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Comment by Obscurity4340 | Hacker News Reader

I've weirdly noticed a type of analagous mechanism in relation to anxiety where I castastrophize or engage in worst-outcome thinking and when things inevitably turn out ok, the relief from the incongruity has a somewhat "euphoric" and calming effect. I feel like it might be somewhat maladaptive and "addictive"

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Does this all feel familiar?

https://youtu.be/_tpB-B8BXk0

I don’t know if it’s always this way, but I create emergencies and catastrophes because I otherwise have no motivation to do anything. My back has to be against the wall to get me to act. It’s been a lifelong issue, I’ve tried to kill myself several times because of it, and I learned it was ADHD in the last month. 100% of my issues are explained by this. I never would have guessed.

That may very well be. Probably related to ADHD and traumatic lack of agency for much of life

I'm speaking autobiopically, to clarify.

Definitely sounds like not a good thing, even though it ties in with pithy sayings like "expect the worst but hope for the best" or "Don't get your hopes up and you'll never be disappointed".

Yeah that advice is the worst if you actually live it.

Prepare for the worst (as in planning), but never take it to heart or you’ll drown.

I remember reading something similar about people who survived bombings in London during the war.

Apparently many of the survivors were quite content as they had somehow survived the destruction.

I think "meaning" plays a huge role and when you can get yourself to buy into a productive/growth mindset-type narrative, it does seem to help immunize against trauma or at the very least, to help integrate it to the point the negative effect is attenuated

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