Monday, January 25, 2021

• Rumination: Coping Methods

"Tackle plans one step at a time"

Rumination happens whether we want to or not; it is a part of our mind and the way our brain works. It is something that can not be preventable. However, it can be controlled to a certain extend.

ü  Practicing Mindfulness and Reflection

o   Practicing mindfulness helps us ground ourselves back to reality and the present world when we wander a bit too far. It also allows us to “catch” the thoughts when it warps into brooding instead of reflection – going into the process of “catching” these thoughts, acknowledging mistakes without judging the self and then letting it go.

o   Be ready to acknowledge that some ruminating thoughts have no solution or may never have a closure – all you need is your own acceptance of the self

 

ü  Distractions

o   When flowing down the ruminating cycle of brooding, try distracting yourself by engaging in healthy and constructive distractions that improve and boost your emotional, physical, and social wellbeing such as listening to a song, listening to a podcast, self-help YouTube channels, exercise, gardening or even calling a good friend for a chat.

o   Avoid mindless distractions that do not add value into your life such as engaging in unhealthy drinking habits, substance abuse, or mixing with the wrong type of friends

 

ü  Steps to Take Note of:

o   Look for the Purpose behind these Ruminating Thoughts

§  Some ruminating thoughts can be transformed into something meaningful

o   Identify the Reason

§  Why are these thoughts cycling in the mind?

§  Determine changes or the acceptances of the reason of the ruminating thought

§  Avoid comparing your struggles or these ruminating thoughts with others – Everyone’s journey to healing is different

o   Implement into Life

§  Write meaningful notes that remind the self about the ruminating thoughts

§  Share your thoughts and opinions to a good friend or family member

§  Write down 10 wonderful and meaningful things you learned in a day

§  Be willing and courageous to invite your fears into the open space

 

ü  Interpersonal Therapy

o   A more professional and certified method to deal with severe ruminating thoughts that an individual struggles with. Interpersonal Therapy works with the individual through his or her unresolved grief, the lack of finding a purpose in life, handling conflict between friends, colleagues, or family members as well as challenging life transitions such as divorce, moving to a new city or working in a new company.

o   Working through with an individual by implementing specific treatment strategies to identify and target issues as well as continuous homework, assessments, and personal interviews by the therapist or counsellor in sessions.

 

Self-awareness and self-actualization is an endless journey filled with compassion starting with the self. Reflecting on mistakes, unforgettable betrayals, or inconsolable grief may be a good thing when you carry it out onto your palm, acknowledge its many feelings, and then letting the feelings go without denying the memory and its feelings can prove to be a silent insight and provide a sense of humbleness and gratitude.
 
However, when these reflection becomes a constant buzzing in your mind to the point that you began brooding over the negative feelings and memory without coming to any sort of conclusion, acceptance, or solution, it may prove to be harmful to your mindset and may impair future decision-making and judgment skills.
 
When working with yourself, always remember to be kind.



Resources:
Peterson, A., L. (2021). Mental Health @ Home: What is Rumination. Retrieved from Insights into Psychology: Rumination - Mental Health @ Home (mentalhealthathome.org)
Wehrenberg, M. (2021). Rumination: A Problem in Anxiety and Depression. Retrieved from Rumination: A Problem in Anxiety and Depression | Psychology Today
Dr. Rodriguez, G., S. (2021). Rumination: When Your Thoughts Don't Have An Off Button. Retrieved from Rumination: When Your Thoughts Don’t Have an Off Button (thepsychologygroup.com)
Christiansen, T. (2020). The Recovery Village: Rumination. Retrieved from Rumination Thought Disorder Overview | The Recovery Village
Dr. Rodriguez, G., S. (2021). Rumination: When Your Thoughts Don't Have An Off Button. Retrieved from Rumination: When Your Thoughts Don’t Have an Off Button (thepsychologygroup.com)

• Rumination: Signs and Symptoms

 

"Rumination only becomes a problem when it tends to latch onto
negative feelings and is mulled over persistently"

As mentioned previously, rumination is a common thinking pattern in our daily life that is known as a way to deal with or handle our problems. However, rumination only becomes a problem or a disorder when we ruminate in an overextended manner regarding a past event and latches onto the feelings that are brought on by these thoughts.

Based on multiple research, there is also a connection between rumination and depression as well as anxiety. When left uncheck, ruminating thoughts that are aimed at being unhelpful / brooding thoughts that focus on the negative, may begin to affect the individuals’ mindset, feelings and even behavior that will gradually leak out onto his or her present life.

