Overthinking and Rumination
We all at some point were overthinking about things and situations. Overthinking is a pattern of repetitive negative thoughts that are in a loop which lead to anxiety and distress. Rumination is also very closely related to overthinking, but at a higher intensity with brooding and self-critical thoughts. When overthinking and rumination are a constant, it can be very damaging to our mental health. They are associated with anxiety, depression and other mood disorders.
Many of the adults and adolescents we dealt with have indulged in overthinking and rumination. Mostly, individuals realize that they are overthinking, but do not know what they can do to overcome it. When stress and anxiety become common experiences, overthinking and rumination can either lead to them or increase them.
Therapy for overthinking and rumination
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Rumination and overthinking can be viewed in a spectrum; where rumination falls on the side of higher intensity and overthinking towards the lower side. But, both can lead to mood disturbances and distress.
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In our experience the distress is caused by the inability to do anything about it, even though awareness is present. Mostly people use unhealthy coping mechanisms like avoidance or suppression, which only increases overthinking and rumination over time. The idea of getting out of it, feels impossible.
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Understanding how it feels, our approach initially is for catharsis and venting through empathic and active listening.
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Moving forwards our approach towards overthinking and rumination is based on the type and cause. There are often underlying concerns behind rumination and overthinking. Dealing with these root causes and other concerns that come with it, will be our focus.
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We use mindfulness based approaches towards intrusive, recurring thoughts involved in overthinking and rumination. Mindfulness helps in learning to observe thoughts with a non-judgmental but aware attitude. It helps remove the emotions and judgement we attach to thoughts which often leads to the intrusion and repetition.
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We focus on restructuring thoughts, moving from unhealthy to healthy coping mechanisms and dealing with root causes helps with overthinking and rumination.
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A combination of Mindfulness based Cognitive Behavior Therapy, relaxation techniques and Solution Focused Brief Therapy is used depending on the concerns.
Contact US- Help is available
Overthinking and rumination can feel daunting to deal with, without knowing what it is and where it is coming from. With some help with awareness and strategies, overthinking and rumination can be managed well. feel free to just messaging us to reach out for help.
9035724529