Rumination

I am ruminating again. Endlessly chewing on the same negative thoughts about myself and my life situation. How do you stop? It is driving me insane. It is the highway to hell. I've spent far too much time over the last eight years doing this to myself. I realized today the tragedy is not so much the situation I've gotten myself into as my reaction to it. The hamster wheel in my head.

CBT has helped - there are plenty of books and workbooks out there. Probably the best thing I did for myself was to put my journal away too.

I distract myself with games, coming on PC and reading when I can. I've found meds to help as well. Klonopin helps me let go of repetitive thoughts.

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I find it hard to distract myself because after a few seconds my mind drifts back to the hurtful thoughts. Sometimes I yell out STOP! and that gives me some relief for a few minutes, maybe until I am in a different situation where the thoughts aren't as loud. I live alone so I can yell STOP without anyone looking at me.

Rumination. Yes. This is what brings me back to the forums.

I really do not know how/what else to do, to stop the rumination.
At my age now --- mid-60s, alone in life, isolated, nothing whatsoever to look forward in what remains of my life --- Day after day, all through the nights, it is a neverending random 'slideshow' of memories of my life --- an intensive 'life review'.

It is not just the 'traumas' of my life that ruminate, nor is it 'negative self-talk'; much of it is 'the good' as well as 'the bad' ... but inevitably it comes to the traumas.

There is just too much that the traumas have taken, and at this age, I shall never regain, nor fully recover, I realize. I work on trying to come unto acceptance that there is simply so much with which I cannot come to peace in my life.

No: CBT, EMDR, mindfulness meditation -- nothing cuts the rumination for me.
Glad to know, gayleggg, that klonipin is helpful for you.

The way to stop is to not associate to the negative thoughts. Everytime you ponder deeply about a thought or emotion, you make it stronger.

I have bad depression. I have dark fears. Anger issues. But the way I deal with these thoughts is to not indulge in them.

The reason meditation helps me is because it distracts my ruminating thoughts by focusing on my breath. The way to deal with rumination, is distraction.

The next time you have a negative thought or feeling, think of something else or squash it as soon as you can. It will grow stronger and seep into the unconscious creating tension in the body.

Try to find some type of distraction. Hang out with people more. Go outdoors. The more you are in isolation, the more likely the rumination will come again.

hi basic ,
have you tried doing the STOP technique ? you say the word STOP out loud and take three deep breaths in and three breaths out . my therapist taught me this one in counseling and also doing some rebt ( Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy) .




Diagnosis: Anxiety and depression
meds: Cymbalta 60 mgs at night
Vistrail 2 25 mgs daily for anxiety prn
50 mgs at night for insomnia with an additional 25 mgs=75 mgs when up past 1:00 in the morning

Thanks, all. I do find meditation to be extremely helpful in quieting the mind. Plus, the Broncos won last night, so I have something good to think about, at least for a day.