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.
Someone driven to worry or anxiety through thinking. worrier. worrywart. neurotic. fussbudget.
The two types of overthinking are rumination (which involves rehashing past events) and worrying (or hyperfocusing on an anxious concern about the future).
"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."
The Dangers Of Overthinking
It can take a serious toll on your well-being. Research says dwelling on your shortcomings, mistakes, and problems increases your risk of mental health problems. And as your mental health declines, your tendency to ruminate increases, which can lead to a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
Dwelling on your mistakes, problems and shortcomings increases your chances of being affected by mental health problems. Overthinking can set you up for a vicious cycle that is hard to break. It wreaks havoc on your mental peace and as you lose your peace of mind, you tend to overthink.
Overthinking leads to exhausting the brain cells, thus making them incapable of generating creative insights; It decreases self-confidence and fosters self-doubt. Increased tendency to overthink leads to increased self-doubt which again reinforces the overthinking cognitive style.
People who overthink things regularly, psychologists believe, are often those who may have larger self-esteem or acceptance issues, Dr. Winsberg explains. If you're constantly overthinking (more on that later), however, it may be a symptom of clinical anxiety and depression or even obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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.
Cortisol is the main villain who creates unhealthy overthinking and is released in the hypothalamus – a region very near to the centre of your brain.
Overthinking can put you under constant stress and stress can increase levels of cortisol, which can wear down your brain's ability to function properly. It can even kill brain cells and reduce the size of the brain.
A root fear: Overthinking stems from a particular insecurity or root fear. This insecurity may be from childhood, a past relationship, or general low self-esteem or trust issues.
"Everyday worries take place in your thoughts, while anxiety often manifests physically in the body," Devore explains. "You might feel faint or lightheaded.
Deep thought is solution-focused. It aims to solve problems and is purposeful. Overthinking, on the other hand, is open-ended, circular and doesn't provide useful insights. For example, being preoccupied with what your colleagues think of you does nothing to move you ahead.
The act of overthinking can be linked to psychological problems such as anxiety and depression, although it's hard to know which happens first in each individual. It's sort of like a “chicken or egg” type conundrum. Either way, it's apparent that overthinking can cause your mental health to decline.
Research shows how stress can lead to heart attacks and stroke. Feeling constantly stressed could increase your risk of heart and circulatory disease, according to news coverage.
Overthinking can put your brain and body into negative stress, which can result in feelings of anxiety, depression and fear, and may even cause panic attacks.
The short answer is yes, research shows that stress is a major risk factor for stroke. You're about to discover how stress increases the risk of stroke, and what steps you can take to help reduce stress and improve your overall health.
Broken heart syndrome, also known as stress cardiomyopathy or takotsubo syndrome, occurs when a person experiences sudden acute stress that can rapidly weaken the heart muscle.
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.