downward spirals
Self-reinforcing negative loops
Downward spirals are progressively worsening situations where each decline causes further decline.
The metaphor captures how problems can compound: debt leads to stress, stress leads to poor decisions, poor decisions lead to more debt.
The company entered a downward spiral after losing its biggest client.
She recognized the downward spiral of negative thinking before it got worse.
- tailspinSteep spiral descent
- downfallSudden loss of power
- downturnEconomic decline period
- nosediveSudden steep descent
- declineDecrease or refuse
going downhill · slippery slope · deterioration · plunge · worsening · race to the bottom · catastrophizing · falls · freefall · out of control · crises · learned helplessness · mental health crisis · rumination · slump · vicious cycle · collapse · self-sabotage
downward spiralsrecoveries
Returns to normal state
turnarounds · ascents · upswings · rises · upturns
downward spiralsstability
Resistance to displacement
equilibrium · steady states · plateaus · holding patterns · stasis
downward, spirals, down, ward, spiral, spiraled, spiraling, spiralled, spiralling