What is rumination?
Rumination is the single most toxic mental process. It involves repetitive, negative thinking about the self, others, past of future events. It can also take the form of comparing self to others, reviewing memories, or trying to problem-solve things that are either unsolvable or cannot be solved by merely thinking about the topic. Rumination feels like an automatic, out-of-control process where a person is stuck in their own thoughts. Rumination is very common in Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder, anxiety disorders but also trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Why is rumination problematic?
Rumination increases intrusive memories and reactions to those memories. It also increases and maintains negative emotions, such as depression, anxiety, anger, and resentment.
Rumination makes PTSD worse and never leads to any solutions.
What is the difference between intrusive trauma memories and rumination?
Intrusive memories:
Uncontrollable recollection of traumatic memories
Involves a strong emotional response, such as fear or anxiety
Brief- actual intrusive memories do not last long
Mostly visual- sometimes involve other senses
Focused on a specific episode(s)
Unwilling to share intrusions with others
Rumination:
Volitional thinking of the traumatic event and related problems
Negative emotions but less strong
Process lasts a long time and does not seem to go anywhere
Mostly verbal with some images; analytical thinking about the traumatic event, its causes, and consequences; Why-questions very common
Compulsive talking about it with others which leads to shared rumination and can cause interpersonal problems
What can I do about rumination?
Even though it feels like it’s an out-of-control process, the good news is that you do have control over it. We cannot control the intrusive trauma reminders and images that might come up but we do have control over what happens after such an intrusion arises.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy has many tools that can help with rumination. First step is to be aware of rumination and understand the toxicity of it. Only after you are aware of the process can you do something about it.