A psychotherapeutic term for a cognitive distortion where anxiety or depression leads you to infer apocalyptic conclusions from mundane setbacks and anxieties.
Catastrophizing usually comes in a litany of steps that start from a mundane setback all the way to absolute existential hoplessness. For instance:
1. Oh no, I'm going to be late for work.
2. My boss is going to be angry.
3. I'm going to lose my job.
4. I'm not going to be able to get another one.
5. I'm going to be unemployed forever.
6. My family will starve.
7. Oh God, we're all going to die!!!
Each step in the sequence is arguably plausible, but the snowball effect takes it into the realms of absurdity after a while.
1. Oh no, I'm going to be late for work.
2. My boss is going to be angry.
3. I'm going to lose my job.
4. I'm not going to be able to get another one.
5. I'm going to be unemployed forever.
6. My family will starve.
7. Oh God, we're all going to die!!!
Each step in the sequence is arguably plausible, but the snowball effect takes it into the realms of absurdity after a while.
by The Logical Fallacy August 19, 2018
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She thinks she's going to be homeless cuz she got one bad grade. She's always snowball catastrophizing.
by Sh'Quoiya December 2, 2016
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