Episode 69: Catastrophising Isn’t a Character Flaw
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Episode 69: Catastrophising Isn’t a Character Flaw
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Narrated by:
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By:
About this listen
In this episode, Bart and Tim explore one of the most misunderstood terms in pain care: catastrophising. More than just negative thinking, this cognitive-emotional process is deeply rooted in attentional networks, threat prediction, and prior experiences.
We cover:
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The neuroscience of why catastrophic thinking increases pain
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The trap of premature reassurance or cognitive correction
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How to work with rumination, not against it
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Clinical tools that validate, reframe, and gently open space for possibility
With references to predictive processing, the Fear-Avoidance Model, and years of lived experience, this is a compassionate, grounded take for clinicians wanting to do better by their patients.
🎧 Bonus: Tim shares a personal story of following Michael Sullivan on stage—and what that taught him about catastrophising on both sides of the clinic!
👉 Listen now and reflect on: What’s one change you could make to your language this week?