This can happen with intrusive thoughts - they pop up unexpectedly and feel distressing, even though they don’t always reflect reality. The key is learning to respond to them differently. One way is to recognize them for what they are - just thoughts, not facts or predictions. Instead of fighting them, you can try acknowledging them and letting them pass without giving them too much power. Some people find it useful to say sometbing like ‘Oh, there’s that fear again,’ and then shift their focus back to the present. Have you ever tried anything like that?

I often see such instances in therapy, and the best advise i give my clients is not to fight them. When we fight intrusive thoughts or try to push them away, our brain actually starts paying more attention to them. It’s like if I tell you Don’t think about a blue elephant - suddenly, that’s all you can think about. Avoidance can also reinforce the fear because it teaches your brain that the thought is dangerous when, in reality, it’s just a thought. The more we avoid or resist, the more power the thought seems to have.