It is also noteworthy to highlight that some people only goes through temporary rumination when experiencing stressful situations such as Temporary Rumination.


Temporary Rumination:

  • ·      Dreading an upcoming important test
  • ·       Reminiscing an important conversation
  • ·       Reliving a past event that was meaningful

In other circumstances that an individual may notices that his or her thought process is ongoing, persistent, and frequent, it may be rumination.

Symptoms of Rumination:

  • ·       Excessive thinking about a painful topic or behavior
  • ·       Excessive talking about a painful past event
  • ·       Lack and loss of interest in usual activities
  • ·       Loss of concentration in daily tasks
  • ·       Racing thoughts

 

Contributing Factors to Rumination:

  • ·       Perfectionism
  • ·       Trauma History
  • ·       Believing that Rumination is the same as Reflection     
  • ·       Neurotic Mindset

 

Bear in mind that rumination is a part of us and should not be viewed as something that alienates us from being human. Whenever our mind goes into autopilot mode, we tend to engage reflect, ruminate, and reminisce about something that happened or was said in the past. 



Resources:
Peterson, A., L. (2021). Mental Health @ Home: What is Rumination. Retrieved from Insights into Psychology: Rumination - Mental Health @ Home (mentalhealthathome.org)
Wehrenberg, M. (2021). Rumination: A Problem in Anxiety and Depression. Retrieved from Rumination: A Problem in Anxiety and Depression | Psychology Today
Dr. Rodriguez, G., S. (2021). Rumination: When Your Thoughts Don't Have An Off Button. Retrieved from Rumination: When Your Thoughts Don’t Have an Off Button (thepsychologygroup.com)




♧ What is Rumination?

"An act of thinking carefully and for a long period about something"
- Cambridge Dictionary (2021)


"The tricky thing about rumination is that it feels like it is helpful, but there is no action taken, and you don't move forward to some sort of solution" - Carla Grayson 


The term Rumination, based on the Cambridge Dictionary (2021), refers to “an act of thinking carefully and for a long period about something”. Similarly, rumination in the psychological term refers to an individual repeatedly mulling over past events. Rumination, the thought disorder – a form of persistent negative thinking, is not to be mistaken as “rumination disorder” which involves certain eating disorders.

Why do we Ruminate? 
Default Mode Network (DMN)
(credit: Buckner et al, Ann NY Acad Sci, 2008)

Based on the many research that has been done over the recent years, ruminating occurs when our Default Mode Network (DMN) is engaged in autopilot mode. 

This is the part of the brain that is related to memory and is often active when we daydream, lost in the wonderland of random thoughts (or not so random) or even reminiscing of the past whether it may be good or bad.  

 

The 2 Subtypes of Rumination:
  1. Reflection - the cycle of analytical and problem-solving thinking that generally reaches more positive outcomes as well as a solution
  2. Brooding - the self-perpetuating thinking process that tends to lead to more negative outcome about themselves or about others
Rumination is a normal thinking process that occurs in each of our life and at any point. It generally does not become a problem unless an individual ruminates in an overextended manner and reports it as being frequent, and ongoing until it interferes with his or her daily tasks. Other than that, it serves as a strategic thinking process that enables us to look for answers within our “past mistakes” and ensures that “it doesn’t happen again next time”. 

Reflecting on something that has happened or has been said does help us learn, understand, and grow as well as improve our problem-solving skills. However, ruminating to an overextended period of time can prove to be harmful in both thoughts and actions.
 
Ruminating vs Worrying 
Though now it may sound as if rumination is the same as “worrying”, it is not. Worry involves a feeling, thought, or action that may be a danger or a threat to the individual. For example: “Yesterday, my neighbor told me that her home was nearly broken into; I am now worried that the same may happen to me.”

Where else, rumination involves the feeling of loss, hopelessness, and a sense of failure; it stems from circumstances of disappointment, grief, depression, and sadness. For example: “If only I was there watching my son when he was playing near the pool, then perhaps his death could have been avoided.” 

 


Resources:
Christiansen, T. (2020). The Recovery Village: Rumination. Retrieved from Rumination Thought Disorder Overview | The Recovery Village
Dr. Rodriguez, G., S. (2021). Rumination: When Your Thoughts Don't Have An Off Button. Retrieved from Rumination: When Your Thoughts Don’t Have an Off Button (thepsychologygroup.com)