RUMINATION-BECOMING SPECIFIC AND CONCRETE (ARTICLE 1, 2) MENTAL HEALTH

Article 1

One thing we find important to reduce rumination is to be concrete and specific. Rumination has a tendency to involve abstract thinking about the meanings and implications of what has happened , including asking ‘Why me?’ This abstract thinking tends to move away from the specifics of an particular situation , leading to over generalizing : all situations get tarred with the same brush.

For example, a thought may have started because you overheard your name in a conversation and thought that people were talking about you. Pretty soon your thoughts may turn to many more negative ideas: what these people must have said, negative things people have said about you before, all the people who don’t like you , all things you don’t like about yourself.

Sadie would start to think ‘Why me? If she felt that she was being passed over in favour of someone else.