Many of us believe that when we feel down, we should try to focus inwardly and evaluate our feelings and our situation in order to attain self-insight and find solutions that might ultimately resolve our problems and relieve unhappiness. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, I, and others have compiled a great deal of evidence challenging this assumption. Numerous studies over the past two decades have shown that to the contrary, overthinking ushers in a host of adverse consequences: It sustains or worsens sadness, fosters negatively biased thinking, impairs a person’s ability to solve problems, saps motivation, and interferes with concentration and initiative. Moreover, although people have a strong sense that they are gaining insight into themselves and their problems during their ruminations, this is rarely the case. What they do gain is a distorted, pessimistic perspective on their lives.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archive...-overthinking/

On the other hand there are defense mechanisms like:

Intellectualization is the overemphasis on thinking when confronted with an unacceptable impulse, situation or behavior without employing any emotions whatsoever to help mediate and place the thoughts into an emotional, human context. Rather than deal with the painful associated emotions, a person might employ intellectualization to distance themselves from the impulse, event or behavior. For instance, a person who has just been given a terminal medical diagnosis, instead of expressing their sadness and grief, focuses instead on the details of all possible fruitless medical procedures.

http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/15-...hanisms/all/1/

[wing]

Yep, I overthink, and the way I'm dealing with it is repeating the mantra "stay in the moment". I can't think too much if I'm busy living in the here and now.

[Fresia]

I overthink things too and 'analysis can lead to paralysis' is my motto to avoid. I too have to focus on the moment as much as possible and TRY desperately not to think too much about any personal issue, let the feelings come and let the thoughts pass. Sometimes I can succeed but it has been my nature for a really long time to overcome. I visualize a river now, put the thoughts on some leaves, and not acting, just let them go, letting them just float by to get me into the next moment if they become overwhelming. Otherwise, it's easy to begin to ruminate on the thoughts, which are not fact, just thoughts, and use this as a checking mechanism too so as not to give them much credence. In that moment, I can turn my mind to the task at hand and not get so caught up, but it is a constant, sometimes stressful, and anxiety provoking struggle.

[madisgram]

i can totally relate to your thread, byz. often times i ruminate, ruminate on things that bother me. it is a fruitless endeavor. only enhances my worry, etc. the rumination can set off a depression that encompasses my thoughts and even my body.
on the other hand using rational introspection can enable me to see the folly of my ruminating. i have to use rational thoughts to enable me to solve my delimma.
a balance is the solution. for me, often times the rumination overpowers my rational thoughts.
excellent thread.

[black sheep]

I have almost always had to "overthink" things out and try to solve my own problems. Mainly because I will share a problem but never getting anymore than "I know how you feel" or "I`m sorry you have to go through this or that", never getting opinions or different ideas of things to try and work them out. Actually, I quit sharing problems with anyone until I found this site and somewhat still sitting here lost.

[BatsAndButterflies]

I am soooo guilty of overthinking it is not even funny...

When presented with a situation I will think of every possible outcome and therefore I am never surprised. I have been thrown three surprise parties and was not surprised a single time because I thought of the outcome. I almost feel psychic because I will have a random thought about something, and then it will happen, even though I also thought of a million other things that could have happened.

I also overthink certain cues like facial expressions or changes in someones tone of voice and will become paranoid.

[Open Eyes]

Trying to think in self defense, what does that do? What does it do to you to grow up thinking of ways to hide and get away quick. What does it do to the mind to have to try to understand someone who is an alcholoic and hurts you. Trying to remember why things happened and how you didn't understand.

What does it do to the brain to see so much work destroyed and someone who did it and doesn't care or respect you. Where does the brain go then? It can't just float away on a leaf thru a stream. Not when you have to live with the damage every day.

I wish I could just float away to a place where I could take a rest sometimes. I tried to do that in so many ways. Yes, I try to think about other things maybe challenging things. But sometimes it doesn't work.

