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7 replies

Help with ruminating? anyone?

ghostgirlghostgirlMember
Ok. I cannot stand my mind sometimes. I just cannot seem to hit the reset or shut off switch sometimes. I have tried everything today. I have kept myself socially busy, I have tried mindfulness and zenning out in the clouds, listening to my music, going for a long walk, taking a cold shower, taking a hot bath, journalling (even though I don't journal because I find it triggering). My thoughts feel so heavy they are like a veil of oppression just holding me down. I tried watching TV, scrapbooking, and all the while my mind is just whirling, going from past to present to imagined, to everywhere and nowhere and I am starting to feel really really extremely agitated within myself because I cannot shut up my head. My feelings are not all over the place. I just feel weighted down, unable to engage in the moment. I feel like I am in a freaking trance when I get like this. I think and it starts a snowball, a chain reaction. I have a current thought or perception and I generalize it to every area of my being, I think about my past relationships, specific situations, oh it so drives me crazy. It is like I am living 3 lives... One life in the past with all of its emotions and memories, a second life situated in the future and predicting outcomes and a present life that right now SUCKS because I cannot shut my psychodrama down.

Any one have any non-pharmacological interventions out there or any coping skill in their tool box that helps please share. I really am chasing this and want it to stop! I can't even sleep!
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catalystcatalystMember
My partner is having a similar problem and it has been exhausting as an outsider, I can't even imagine the energy it takes - I used to do this all the time. It's hard to be in or around without some major energy depletion.

I think you're doing what you can trying to distract. It takes practice. I did all the stuff you've listed you tried and anxiety medication and it was awful for years. The biggest thing I learned was acceptance... Not trying to change anything but just saying "well, I guess this is where I'm at."

My only suggestion is scheduling yourself time to ruminate... If you can in any way segregate the issue and promise yourself that at x o'clock you'll think about it for 30 minutes. It's hard though... Once we are hijacked it can be painfully hard (and sometimes just not possible) to undo.
ghostgirlghostgirlMember
Thanks Cat,

I am really driving myself crazy tonight, and I hate myself for it. I hate when I get stuck in a miserable cycle and can't seem to separate. I am beyond exhausted from myself. I did not sleep last night because my thoughts were on full out assualt of me last night. I get to the point to where I am operating on a level of misery that I want desperately to get out of but cannot. I can't lift the oppression I feel. I want my mind to just be free and be in a content and happy place but it so hard to do. I feel extremely abandoned on all levels right now... whether that is reality or not... it is MY reality at this moment, and it just brings with it ruminations of past abandonments and emotional injuries, it brings up just such a sadness and anger toward myself and others who have injured me or who I perceive have injured me. It sucks... that is all I can say. I want out of my head! It is pulling me down.
jillannjillannMember
Hi GG,

I have issues with this too. The constant reoccuring thoughts drive me insane. I cannot shut my brain off. I found several blogs on psychology today about rumination a few months back. This one had alot of good ideas. 16 ideas for combating ruminationI know you've tried alot of these things but maybe something in the list will strike you. The other thing that sort of helped me last summer was volunteering at a local soup kitchen. Getting out of my world and seeing other folks struggles helped stop the constant rehashing in my brain.

Good Luck,

Jillann
evaevaMember
I struggle with this too. Thank you for the list Jillann.

Apparently JUGGLING can work, GG. When I was IP that's what I was told - your mind can't concentrate on things that need to use both sides of yr brain as well as 'ruminate'. Even better if you CAN'T juggle because it will work even more effectively as you TRY to juggle. I've juggled to music before and that has helped.

Personally I find too much stimulation makes it worse - hence I am unable to listen to music / read / tv. What I do find helps is having the tv on in the background and googling different hinges or being online. I do watch documentaries online too - usually listening to them as I read something else.

Found a great new website : google 'top documentary films' - huge wide range on there. Hope they helps.

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