Does anyone else constantly imaging bad things happening?

[AlmostHomeless]

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[StoppingTime]

I do have this sometimes. I kept myself up for hours one noight because there was a huricane hitting us, and I kept thinking of all the horrible things that could happen. but I also have this on a more regular basis as well. Maybe a few times a week, probably nothing compared to what you are used to. It may be a little it bit of paranoia, but other factors as well. I think this happens to a lot more people than we think. I doubt this is that uncommon at all.

[AlmostHomeless]

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[alley]

I know what you mean, I also get this some times, particularly if i'm tired or ill, because my concentration is lax and my mind tends to play tricks on me, or at the other extreme, if i'm wide awake and my mind is racing. I think it's perfectly normal, to think, 'what if?'. I imagine most people do at some stage, maybe you are just thinking about it more frequently for some reason. You are probably over-thinking situations, and thus make-believing them when it's not nescesscary. Perhaps to avoid try thinking about other things, or if you can afford to, concentrate on something else, like perhaps think about something different. There's no need to be paranoid, nor worry. What will happen will happen, no one can change it. Do you think there may be a reason for why you are thinking of these circumstances so often, like maybe a trigger? Or a certain mood you're in, or emotions you are feeling?
I'd say it's normal, I can relate, maybe you're just going through a stage where you seem to be focusing more attention on it. I'm sure you will come through it. Hope you are okay :)

[Ender]

I run worst-case scenarios through my head all of the time when I'm doing stuff. It helps me think about how I would react in situations, and it's a good way to train yourself to act.

It does depress me sometimes, thinking of how sad a world we live in that some of my thoughts are reality... But you just kind of have to live with that.

[AppealToReason]

Getting hit by another car is a big one for me. Mine usually ends up in a huge pile-up with no survivors. <.<
Another one that I constantly imagine is catching on fire. When I'm cooking I sometimes wonder off and just see my jacket catch on fire. Then I scream, pour water on myself, doesn't help, no one home, house burns down, and I die. Or cutting my finger off when I'm chopping food, a giant sinkhole forming from the shower drain, ect. The smallest things make me paranoid.
So....you're not alone. :P

[StoppingTime]

Thanks for the reply. I'm really glad I have you guys. There's a lot of stuff I don't normally talk about because I'm afraid of being seen as weird.


I feel the same way here too. I probably would never tell anyone this. Maybe if they asked me, but even then I don't know.

[Bath]

Oh my GOD. Yes.

I'll snap out of it thinking... 'whoa, what was that? Did I seriously just.. what?' Been happening since I was little... usually imagining what if my mom doesn't come home, and all the bad things that could've happened to her. Then it changed to me being kidnapped when I'm walking, or somebody shooting up my school.

It's kinda scary I guess but keeps you on your toes. You're not alone.

[Camazot]

sometimes but not about my life more of imagining people just randomly getting mad at me or not accepting me for no apparent reason or i imagine all the bad things if i tell someone something

[AlmostHomeless]

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[RustyRockets]

Worst case scenarios! I do it all the time. I think (or at least I like to think) that it's a side-effect of being a deep thinker - lots of people wander through life oblivious to many things, whereas I am cautious of a hanging-basket falling on my head etc!

(This is mad, I know, but...)
When I was little I used to take this to the extreme - I used to think maybe any second the world would be swallowed up by a black hole or something similarly apocalyptic. In that context, your thoughts while bike riding seem totally fine :)
Rus

[Ben4ever]

I have had these thoughts in the past and I saw a psychiatrist about it and she put me on a low dose anti-depressant and it helped me greatly! I would get myself just to be safe. I hope this helps a lot of people because it sure helped me!

[Amaryllis]

Hey pumpkin. Before my eating disorders took over my mind and body, I was just as paranoid as you if not more.

People who've been mentally/sexually/physically abused tend to harbour -a lot- of anxiety. Your eating disorders are probably fuelled by that, as well. But if my memory serves me right, you weren't abused. Do you think you might've been abused but you blocked it off from your memory? Or perhaps you were/are being pressured/bullied or something else and you simply don't consider it abuse?

You're a high achiever from what I can remember. Do you know where that stems from? You don't have to have gone through abuse to feel the need to impress your parents. Stress can create paranoia, as well. When your cortisol is high, you can be quite anxious as well. This could be because of your small food intake(my cortisol was very high when I was suffering from my eating disorders) and because of the pressure you put on yourself.

Until just last year, I would fear absolutely everything. I was convinced the house would blow up, a car would run into me and everyone was out to get me. Of course, that is completely irrational and irrelevant. Whatever will be will be, sweetheart. Do you believe imagining your death scene will prevent it from happening?

Whatever goes, goes. You can't change what you cannot change. Death will come one day and that's okay - because you won't care when you're dead. You simply will not exist. So live in the moment, rather than the future.