I guess I have to not think? But if we do that, well others want to step in and think for you. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone do that, someone who could be intelligent enough to just take care of what needs to be done?

No, I don't think that it is good to have to keep remembering the BAD. But what if you are constantly asked to do that?

Sorry, I am just in a situation that I have to do just that. I think it is pretty cruel myself.
Where are the studies of the damage done to someones brain that has to remember something bad in so many ways for years, a lawsuit, years. Someone changes your life years of work, you are still paying in so many ways. No, I wish I could put that on a leaf and set it down in a stream and let it just float away.

Open Eyes

[50guy]

Yes, I overthink a lot of things, especially at my job.

[Elysium]

Sorry that I am only now responding. I saw this post a couple days ago and wanted to respond....but I couldn't stop thinking about what I wanted to say.

[Open Eyes]

I heard a study once that said that people talk to themselves more than others 95% of the time. Sounds like a lot to me.

I wonder, are they ruminating? Intellectualizing? or Intellectualizing about their ruminating? Or trying to intellectualize away from ruminating?

Or practicing yelling at someone. I saw someone while I was out today talking away to themselves, so I couldn't help but wonder. No cell phone, no ear piece, on a bike.

[satz]

I often overthink during crisis time and what I have realized is it just worsens the situation. It is better not to think or take any decision till your mind gets settled.

[objtrbit]

"Why do suppose you feel you are overthinking?"

"What types of things are you overthinking...."

Just sayin' lol, I think people "overthink" at different periods in there life,
for situations specific to them-for a reason. That statistic on 95% talk to themselves (oh I'm gonna mess up the wording and it's like the one post that's not showing up here for me to readily reference lol)
anyway, I strongly feel that's the reason people need to talk about things-get it out.

I question the whole "live for today" thing, because I think people take sooooo much energy (consciously and unconsciously) trying to push down the things that are really and actually bothering them-all for what, an effort to remain positive? I notice society seems to dislike "downers", (or anyone who talks about their problems...it makes them unhappy, not those that are disclosing...aaagghh.) discourages showing emotion
in general.

I just wanted to give some encouragement for those who have ever felt like they are not allowed to simply feel what they are gonna feel and work through it in there own time and way.

[Open Eyes]

Well, overthinking is common during a time of crisis. One does have to try very hard to calm down and not over react yes.

I think that when outside occurances do not allow the mind to settle down than ultimately the mind does become exhausted.

I think that many therapists are realizing that doing constant revisits often can train a mind to constantly focus or even fixate on something traumatic. As suggested in ruminating leading to depression and lack of normal function, well, that may be one study that therapists are taking into consideration.

Yes past events can crop up and cause distrubance, but to constantly have to focus on that more than necessary, in my personal belief is only constantly reliving trauma.
Yes, to let out the disturbing thoughts and be validated is important. However to allow the mind to constantly submit facts to only be constantly denied is not allowing the mind to settle down at all and move on.

Even as therapists are addressing the ongoing issues of PTSD and ways to help patients recover.
I really think the therapy is being geared towards finding explainations and answers and most importantly VALIDATION AND RECOGNITION, so that a patient can be allowed to address and let out the disturbance and then progress. Remember our brains are problem solving and survival oriented and so, while addressing past issues is important, it must be allowed to then move forward. Well living for today is difficult if yesterday is not resolved and is constantly being pushed into today and each day.

Therapists must be careful and not train the brain to constantly relive the past and feel it necessary to have the past enter into everyday life. Why is it necessary to have to completely outline past traumas, making sure every detail is remembered with each visit to a therapist. I really think that they are questioning that now as not being theraputic. While we cannot surpress things from the past and consider our lives unworthy of the present, well, therapy needs to inforce RECOGNITION, VALADATION, PROPER GRIEVING, AND PUTTING THE MIND AT EASE FOR TODAY. Therefore encouraging ruminating has to be carefully considered. How much is too much?

Open Eyes