What Is Rumination? Understanding Causes, Types, and How to Stop It
Have you ever dwelled on something so hard that it practically consumed you? Especially something negative—like an argument you had with your partner, worrying constantly about about a grade or a big presentation at work, focusing on only the worst possible outcome imaginable. Moreover, do you find yourself dwelling on these thoughts constantly, over and over, and though the thought may change, the dwelling continues; this is rumination.
This differs from rumination syndrome, where a person involuntarily regurgitates food; here, we focus on ruminating thoughts.
What Is Rumination? Definition and Types
Now that we’ve described the many situations in which you could experience this negative dwelling, let’s take a moment to define rumination itself.
Rumination Definition in Psychology
If we were to provide a rumination definition, it would be when you constantly dwell on the same negative thoughts over and over, often to a distressing degree. Often, this dwelling, or rumination, will prove to be uncontrollable, and no matter how much you may try to quell them, they’ll just continue ruminating in your mind.
Also, be sure not to mistake typical reflection for a rumination. It’s perfectly fine to think about your mistakes or bumpy roads in your life, reflecting on what you might do differently for a better outcome. That’s perfectly fine. However, if you are finding these thoughts uncontrollable and they weigh you down almost daily, there’s a high chance that you are experiencing rumination.
Different Types of Rumination
We can separate the different types of rumination into five different buckets, each one showing the different ways you could be affected:
● Dwelling on the past: Here, you’ll often find yourself repeatedly replaying past mistakes, arguments you had, or simply embarrassing moments.
● Worrying about the future: Similar to the above, here, you’ll often stress over what may or may not come to pass: a test you need to take in school, a big project or presentation at work—or simply problems you’ve yet to solve, like the leaking faucet.
● Stressing over your health: For this, you might ruminate over whether you should get that cough checked out—or various other aspects of your health or body.
● Rumination OCD: To have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is to have frequent obsessions about a whole host of subjects (did I leave the oven on?; I can’t handle how messy my pantry is—gotta organize it.) These obsessions can easily lead to their own ruminations.
Is Rumination a Mental Illness?
While rumination can be so profoundly impactful that it feels like a mental illness in its own right, it's essential to recognize that rumination itself isn't classified as a mental illness. However, it can be a clear symptom of other mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, or OCD.
If left unaddressed for an extended period, rumination can also contribute to the development of mood disorders. This may result in frequent mood swings throughout the day, which can significantly affect your daily life and mental well-being. Therefore, regardless of whether rumination is considered a mental illness, it is crucial to manage it effectively.
Understanding Rumination Disorder
Although rumination isn’t technically a mental illness, when it pairs with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it can be considered rumination OCD. Let’s explore the link between the two a little more.
Obsessive Rumination Disorder Explained
When OCD leads to extensive rumination, it can be considered obsessive rumination disorder (or ORD), although, at its core, rumination is simply a symptom of OCD.
The Connection Between OCD and Rumination
As its name indicates, obsessive-compulsive disorder causes the affected individual to obsess over a wide range of topics, so as you can imagine, rumination can be a direct symptom of OCD. As those with OCD will often ruminate over their obsession, treating the OCD will often help alleviate the rumination.
Rumination vs. Intrusive Thoughts
The two sure sound similar, but there’s actually a key difference between rumination and intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts spontaneously pop into your mind; they are distressing and unwanted, but you typically won’t ruminate over them—although it’s possible.
More often, an intrusive thought will evaporate from your mind almost as quickly as it intruded. Rumination is typically a long-term endeavor, causing you to dwell on those thoughts far longer than the intrusive variety.
What Causes Rumination?
Now that we’ve delved deeply into the many facets of rumination, let’s look now toward their origins and discuss some of the triggers.
Psychological Triggers
Though you can certainly ruminate over just about anything, there are a few triggers that are more likely to cause you to ruminate. Specific stressors are at the top of the list, so if you had a failed relationship, or an argument with a friend or coworker—or just an embarrassing interaction at the supermarket—you are more likely to ruminate over those.
Likewise, if you’ve recently experienced a traumatic event, such as physical abuse or a car accident, you’re likely to ruminate over that as well. Perfectionists are also more likely to ruminate over their successes and especially their failures.
OCD Rumination Examples
As the two are deeply connected, OCD often leads to rumination, and some OCD rumination examples could include playing conversations over and over in your head, especially arguments or negative experiences you had, or replaying past mistakes over and over in your head to try to figure out a way to avoid making the same mistake again.
How to Stop Rumination
While rumination can put a serious hamper on your mental well-being, all is not lost, and there are a host of tools at your disposal to help you quell these thoughts and find peace of mind.
Coping Strategies for Rumination
To begin with, discovering enjoyable distractions can be a highly effective way to break free from repeated ruminations. You might enjoy getting active with some exercise or immersing yourself in a fun movie, engaging TV show, or exciting video game. Journaling or writing can also be hugely helpful.
Therapy techniques like mindfulness can also be a tremendous help. This technique will help you let you leave unwanted thoughts behind and refocus your attention on the present. There are also a lot of different types of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that can assist in helping you dispell ruminating thoughts.
These latter efforts are best explored with the help of a trained mental health professional, so if you’re in the Arizona or Florida region, Serenity Space Therapy is here to help.
When to Seek Professional Help
Ruminating thoughts can range from being a mild, slight annoyance to more severe issues that affect your daily life. Ultimately, the best time to consider seeking professional help for rumination or any mental or physical health concern is when these thoughts start to notably interfere with your overall quality of life.
Try as you might, there are just some situations where having a professional therapist, one who is skilled at the latest CBT techniques and modalities, can quite literally make a world of difference.
Conclusion
At first, you might think that when you’re dwelling on an idea or situation, you’re simply overthinking; however, it’s more likely that you are experiencing rumination—allowing those thoughts to ruminate in your brain.
However, with proper strategies, you can most definitely quell these ruminating thoughts. You can either use distraction techniques yourself, like exercise or immersing yourself in an activity or hobby—or you can visit a trained professional if you’re experiencing more severe symptoms. They will be able to assist you with the help of not only years of experience in their field—but also familiarity with the latest therapy techniques.
So, if you’re in Arizona or Florida and are struggling with rumination, don’t hesitate to reach out today.
FAQs
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Rumination’s distressing loops of negative thoughts have few sources—typically anxiety, depression, and trauma. It can also be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
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For those who struggle with rumination, medication is certainly an option. Specifically, SSRIs and anti-anxiety medications can be prescribed for severe cases.
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Typically, bouts of extended downtime will spur rumination, so if you don’t have anything to expend your mental energy on, you might experience rumination.
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Permanent relief from negative thoughts and rumination can prove to be a lot of work that’s best assisted by a trained professional. With their help, you can learn how to stop rumination with CBT, mindfulness, and thought-reframing techniques.
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While anyone, given the right circumstances, can experience rumination, there are those who are more susceptible to it, including those with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and OCD.