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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by pinkeye on June 5, 2005, at 18:27:34
I am learning that I have a huge issue with rumintation.
Any of you have some suggestion on how to stop it? I am basically a little obsessive personality - I obsess and think about the same things again and again and I think that is the major cause of my mental problems - in fact all my problems.
My therapist says that I need to be on antidepressants life long perhaps to stop this rumination. Anyone has better idea? I don't really want to be on lifelong ADs. I did take a course of AD once and while that helped during that time, once I stopped, my basic pattern of thinking has taken over again.
Posted by Dinah on June 5, 2005, at 21:02:00
In reply to Is Medication the only way to stop rumination??, posted by pinkeye on June 5, 2005, at 18:27:34
Antidepressants are good for it. So are antipsychotics.
But you can stop it other ways. CBT is relatively good at that. Have you read the book "Stop Obsessing" ?
Posted by Racer on June 5, 2005, at 21:48:13
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?, posted by Dinah on June 5, 2005, at 21:02:00
There's a technique to remind you not to continue ruminating, which depends on being able to reroute your thoughts. Put a rubber band around one wrist, and when you find yourself ruminating, snap it and redirect your thoughts. Do it often enough, and you'll learn to stop yourself.
Sounds too simple, but it still ain't easy.
And, as Dinah pointed out, CBT is said to be good for it.
Good luck.
Posted by Jazzed on June 6, 2005, at 8:58:10
In reply to Is Medication the only way to stop rumination??, posted by pinkeye on June 5, 2005, at 18:27:34
> My therapist says that I need to be on antidepressants life long perhaps to stop this rumination. Anyone has better idea? I don't really want to be on lifelong ADs. I did take a course of AD once and while that helped during that time, once I stopped, my basic pattern of thinking has taken over again.
Ah, I forgot, in my last post I was thinking how much ADs would help you with this. When I took them it really helped me not think about my losses and the thing I wanted but couldn't have. I don't want to say I didn't care, but that's as close as I can come to the feeling I got. ADs aren't a bad thing if they can help us move on. Who knows how long you'll need them, who can say? BUT, if they help now, I guess we don't have to worry about how long we'll need them. I hope you'll consider them pinkeye, at least give them a try?(((((HUGS)))))
Jazzy
Posted by pegasus on June 6, 2005, at 9:53:16
In reply to Is Medication the only way to stop rumination??, posted by pinkeye on June 5, 2005, at 18:27:34
Medication helped me a lot with this. But other things have helped too. The biggest has been learning mindfulness meditation. Basically it's a way to train your mind, so that you have more control over it. I've slacked off on meditating lately, but when I was doing it regularly, I really could control my obsessions a lot better. I could even do things like stop a song that was stuck in my head! Now that I'm not practicing regularly, it's a lot harder.
There are lots of books and web sites and CDs, etc. about mindfulness meditation out there. And depending on where you live, there might be meditation centers that have classes or workshops or meditation instructors. I really recommend looking into this if you want to try to stay off meds and also control ruminations or obsessions.
pegasus
Posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 13:13:52
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?, posted by Dinah on June 5, 2005, at 21:02:00
But I don't want to be on ADs.. Because it is a lifetime pattern of thinking for me, and unless I change it now, I am not going to be able to learn it ever.
I will try the CBT one that you have said. I haven't read it. Thanks Dinah.
Posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 13:14:23
In reply to Rubber bands?, posted by Racer on June 5, 2005, at 21:48:13
Yeah, maybe I should rely on some CBT techniques. But I have tried it in the past and it works only short term for me.
Posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 13:15:16
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?? » pinkeye, posted by Jazzed on June 6, 2005, at 8:58:10
Maybe I should. I will wait for 1 or 2 more months and if I don't get better, I will give ADs a shot. Thanks Jazzed.
Posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 13:16:02
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?, posted by pegasus on June 6, 2005, at 9:53:16
I will try that. Right now, I do some kind of chanting.. and if I am regular with that, that sometimes helps. But I don't do it regularly. Maybe I should try real meditation like you said. I will try that..
