getbetterSenior Contributor
Ruminating
What do you do to help with ruminating, catastrophizing
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Ruminating
4 replies
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In response to: Ruminating
QueenieSenior Contributor
Re: Ruminating
I try to use CBT and DBT based principles of looking for evidence to not support catastrophic thinking and over thinking. For example, there's an event, I immediately just to worst possible conclusion in my mind, I then think where is the evidence in reality to support that conclusion. If no evidence is to be found after that activating event, then I must change my thinking.
I hope that makes some sort of sense.
In response to: Ruminating
Unknown userMember
Re: Ruminating
Hello there @getbetter,
I find that writing down my thoughts helps to get them out of my head and onto paper, sometimes i even try to challenge them once they are written down. I also find it really helpful to do something that brings me back into my body so I try to concentrate on things I can smell, hear, touch and see and that shifts my attention to something is the present which is usually something that is okay and I can manage.
Are there things that you find helpful to ground or or make you feel more calm?
Lunar
In response to: Ruminating
GlennContributor
Re: Ruminating
I've been a ruminator for quite some time. It can be a prison of one's own making- a horrible place. I catastrophize as well as send my thoughts scattering . It's driven by deep Fear, Anxiety , Depression and Habit plays a part. My Character and Self -Immage are habituated towards Anger also. WELL....This is where CBT, Mindfulness and Strategies of one's own could be brought in. Get a cheap note pad. My favorite is the note pad on my iPhone as I really have to think clearly. Take some deep breaths....
Worry (ruminative thinking) just is not Thinking. My depression kept me very fog bound and unable to think. In getting over my anger, I don't have to be Happy. I'd really get concerned about someone who was too happy for too long. Far better to be neutral. Most of life is fairly neutral. (waiting for stuff, doing stuff, etc) I don't have to Love stuff, liking it or feeling neutral is just fine.
Bullying myself is just not Coping. There have been things which have been really, really not good....really. But most of the time folks just cope.
If you don't plant Flowers, you get weeds:- Getting myself a goal. Well, it's more a set of probably definite possibilities. My goal doesn't deserve distractions from bullying nor worrying. I now have a (smallish) part of me which responds well to praise from others as well as myself. I'm OK, I cope, I'm happy (at the apropriate points) and I recon that when these goals are met, I'll get into a few more.
I wish you happiness and its causes
In response to: Re: Ruminating
Unknown userMember
Re: Ruminating
Hi @getbetter - i tend to worry over things and think about all the worst case scenarios and what ifs as well as going over all the things that i feel ive done wrong, or not well enough or where i could/should have done more/better etc. In the past i have tried setting myself a worry time where i would let myself go over everything for that hour/half hour. and during the days if i found myself worrying, i would tell myself that it wasnt time yet and refocus myself a bit. I think it did help a bit (and i might need to reenact this as part of my day at the moment!). Other things i have tried is for things that are 'real' worries or fears of things that are somewhat likely i try to turn it into planning actions for those scenarios rather than just being scared of them. This does help a bit for the things that scare me and i have had to put some of these plans in to action a few times.
Having my psychologist also helped a lot. I was able to email her between sessions so things that were really going around in my head over and over, sometimes i would email that off to her and tell myself that she and I would go over it when i saw her next and i didnt feel like i had to worry about it on my own till then (not sure if that makes sense!).
Hope this helps and you're going ok.
Having my psychologist also helped a lot. I was able to email her between sessions so things that were really going around in my head over and over, sometimes i would email that off to her and tell myself that she and I would go over it when i saw her next and i didnt feel like i had to worry about it on my own till then (not sure if that makes sense!).
Hope this helps and you're going ok.
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