Rumination is one of the co-occurring symptoms found both in anxiety disorders and depression. It is often a primary symptom in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. When people are depressed, the themes of rumination are typically about being inadequate or worthless.
Finding a pleasurable activity or distraction often helps break the cycle of rumination. Using some of your own unique interests or self care can help find something that works for you. Mindfulness is a mediation practice that focuses on paying attention to your thoughts.
Medication. If frequent rumination is damaging the esophagus, proton pump inhibitors such as esomeprazole (Nexium) or omeprazole (Prilosec) may be prescribed. These medications can protect the lining of the esophagus until behavior therapy reduces the frequency and severity of regurgitation.
Some potential triggers of ruminating thoughts include: a specific stressor, such as a failed relationship. a recent traumatic event. perfectionism.
Obsessing and ruminating are often part of living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). No matter how hard you try to ignore them, those negative thoughts just keep coming back, replaying themselves in an infinite loop. You know it's not healthy, but you can't seem to stop yourself. It makes sense.
Treatment for Rumination OCD
All types of OCD can be treated with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specifically with treatment approaches called Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
Rumination involves repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences. The repetitive, negative aspect of rumination can contribute to the development of depression or anxiety and can worsen existing conditions.
Myth: Rumination gets worse with age.
From there, rates of rumination increase, with the highest levels of ruminators being under the age of 25. Rates of rumination then begin to decline with age. Older adults, those 63 and older, ruminate the least.
The cycle of rumination can lead to depression and anxiety, which can lead to addiction in some cases.
Rumination is a behavior and not a mental health condition. It's a common symptom in anxiety and mood disorders, though. But it doesn't have to be permanent. You can learn to manage it.
ADHD medication can help children and adults with ADHD approach their challenges and symptoms with more ease, one of which may be ruminating thoughts. So, medication for ADHD may aid with negative thought patterns, and help you get things back on track.
It's when your thoughts get caught in a loop, and you go over and over the same thoughts without feeling better or finding a resolution. Your thinking might get stuck on day to day worries or on future events.
Rumination is a mental compulsion. For people struggling with OCD, rumination can look like engaging with an intrusive thought in an effort to figure it out. It can involve searching for an answer – specifically, needing to feel certain about it.
Indeed, research has linked this tendency toward overthinking with numerous harmful behaviors, particularly overeating and drinking too much alcohol, as well as health consequences such as an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and other toxic effects.
Abstract. Objective: To increase the knowledge of rumination and its associations with stressful events, we explored the relationships between 4 types of rumination (brooding, reflection, intrusive, and deliberate rumination) in a sample of 750 adult participants who experienced a highly stressful event.
Rumination is divided into two subtypes, reflective and brooding. Reflective is a cycle of thinking that is analytical and problem-solving, whereas brooding is more negative and self-perpetuating.
Examples of temporary rumination can be: Continually worrying about an upcoming test. Reliving an important conversation. Thinking about a meaningful event that happened in the past.
One of the best ways to stop ruminating is to do a thought record—a tool featured in the book Mind Over Mood by Drs. Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky.
Importantly, however, rumination is not only related to depression, but is involved in the development and/or maintenance of a broad range of disorders, including post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, insomnia, eating disorders, somatic symptom disorder, and substance use disorders2, 3.
The main treatment for rumination syndrome is behavioral therapy to stop regurgitation. The behavioral therapy that is usually prescribed for rumination syndrome is diaphragmatic breathing. The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle located at the base of the lungs.