What is rumination?
A rumination is a repetitive thought about oneself, about past negative events,
and unsolved problems.
It's a natural process that affects everyone. However, when ruminations are
or dysfunctional (as we will see later) they can lead to
low morale, depressed mood, anxiety and psychological distress.
"Stop brooding, it's useless!"
Like all behavior, ruminations have functions that must be distinguished from their content.
of ruminations. Studies have highlighted 2 main functions of ruminations:
1) Rumination as an attempt at avoidance
Rumination can act as an attempt to avoid acting or coping, for example:
to avoid planning an action, to avoid the risk of failure or humiliation, to avoid
challenges at work, avoid unpleasant thoughts, avoid confronting
our emotions ...
But by avoiding these situations, you can't come into contact with new information.
that can invalidate our fears, nor in direct contact with a problem. We therefore have no
and ultimately reduce the number of enjoyable activities!
2) Rumination can be a learned habit
Rumination may once have helped us cope with a situation. Since then, we've continued
to ruminate, because we've learned that it can help us and we've got into the habit of doing it.
Certain beliefs about rumination are then put in place: "Thinking intensely
is the best way to solve problems", "Rehashing problems helps to
understanding", "Thinking intensely helps us to know ourselves", "Reflecting on the reasons for our
feelings help to overcome them" ... And you can't get rid of them.
Only one type of rumination?
As we said earlier, everyone ruminates! It's the frequency and content of
our ruminations, which will determine whether or not they are suitable.
Ruminations are a normal process if ...
- is an attempt to make sense of negative events or to solve a problem.
problem ;
- there's a balance between thought and action.
Ruminations become dysfunctional when ...
- it's a never-ending cycle with no resolution;
- there's an imbalance where we spend more time thinking than acting.
To illustrate our point, let's take a common example:
Let's say I'm in a bit of a hurry this morning on my way to work because I have an appointment.
important first thing in the morning. But when I get into my car, it won't start...
If my ruminations are non-functional, abstract, they will be centered on the "why" :
"Why is this happening to me? Why is this happening today?
What will happen if I'm late?" "What are the consequences going to be?" "Why me?"
If my ruminations are functional, concrete, they will be centered on the "how" :
"How did this happen?" "what's different today?" "how to solve the problem?
what's wrong with my car?" "how can I solve my work problem?"
Can you tell the difference? In the 2nd situation, I'm focused on resolving
problem. It's the way we deal with our ruminations that will change the impact they have on our lives.
they will have on us.
"I'll never be able to stop brooding and it's ruining my life!"
Ruminations can have deleterious consequences on mental health and the ability to function.
cause depressive and anxiety disorders. But the good news is that there are
solutions! In psychotherapy, we can work on ruminations using a number of techniques
methods and tools.
For example, we can use self-observation to identify them, to understand their
functions and in which contexts they appear. We then explore methods
alternatives to rumination, in order to reduce their impact and modify them so that they are
more functional.
When ruminations overwhelm us, it can be difficult to do this work alone.
Please feel free to make an appointment with one of the psychologists at Centre Pensées so that we can
to accompany you on this journey.
Bibliography
Martell, C. R., Addis, M. E., & Jacobson, N. S. (2001). Depression in Context: Strategies for
Guided Action. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, .
Martell, C. R., Dimidjian, S., & Herman-Dunn, R. (2010). Behavioral Activation for Depression: A
Clinician's Guide. Guilford Publishers.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Wisco, B. E., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). Rethinking rumination. Perspectives
on Psychological Science, 3, 400-424.
