Is it normal to imagine bad things happening around me all the time?

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11 Comments

I walk to work through a major city - crossing roads walking past train and bus stations etc - and by the time i've got to my office, i've been run over twenty times, reversed over, i've seen people get crushed between cars, hit by buses, pushed in front of trains - everywhere i go and everything i see i imagine whole scenarios where bad stuff plays out. Even when I'm just walking my dog in the park i will suddenly find myself imagining that he runs off and gets hit by a car or something. I get so engrossed i stand there staring at the ground and forget where i am. Is this in any way normal or common?

Voting Results
60% Normal
Based on 156 votes (93 yes)
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Comments ( 11 )
  • Doodlebrain
    12 years ago

    I can understand occasionally imagining the odd disaster or two, but thinking of every possible way you can be murdered is a bit strange. And doing it to an extent that you space out and stare blankly at the ground is pretty mad.
    Your imagination is just over active, maybe you'll develop a fun mental disorder, such as OCD! :)

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  • ThatKidTotallyRocks
    12 years ago

    I do this too, but not on purpose. It annoys me, because my brain is always doing this "what if?" thing wherever I go.

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    • Squishy2016
      11 years ago

      I do this too, but I don't imagine what can happen to everyone else. Just me, if I'm in a car, I imagine every bad scenario that could happen for me to die. I do this everywhere too. Even at my own house. It's the what if thing. I don't know why and I want to know. I also like knowing I'm not the only one. Although I wish I knew if my friends did it.

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      • frankie105
        11 years ago

        Have you looked into it at all? The most i've been able to gather is that it is possibly anxiety related. However, I don't think i am an anxious person at all so it doesn't make sense to me. Also "catastrophizing" vaguely describes what I (we) do, but seems to be more lengthy worrying, rather than sitting in a car and imagining the potential bad things that could happen in each moment (which i do too btw - my partner hates driving with me in the car cuz i flinch a lot at what i think is about to happen). Need to learn how to retrain our brains maybe,...

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    • frankie105
      12 years ago

      hey - this sounds like what i'm trying to explain because you say it's just "annoying". Same for me, i'm not 'psychotic' or 'crazy' it's just really... consuming. Do you mind if I ask how often you experience it? It is daily when you are out and about doing normal stuff? have you figured any way to get over it?? Thanx.

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  • Karmasbitch
    10 years ago

    I think about anything and everything that can go wrong in any given situation.

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  • myboyfriendsbitch
    11 years ago

    My boyfriend does this.

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  • elle22
    12 years ago

    I do that alot. Very vivid stuff. Anxiety issues ! Try imagine good stuff happening, but that's kinda hard when your mind has danger always switched on... Let's see the positive if any of this stuff does actually happen you'll be ready for it cuz you've thought about it.

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  • [Old Memory]
    12 years ago

    It's normal.

    Simply impulse or worry building up in a way so unrecognizable. Lack of attention or the need to feel more emotions...

    at least that's what it's like for me, I dunno.. Just guessing.

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  • Blair
    12 years ago

    I voted "not normal" but read it again,. a few times, and since you said engrossed,. then I believe it to be normal and great if you can do this, just don't get too engrossed too often, unless it's your novel in the making, but if its making you feel bad then seek help I think.

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  • Audacia
    12 years ago

    That is seriously not normal. I'm not expert and I don't want to worry you but it sounds like your mind is becoming more psychotic and it will continue to so. Perhaps you'll loose touch with reality and end up making some of these come true. See a Psychologist about it?

    Of course it does depend how long you've been doing this but it really isn't normal.

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