Many of us find ourselves going over the same problem again and again, and struggle to stop. This pattern is called rumination, or overthinking, and research has linked it to depression. People who ruminate more tend to be at higher risk of becoming depressed, and their low mood often lasts longer.What is rumination?
Rumination means repeatedly thinking about the same negative experience. A person may keep asking themselves, “Why did this happen to me?”, “Why did I behave like that?” or “What is wrong with me?” It can also sound like, “Why did my friend say that?” or “Did I do something wrong?”
Rumination is often described in three forms: causal analytical rumination, understanding rumination, and uncontrollability of rumination.
Causal analytical ruminationThis means thinking again and again about the cause of a problem. The focus is on finding out why something happened. The person keeps trying to connect events and explanations, because they believe that analysing the problem will help them solve it. An example is, “Why did my relationship fail?” or “What caused the breakup?”
Understanding ruminationHere, the person repeatedly thinks about their own feelings in order to understand them better. The focus is on emotional and inner experience. An example is, “Why am I feeling so empty?” or “Why am I so sad?”The difference between the two is that causal analytical rumination looks outward at the cause of an event, while understanding rumination looks inward at one’s own emotions.
Uncontrollability of ruminationThis is when a person finds it hard to stop or control their thoughts. They feel that their mind is constantly filled with the same thought. The focus here is not on the content of the thoughts but on the sense of being unable to switch them off.
Why the distinction mattersThese three are not the same, and telling them apart helps us understand how rumination works and how to respond to it. Trying to find causes, trying to understand feelings, and feeling unable to stop thinking each call for a different approach
