Anticipatory Anxiety Automatic Thought Record Worksheet
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Worksheet published on October 6th, 2016
Worksheet updated on July 20th, 2021
Anticipatory anxiety is a struggle for many people. Often we see things like catastrophizing when people experience anxiety about upcoming events. When it comes to anticipatory anxiety the thought of the worst case scenario is enough to have a patient be overcome with worry, which will sometimes affect performance and their mental and emotional health.
That’s why it is important for a patient who has a tendency to catastrophize or experience anticipatory anxiety to be able to rationalize their expectations with the evidence they know to be true.
About This Worksheet
This ATR walks patients through their worries and brings to light their active catastrophizing tendencies. This worksheet serves as great practice for breaking down cognitive distortions, anxiety reactions, and triggers. It also helps the patient see and understand how their anxiety affects how they make expectations about the future.
Instructions
It first asks the patient to identify the worry, rate the worry on a scale to one to 10, and identify what triggered the worry. It then has the patient list the evidence to support and not support the expectation for the most adverse outcome.
Finally, after working through the worry with a logical break down of what the patient already knows, the patient is asked for the most likely outcome and asked to re-score their anxiety.
Download Anticipatory Anxiety Automatic Thought Record Worksheet
As we move to online interventions until school reopens, these worksheets are extremely helpful in not losing ground made while in school. Thank you from a School Psychologist whom specializes in trauma and grief!
Hi Linda,
I am so happy to hear that PsychPoint worksheets are helping students as they transition to online learning. Thank you for sharing your feedback!