The Catastrophic Cascade: Why Our Brains Spiral Into Self-Doubt (and How to Interrupt It)

By Meagan Yarmey, PhD, MSW, RSW

A brain made of intricate spirals cascades and unravels into light, symbolizing the journey from complexity to clarity.

You’re smart, capable, and people count on you. So why does one tiny misstep—or even the thought of one—keep you up at 2am playing mental whack-a-mole with your own thoughts?

This isn’t a personal flaw. It’s a pattern. And once you see it, you can change it.

The First Domino: A Thought That Feels Innocent

Let’s say you leave a meeting wondering, “Did I come across as too pushy?” Harmless enough, right?

But your brain’s primary job is to scan for threat and ambiguity. In fact, the brain is a prediction machine, always trying to fill in gaps—especially under stress (Clark & Beck, 2010). When ambiguity arises, our cognitive radar kicks into high gear. For many professionals, especially those accustomed to high standards, that radar can become hyperactive.

The Loop: When Thinking Becomes a Trap

Instead of resolving uncertainty, the brain loops it. As Tavris and Aronson explain in Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me), once we latch onto a belief ("I messed that up"), we start collecting evidence to support it—whether it’s accurate or not. This is classic confirmation bias (Nickerson, 1998), and it fuels the mental loop.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) identifies these patterns as cognitive distortions—habitual ways of thinking that misrepresent reality (Beck, 2011). With awareness and skill, we can learn to challenge them.

The Cascade: When a Protective Brain Starts to Misfire

When left unchecked, these mental loops drain our emotional bandwidth. High performers often carry traits like perfectionism and a strong desire for control—traits that support success, but also set the stage for spirals when things feel uncertain (Egan, Wade, & Shafran, 2011).

This isn’t about being flawed. It’s the brain doing its best with outdated wiring. When we’re under stress, the threat detection system (including the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex) can overreact, launching us into overdrive (Etkin, Egner, & Kalisch, 2011).

The Crash: When Mental Energy Runs Out

The mental toll of chronic overthinking is real. Known as ego depletion, it results in decision fatigue, poor emotional regulation, and burnout (Baumeister et al., 1998). And no, the answer isn’t to just "stop overthinking."

Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offer alternatives. These approaches help us notice our thoughts without becoming trapped by them—a process known as cognitive defusion (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2011).

The Exit Ramp: Interrupting the Cascade

So, what helps?

CBT teaches us to question distorted thinking patterns and build alternative narratives (Beck, 2011).

ACT helps us defuse from unhelpful thoughts, tolerate discomfort, and reconnect with our values (Hayes et al., 2011).

Mindfulness builds present-moment awareness and cognitive flexibility (Keng, Smoski, & Robins, 2011).

This isn’t about thinking happy thoughts. It’s about thinking wisely.

In Closing

If this cascade feels familiar, you’re not alone. You’re not broken.

You’re simply caught in a loop your brain mistook for protection.

The good news? Therapy can help you rewire the system—not just manage the symptoms.

[Book a consultation | meaganyarmey.ca]

References

Baumeister, R. F., Bratslavsky, E., Muraven, M., & Tice, D. M. (1998). Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(5), 1252–1265.

Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (2010). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practice. Guilford Press.

Egan, S. J., Wade, T. D., & Shafran, R. (2011). Perfectionism as a transdiagnostic process: A clinical review. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(2), 203–212.

Etkin, A., Egner, T., & Kalisch, R. (2011). Emotional processing in anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(2), 85–93.

Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2011). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

Keng, S.-L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1041–1056.

Nickerson, R. S. (1998). Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises. Review of General Psychology, 2(2), 175–200.

Tavris, C., & Aronson, E. (2020). Mistakes were made (but not by me): Why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions, and hurtful acts (3rd ed.). Mariner Books.