What are some ways to improve your thought process?
Rumination is the act of repeatedly thinking about stressful situations without trying to solve the problems they create. It involves going over the causes, meanings, and outcomes of events and mentally replaying those thoughts.
This kind of thinking often brings up negative memories, making it harder for someone to solve problems or feel motivated.
When motivation and problem-solving abilities decrease, it's easier for a person to slip back into a negative mood. Therefore, rumination acts as a cycle of thoughts that lead to feelings of sadness.
In rumination disorder, individuals may turn to unhelpful ways to cope with their emotional struggles and often feel pessimistic about achieving their goals.
Both the meaning and symptoms of rumination point to a person fixating on specific thoughts, repeating them excessively. Professional help and therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy, can usually address rumination symptoms. Symptoms to watch for include persistent, negative thinking.
Research has found that rumination appears in various mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In 1987, psychologist Nolen-Hoeksema described rumination as a response to feeling depressed, coining it "Response Style Theory." She viewed rumination as a sign of depression, defining it as a continuous and repetitive thought process about one's depressive symptoms and their causes.
According to this theory, rumination contributes to the start and worsening of depression. This is because it involves negative thoughts, a lowered ability to handle problems, decreased motivation, and less social support. People who ruminate tend to focus on negative experiences and adopt a gloomy outlook.
Those with rumination often see their situations as unsolvable, which weakens their coping abilities and heightens their unhappiness, leading to ongoing depression. They typically concentrate only on their issues, which can make them reluctant to engage in activities that require effort, further fueling their depression.
Additionally, chronic rumination can negatively impact social life, leading to a decrease in support from others. A lack of social support can worsen feelings of depression.