Overthinking and Depression

Overthinking things could ruin you. Overthinking is a destructive habit that really has no positive benefits at all. Overthinking does not solve problems and overthinking may cause depression. The good news is that all that overthinking can be resolved if you stop.

Overthinking vs. Worrying

Worrying and overthinking are two different things to. Worrying is thinking about the future and what can be changed etc. Overthinking is going over the same event again and again in the mind in a negative way.

Overthinking is also called ruminating. People who ruminate think over and over about the causes and consequences of their problems without creating solutions. They might not even realize that they are ruminating. They might believe they’re trying to understand the deeper meaning of events, gain insight and solve problems, unfortunately that isn’t the case. The way to tell the difference or the tipoff is that nothing gets resolved. If a person is immobilized by their thoughts, and is getting more distressed and overwhelmed [with] time, they may be ruminating in an unhealthy way that could cause them to end up with a much larger problem than what is in their mind. This is because overthinking and depression are linked to each other.

Overthinking and depression could lead to each other. Negative overthinking leads to hopelessness and despair which also creates low motivation and self-esteem. When a person tells themselves negative thoughts over and over again those thoughts get more powerful. Stresses seem more daunting and a person is more likely to react in an intense and lasting way. If the person is already vulnerable to depression they could end up severely depressed. Overthinking or ruminating is focused on the past, specifically the bad things that have happened or unfortunate situations that a person wishes had gone differently.

So how can a person tell if they have moved on from overthinking into depression?

When a person has depression they are down almost all of the time and they lose interest in almost everything about life. There are also symptoms of depression that are not just overthinking. For instance a person has a change in sleep habits, is tired, has trouble concentrating, and has feelings of worthlessness or suicidal thoughts. The symptoms of the depression are so bad they can interfere with a person’s ability to get along with daily life. Overthinking just makes these symptoms worse.

Say a person is only having a bad day. Overthinking can turn that bad day into a severe depression. And then it all becomes harder. The increased depression takes away any motivation for a person to find a solution and then the overthinking perpetuates the thoughts. Overthinking may not just have something to do with depression though. Research on people who ruminate has shown that overthinking can also put people at a higher risk for anxiety, substance abuse and eating disorders. Which makes sense because all three are trying to dealing with emotions. Worrying or overthinking can cause anxiety disorders, substance abuse and binge eating are ways to escape the worrying and overthinking.

Sources: https://www.achievesolutions.net/achievesolutions/en/Content.do?contentId=209

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