s hard to accept is that emotions are not reality, they are simply emotions. In these times of stress perhaps check in with yourself and start naming your emotions and any physical symptoms so that you are grounded in them and not floating away in your mind.
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Journaling is a good idea! Putting it on paper can give you a different perspective too. It’s difficult to ignore my emotions when I’ve always been driven by them. I really appreciate your words, Narrow Path! Thank you!
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Yeah it’s hard not to be driven by emotions. Sometimes it can feel like you’re going against a strong wind but no matter how strong the winds at some point they die down and fade away, just like strong emotions do. I read somewhere (not sure if it’s true) that emotions come in 30-90 second waves but then they pass. I think if we can think of emotions as something like a wave or even a storm we are able to contextualize it and realize it’s just a phenomenon and not who we are.
This is why I try to say I am feeling sad/angry/etc. versus I am sad/angry/etc. I’m glad I could be of help!
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I think we all can share the Gold Medal. It’s one thing to hide from others and another to hide from self. We all need to fight our own demons I suppose. Thank you for your post because now I can relax and not stress much on my issues.
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Hahaha I agree, Draven! I think all of us can share. I’m glad that my post helped ease whatever is going on in your life. Thank you for sharing!
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I do this, too. I find myself going to the extremes in my thinking when I am in an anxious situation. “I am stupid”, “People hate me”, all that stuff. It is really tiring sometimes and I have learned I just have to give it to God. I try and remind myself that I am broken and cannot trust everything that my mind says and does. That might sound kind of simplistic but it is what it is. I am working through it on a daily basis.
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That is a really good point, Kevin! Us with mental illnesses can’t always trust what our minds tell us. My therapist tries to remind me of this but it’s hard not to trust your brain. Thanks for sharing!
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I do this as well! I’ve struggled with it for as long as I can remember. Therapy has helped a lot; for example, the other day I was jumping to conclusions in my mind regarding my husband. When I felt myself getting worked up and making false scenarios up in my head, I kept reminding myself of all the things he did that proved I was getting myself worked up for nothing. It’s hard to get away from thinking in this way though, when we’ve done it for so long. Stay strong. ❤
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It really is difficult to change your thought process after doing it forever! That’s a good idea to look through to see the proof in reality. Thank you for your perspective, Apadrez!
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When my anxiety starts revving, the first thing I do is try to figure out what triggered it. Avoiding triggers is a big part of how I manage it (though I can’t seem to stop people from ringing the stupid doorbell, no matter what sign I put out there). Next, I’ll try to talk myself down by either logically going over things or calmly going through the motions of an ordinary task while talking about what I’m doing. If all else fails, I call my husband or mom. Sometimes other people’s logic makes more sense. Music and practicing mindfulness are two of the ways I am actively trying to reduce anxiety right now.
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I feel the same about needing another person’s point of view on something that I’m anxious about. Sometimes an outside perspective can really help me see clearer. Thank you for sharing, Kamber!
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I just got done reading an article about how to receive constructive feedback in the workplace for this very same anxiety. After my boss came into my office to tell me about a mistake i made and asked what I plan moving forward…I found my body get so tense and I sat for a very long time after he left (going against my usual habit of running to hide in the bathroom). It’s hard…to live in the pause where you can access reality. Sending you all the strength you need in this practice! And here’s the article I read if interested: https://www.themuse.com/advice/taking-constructive-criticism-like-a-champ
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That sounds so stressful! I’ll check out this article. Thank you for sharing, Meg!
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