overthinking: Maybe if I think about this worst-case scenario thirty-seven times, I’ll be prepared when (if) it happens. If I play out every possible angle of the imaginary conversation, maybe I’ll know exactly what to say or do if the conversation happens, and I’ll feel in control of the uncomfortable emotions that I’ll inevitably feel. We repeatedly play out the worst thing that could happen to control how we’ll feel if it does. If the worst-case scenario brings up a lot of fear, or anger, or guilt, we’ll imagine that scenario again and again so that we can figure out what to do with the
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