OMG I soooo catastrophize things happening to my son. I had one miscarriage pretty far along before I had my son, so my anxiety started before he was even conceived. He's 21 and I still worry in excess to the actual situation. Like you, I imagine some god awful circumstance then have to force myself out of it. I've never discussed this with anyone so I don't know if it's a normal thing or not. I think I must feel it's a little extreme as I worked to make myself let go at the appropriate points. I didn't have parents who kept me safe and I think I'm afraid I'll fail too. I handle most things (like scrapes and bruises, even broken bones and stitches). But there is a part of me that fears I'm not strong/smart enough to keep him safe. I think that's why these thoughts are so devistating -- not only is it the pain of loss, but the pain of failing at the most important task I've ever undertaken. I could probably stand to talk this over with a professional. Thanks for bringing it up.