This ritual is called a compulsion. Rumination is a type of compulsion. Even if you're not aware of it, thinking persistently about the past may be something you do to find relief from things that are out of your control.
Accept the past as unchangeable and let yourself move on.
Overthinkers often struggle to halt their thoughts, causing anxiety and feelings of helplessness. Mindfulness meditation can help the overthinking mind accept thoughts without judgment or attachment, allowing them to dissipate.
Rumination is a thought processing disorder meaning that worrisome thoughts or even neutral thoughts are given excess analysis by the person who ruminates.
The past wants to stay in the past, but it may need a little work before it can truly rest and you can move forward. Try not to be frustrated with yourself if you can't stop thinking about the past. It's a normal and healthy thing that your brain does in order to get your attention.
Plus, whether you're fixating on the past or catastrophizing about the future, thought patterns that are more destructive than constructive can take a toll on both your mental health and physical health. "Studies show that ruminating on stressful events can, over time, lead to anxiety and depression," warns Dr. Fowler.
The past wants to stay in the past, but it may need a little work before it can truly rest and you can move forward. Try not to be frustrated with yourself if you can't stop thinking about the past. It's a normal and healthy thing that your brain does in order to get your attention.
If you think about the past with the same intensity after a while, then you might be ruminating. Depending on other symptoms you may or may not have, a mental health professional may give you a specific diagnosis like anxiety or OCD.
Most people can't let go of the past because they don't appreciate their present. Reframing our relationship with our past requires us to stop thinking of how things should be and accept them for what they are. As Dalai Lama said, "Attachment is the origin, the root of suffering; hence it is the cause of suffering."
Trauma-related rumination refers to perseverative thinking about the trauma and its consequences; such consequences may include an individual's PTSD symptoms (see Ehlers & Clark, 2000). A feature common to both rumination and re-experiencing symptoms is that they are difficult to control.
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.
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.
'The process of dwelling on past events that can't be changed is called rumination,' says Eék. 'Some people are more likely to experience this than others, especially if they have an anxiety-prone personality. '
Our personal memories give us a sense of continuity — the same person (or sense of self) moving through time. They provide important details of who we are and who we would like to be. Memories offer us potential solutions to current problems and help guide and direct us when solving them.
Rumination and OCD
Rumination is a core feature of OCD that causes a person to spend an inordinate amount time worrying about, analyzing, and trying to understand or clarify a particular thought or theme.
Research has indicated that individuals with high emotional reactivity (high neuroticism) and introverted tendencies (low extroversion) are more likely to experience anxiety than other personality types [101].
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.
Overthinking can be an all-natural process, it can also be the result if the creative and overly active ADHD brain. While most believe overthinking to be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder, it' actually relates more to ADHD.