Posted by Jazzed on June 6, 2005, at 13:34:05
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?? » Jazzed, posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 13:15:16
> Maybe I should. I will wait for 1 or 2 more months and if I don't get better, I will give ADs a shot. Thanks Jazzed.
Hey pinkeye,
ADs gave me the lack of feeling that I needed to work on the problem and get beyond it. If you really don't want to go there though, you might try mind/body works.
Jazzy
Posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 13:44:10
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination??, posted by Jazzed on June 6, 2005, at 13:34:05
Are you saying ADs didn't help you work on the basic problem?
That is what I am concerned about though. If I take AD for an year, then I will be better during that time, but then I would not change my ways of thinking. And I will keep getting depressed again and again in the future and will have to rely on AD everytime. That is why I am thinking it is ok to take a hit now, but if I can change my thinking habit, that will help in the long run.
I am not sure if my thinking makes sense. But many times I am finding it pretty difficult to keep myself happy and instead finding that I am bogged down with this huge burden all the time. And finding it difficult to concentrate and do things and be happy and work.
Posted by Jazzed on June 6, 2005, at 17:33:24
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?? » Jazzed, posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 13:44:10
> Are you saying ADs didn't help you work on the basic problem?
>
No, not at all. The ADs DID help me stop feeling the things that I was feeling so strongly, so that I could work through the problems.J
Posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 18:16:18
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?? » pinkeye, posted by Jazzed on June 6, 2005, at 17:33:24
Ok. For me there is no other underlying problem now. I have uprooted almost all the issues and analyzed it to the core.
The problem is the feeling and the rumination and the disturbance. That is what I am worried ADs will suppress.
Posted by Jazzed on June 6, 2005, at 23:21:53
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?? » Jazzed, posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 18:16:18
> The problem is the feeling and the rumination and the disturbance. That is what I am worried ADs will suppress.Hi Pinkeye,
If you're really don't want to try prescribed ADs, but you want some relief, you might want to look for alternatives, maybe herbs? They can help ease the depression, don't have the side effects, and there's no withdrawl. I hope whatever you decide, you get to feeling better.
Did you tell your T that you don't want Rx ADs?
Did she suggest anything else?Jazzy
Posted by Dinah on June 7, 2005, at 6:26:11
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?? » Jazzed, posted by pinkeye on June 6, 2005, at 13:44:10
Medications can also give you the floor you need to be able to work on CBT as hard as you can.
I learned the CBT I learned while also on medications. When the medications went off, the CBT I learned stuck with me.
I don't think I could have worked as effectively without medication.
Posted by pinkeye on June 7, 2005, at 13:26:42
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination?? » pinkeye, posted by Jazzed on June 6, 2005, at 23:21:53
Hi Jazzed,
You have been helping me a lot.. thanks for the care.I will resort to AD if I find I am not able to do anything about the rumination and depression. But only as a last resort. Because this time, I really want to learn to change my thinking pattern. I have started trying some form of meditation, and I think that might be a good thing to try before resorting to AD. Thanks for the suggestion.
Posted by pinkeye on June 7, 2005, at 13:29:31
In reply to Re: Is Medication the only way to stop rumination? » pinkeye, posted by Dinah on June 7, 2005, at 6:26:11
Thanks Dinah. I see your point. I will give myself another month or two, and if I don't feel better, I will try AD definitely.
But increasingly, I am feeling peaceful. It appears not so, but this venting here has really done me something very good.
I think I am not feeling that bad about my ex T nowadays. Not really that much. And I am even making peace with it and realizing that it was really all about my father. Not much about my ex T. It really wasn't about my ex T at all. I didn't know anything about him to say I like him. It was really a full blown projection. And the problem was very much with my relationship with my father. And I am beginngin to make lot of peace with what happened with my father also. I think I will be fine in just a short while.
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