Obsessive thinking, or rumination, is defined as the repetition of a thought or problem without completion. The persistence of obsessive thinking can result in ongoing mental health concerns, increasing one’s risk of suffering from anxiety and depression. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, individuals suffering from obsessive thinking are four times more likely to experience depression. Talkspace reviews what this could mean for users that are currently suffering from these feelings.
Do You Suffer from Obsessive Thinking?
Not everyone who thinks constantly about something suffers from obsessive thinking; it is common for individuals to experience some anxiety if they, for example, are facing major life changes, are excited about an upcoming event, or recently had an argument with a loved one. However, if rumination persists and impacts your daily living or prevents you from engaging in daily activities, then you may be clinically suffering from obsessive thinking. Melissa Stranger, author of Rumination: How Obsessive Thinking Impacts Depression and Anxiety, outlines the difference eloquently: “Everyone at one time or another may feel like they’re ‘obsessing’ over some idea or thought. The difference between a healthy amount of thinking about a topic, versus harmful rumination, is the end result. For example, if you find yourself thinking about a particular problem in order to come up with the best solution, you’re probably not ruminating. But if the thing on your mind has no solution, or may not be in your control, then you might want to ask yourself if you’re ruminating.”
Types of Obsessive Thoughts
Talkspace points out that the ideas that race through one’s brain are not limited to one topic; instead, they can vary and cover a range of issues. Some of the most common types of obsessive thinking are:
- concerns about one’s health, including but not limited to fear of contracting diseases, not being clean enough, or getting contaminated
- obsession with organization and symmetry
- thoughts about fears, such as the idea that you left the oven on or that you will get in a car crash
- constant fear that you will face sexual assault
- obsessing about the possibility that you or someone you know is in danger
How Can You Resolve Obsessive Thinking?
Stranger’s article, which was posted on Talkspace, an online therapy platform, outlines three coping mechanisms that an individual can use when they are suffering from obsessive thinking:
- Practice mindfulness and keep your mind present. Talkspace therapist Dr. Ben Epstein recommends that individuals practice daily yoga or meditation to help with the reduction of symptoms. These are simple practices that can be completed in the comfort of your own home, and they can make a drastic difference in the serenity you experience.
- Analyze your thought patterns. When you recognize that you are ruminating, ask yourself if the obsessive thinking is based in reality or cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions include mental filtering, polarized thinking, overgeneralization, jumping to conclusions, catastrophizing, personalization (feeling you are the cause of a problem), blaming, “should” thinking, emotional reasoning, and labeling, to name a few. Next, identify if the problem you are obsessing about has a realistic solution. If it does, define a plan and execute it. If not, practice letting those thoughts go.
For example, if you are driving on the freeway and obsessively thinking about the consequences of being stuck in traffic, thinking that you are going to be late and get fired, try bringing yourself to reality and assessing the situation as if you were speaking with a friend. This is a great tactic to help individuals get grounded.
- Seek professional help. Sometimes, overcoming obsessive thinking is not as simple as it sounds. Breaking habits and thought patterns can be one of the most challenging things to overcome, so seeking assistance from a mental health professional can be quite beneficial. A therapist can take you through the steps to recovery by:
1) educating you on mindfulness, which allows you to recognize when you are obsessively thinking
2) identifying tools that you can utilize when you are ruminating
3) mentoring you through your journey, providing support and guidance until you are able to cope with the issues independently
If you are interested in utilizing therapy to overcome your obsessive thinking, consider online therapy, or check out the experiences others have had with online therapy platforms like Talkspace.
Why Online Therapy?
According to Talkspace, “online therapy is the delivery of mental health counseling via the internet. People also know it as e-therapy, distance therapy, internet therapy, and web therapy. Therapists and online therapy networks use a variety of mediums such as apps for texting, video chatting, voice messaging, and audio messaging.”
Online therapy allows individuals to avoid the hassle of the commute to therapy, provides communication with their therapists multiple times throughout the week, creates the opportunity for clients to engage in shorter sessions, and allows clients more time to structure their thoughts.
Therefore, for those who suffer from an ongoing issue such as obsessive thinking, online therapy could be the solution. They will have the constant counseling needed to reduce the obstruction of such thought processes, providing an opportunity to live a healthy life.
For more background on Talkspace, check out their page on Crunchbase, or follow them on Twitter for a direct look into this groundbreaking online therapy program.
