Self-help For Rumination (obsessive Appearance Of The Same Thoughts) As A Consequence Of A Traumatic Event

Video: Self-help For Rumination (obsessive Appearance Of The Same Thoughts) As A Consequence Of A Traumatic Event

Video: Self-help For Rumination (obsessive Appearance Of The Same Thoughts) As A Consequence Of A Traumatic Event
Video: How to Stop Ruminating 2024, April
Self-help For Rumination (obsessive Appearance Of The Same Thoughts) As A Consequence Of A Traumatic Event
Self-help For Rumination (obsessive Appearance Of The Same Thoughts) As A Consequence Of A Traumatic Event
Anonim

A word of caution: if you have experienced an extreme event and experience symptoms of PTSD, you should consult a doctor.

Almost everyone who has experienced a traumatic event first tries for a long time to understand the meaning of what happened, how it happened, and what he could do to prevent it. It's obviously helpful to think about it, but it's inefficient to ask the same questions and not get answers. Week after week, without getting any real conclusions, thoughts do not leave. This kind of thinking is called rumination or "mental chewing."

There are four main reasons rumination interferes with trauma release:

- Maintain a live traumatic event;

- Refrain from doing things that could help rebuild their lives;

- Can "launch" intrusions and flashbacks;

- They do not lead to answers, the person just walks in a circle.

If you find yourself ruminating, try the following:

- Determine when they appear. Ruminations can become automatic, so you should learn to recognize when they appear (perhaps intrusions or just free time, or the lack of other topics for thought)

- Ask yourself what questions are you trying to answer?

- Are these questions rhetorical ("Why did this happen?" when did you see my x-ray? ");

- How can you find out the answers to questions that can really be answered? What resources and help might you need? How could you get information? For example, could you ask the hospital where you were treated for how long you were unconscious?

- If there is no realistic way to answer your questions, or this information is not available to you, or in fact there are no answers, then it would be fair to stop thinking about it.

Distractions are useful here. Try to do something that would distract your mind from ruminations. There is one rule: you need to do something that requires so much effort from your brain that there is no "room" for rumination. You can accomplish this by chatting with a friend, counting 12 from 678, or planning how you celebrate the new year.

Try different options and see what works best for you.

- For some, it may be useful to set a specific time for excitement: for example, a quarter of an hour at a certain time. If a person starts to worry at another time, he says to himself: "I will think about it at two o'clock, not now." This can limit rumination and allow you to devote time to other important activities in life.

Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness practice is a way to calm down your negative and increase your presence in the here and now. For example, ask yourself what you hear, feel, smell, see, and eat. This will help you get back to the present moment.

You can try the following exercise. Pick a small object - it could be a pencil, ring, cup, or something similar. There is no need to focus on what can cause unpleasant emotions and associations. Take a comfortable position in the room where no one will disturb you for a few minutes and place the object in front of you. Do the exercise every day, choosing a new subject each time. Without touching the subject, try to examine it with your eyes. Imagine the different properties of an item. What does its surface look like, does it appear matte or glossy, it seems smooth or rough, it seems hard or soft, what are the other features of this item? Next - take the object in your hand. Begin to explore the subject with your senses. The object is smooth or rough, it is soft or hard, it is flexible or hard, it is warm or cold, what is its weight, what else can you say about the object? Keep studying the subject until you fully understand its properties.

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