For some people, ruminating thoughts are a way to control anxiety. It may mean you're replaying life events in an attempt to make sure that next time, you're prepared and won't feel as anxious. Repeating entire conversations in your head is a type of rumination. It's how your mind attempts to self-soothe.
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.
Rumination is sometimes referred to as a "silent" mental health problem because its impact is often underestimated. But it plays a big part in anything from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) to eating disorders. And the impact of mental health problems is huge.
Some potential triggers of ruminating thoughts include: a specific stressor, such as a failed relationship. a recent traumatic event. perfectionism.
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.
The condition has long been known to occur in infants and people with developmental disabilities. It's now clear that the condition isn't related to age, as it can occur in children, teens and adults. Rumination syndrome is more likely to occur in people with anxiety, depression or other psychiatric disorders.
Rumination disorder most often starts after age 3 months, following a period of normal digestion. It occurs in infants and is rare in children and teenagers. The cause is often unknown.
Depression in bipolar disorder has long been thought to be a state characterized by mental inactivity. However, recent research demonstrates that patients with bipolar disorder engage in rumination, a form of self-focused repetitive cognitive activity, in depressed as well as in manic states.
Rumination, or recursive self-focused thinking, has important implications for understanding the development and maintenance of depressive episodes. Rumination is associated with the worsening of negative mood states, greater affective responding to negative material, and increased access to negative memories.
While rumination syndrome itself is not life-threatening, the problems that develop around the rumination are quite debilitating. Some of these problems include: Heightened GI sensitivity resulting in severe abdominal pain, nausea, bloating and/or pressure that makes having food or fluid in the stomach intolerable.
Rumination is an involuntary engagement strategy and is not a coping style because it is not voluntary.
Rumination is thought to be an important maintaining factor in depression. Depressive symptomatology is also a prominent feature in schizophrenia.
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.
Rumination is similar to worry and obsession—other common forms of negative thinking—in that it is repetitive, difficult to stop, and often intrusive.
Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) often ruminate about past experiences, especially those with negative content. These repetitive thoughts may interfere with cognitive processes related to attention and conflict monitoring.
Abstract. Recent studies have shown that rumination is a powerful predictor of persistent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, to date, the mechanisms by which rumination maintains PTSD symptoms are little understood.
Talking rapidly, sudden changes in topic, or “leaps of logic.” Having more energy than usual, especially if needing little sleep. Being intensely focused, or finding it hard to focus. Involuntary facial movements, such as twitches or mouthing.
Some of the long-term complications may include: Increased risk of dehydration, malnutrition and weight loss. Poor school attendance and involvement in activities. Emotional issues such as anxiety, stress and depression.
The problem with rumination is that we often end up ruminating about the loss as a way of distracting ourselves from the feelings associated with the loss. This means that it will look and seem like you're trying to deal with and manage the loss and grief, but really you're avoiding the hardest part—the emotions.
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.
There aren't any medicines available that effectively treat rumination syndrome. The best way to stop it is to relearn how to eat and digest food properly. This requires diaphragmatic breathing training. A behavioral psychologist usually teaches this, and it's easy to learn.
Find a way to distract yourself. Call a friend -- and talk about anything but the thoughts troubling you. Exercise, tackle some chores, work on a puzzle, watch a movie, or spend time in nature. A 2014 study found that after a 90-minute nature walk, people reported fewer symptoms of rumination.
An initial examination, and sometimes observation of behavior, is often enough to diagnose rumination syndrome. Sometimes high-resolution esophageal manometry and impedance measurement are used to confirm the diagnosis. This testing shows whether there is increased pressure in the abdomen.