It is true that childhood trauma can cause anxiety even into adulthood because early coping mechanisms of the body, mind, and spirit persist. With comprehensive treatment and support, clients can learn to redirect anxious thoughts and feelings in positive directions.
Stressors and past trauma can often trigger patterns of overthinking as well. When these thought cycles start spiraling, it is oftentimes hard to break free from and move past them.
"Overthinking can happen to anyone, but those who have experienced trauma can be especially vulnerable," she explains. "Neuroscience tells us that trauma, like childhood abuse or neglect for example, can actually alter the development of the brain to become stuck in a constant state of hyper-vigilance.
Traumatic events in the past, stress experienced in the present, and high pressures or demands of life can also be the cause of overthinking in someone. “The impact of overthinking if it occurs for a long time is one of them is declining physical health.
A type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for overcoming overthinking and recognizing cognitive errors. “It helps one learn to first identify the errors, then to reframe the thinking in more logical and balanced ways,” says Duke.
"Studies show that ruminating on stressful events can, over time, lead to anxiety and depression," warns Dr. Fowler. "From a mental health standpoint, anxiety can affect your ability to cope with everyday stressors, and depression results in sadness, loneliness and feelings of emptiness."
While overthinking itself is not a mental illness, it is associated with conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance use disorders. Rumination can be common in people who have chronic pain and chronic illness as well, taking the form of negative thoughts about that pain and healing from it.
Do you often find yourself worrying about everyday issues for no obvious reason? Are you always waiting for disaster to strike or excessively worried about things such as health, money, family, work, or school? If so, you may have a type of anxiety disorder called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Illness anxiety disorder may be associated with: Relationship or family problems because excessive worrying can frustrate others. Work-related performance problems or excessive absences. Problems functioning in daily life, possibly even resulting in disability.
Therapy and counselling can help you vent out your worries and irrational thoughts. A couple of interactive sessions with your therapist can help you cope with your anxiety, stress and fear, as you engage in a one-on-one conversation and open up to him/her.
Overthinking doesn't help us solve problems or make decisions. It does the opposite – it keeps us thinking, thinking, thinking about the same things, but unable to make a decision or take action. Overthinking keeps us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
It's also known as "catastrophising," and it happens to many people at some point in their lives. It might be a result of your previous bad experiences that you can't shake, or it could be linked to mental health issues like anxiety or chronic depression.
What drives this is underlying anxiety. Common forms include worrying, perfectionism, struggle with making decisions, and excessive control over yourself and others. Keys to coping include getting your rational brain online, using your gut reactions as important information, and taking acceptable risks.
Sometimes a person with confabulation will only make up small stories to fill gaps in their memory. Doctors call these “confabulations of embarrassment.” Others may tell elaborate stories, which is known as “fantastic confabulation.” Confabulation isn't a disorder itself. It's a symptom of an underlying disorder.
Overthinking is commonly associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), says Duke. GAD is characterized by the tendency to worry excessively about several things. “Someone can develop GAD due to their genes. Or it could be personality factors like the inability to tolerate uncertainty in life.
It's normal to get too “in your head” sometimes. But chronic overthinking can start to interrupt your sleep, work, relationships, health, or other aspects of your everyday life.
The two types of overthinking are rumination (which involves rehashing past events) and worrying (or hyperfocusing on an anxious concern about the future).
Some people wonder if frequently talking to themselves suggests they have an underlying mental health condition, but this usually isn't the case. While people with conditions that affect psychosis such as schizophrenia may appear to talk to themselves, this generally happens as a result of auditory hallucinations.
Factitious disorder is challenging to identify and hard to treat. However, medical and psychiatric help are critical for preventing serious injury and even death caused by the self-harm typical of this disorder.