Posted by sid on December 5, 2001, at 11:26:11
In reply to Ruminating -what is this?Ihave seen people mention, posted by glenn on December 5, 2001, at 5:44:25
Yeah, what you describe sound like ruminating.
Ruminants, like cows, have 3 or 4 stomachs, and they digest their food over and over. So if you think about the same things over and over while it is useless and even bothers you or prevents you from doing what you want to do (read a paragraph, work,...), then you're ruminating.
It might have to do with anxiety or with obsessive behaviour. I am not sure which. I know major depression made me like that. I had "black thoughts" over and over. I called them that because they felt like a dark cloud over my head. Terrible feeling it was.
Medicines could help, by alleviating the depression or by treating anxiety or obsessive behavior if that's what it is - talk to your doctor about this.
Cognitive therapy could also help: you would learn to stop these thoughts. You catch yourself as you think them and DECIDE to stop them and think of something else or do something each time you have them. As I understand, your current condition is no fun, there is no need to feel bad about feeling bad on top of it. Try rationalizing it if you can. There are well known books on cognitive (and behavioral) therapy that might help you. It helped me a lot in the past and I still use it when I'm stressed out. If you're having trouble reading these days (I did during major depression), then try to find a therapist or group therapy that might suit you.
I hope it helps and you find a way of alleviating the rumination.
> Ihave seen people mention ruminating before on this board and Im not sure what it means
> but I think I might be suffering from this. In my case I have thoughts, usually about my condotion that go around and around and I cant get rid of them or concentrate on anything else until they go.
> They might be things as simple as- "I feel horrible today" or going over and over something I have read again and again and tend to be accompanied by a very unpleasant wired or agitated/ anxious feeling.
> Would this be rumination and if so do people have any med suggestions as ads seem to
> either make it worse or be useless.
> Thanks in advance for any information you may have, it feels as if my brain and to a leeser extent body are on overdrive!
> olichris
poster:sid
thread:86022
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011202/msgs/86048.html