Both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and when necessary medications, like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI), have been shown to be effective in reducing or eliminating rumination.
Therapies for conditions like O.C.D., anxiety and certain types of depression — which can include cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, light therapy or writing out your feelings — are all useful in reducing rumination, he said.
Medication. If frequent rumination is damaging the esophagus, proton pump inhibitors such as esomeprazole (Nexium) or omeprazole (Prilosec) may be prescribed. These medications can protect the lining of the esophagus until behavior therapy reduces the frequency and severity of regurgitation.
Treatment for Rumination OCD
All types of OCD can be treated with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specifically with treatment approaches called Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are a type of medication people may use as a treatment for depression. People may also use SSRIs to treat mental health conditions that can cause intrusive thoughts, such as: OCD. PTSD.
In addition, medications originally designed for depression, the SSRIs (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Effexor, Cymbalta, and others), are also capable of lowering the underlying level of anxiety which takes a lot of steam out of this phenomenon.
Rumination involves repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences. The repetitive, negative aspect of rumination can contribute to the development of depression or anxiety and can worsen existing conditions.
Rumination is one of the co-occurring symptoms found both in anxiety disorders and depression. It is often a primary symptom in Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. When people are depressed, the themes of rumination are typically about being inadequate or worthless.
If you have anxiety, medication can help because the medicines used for anxiety alter the chemicals in your body and brain, reducing symptoms, and often helping you calm down and focus on other things.
Finding a pleasurable activity or distraction often helps break the cycle of rumination. Using some of your own unique interests or self care can help find something that works for you. Mindfulness is a mediation practice that focuses on paying attention to your thoughts.
Antidepressants balance neurotransmitters in your brain. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, commonly known as SSRIs, do this by balancing the serum serotonin levels to help your brain regulate your moods. While they're called antidepressants, most offer benefits in the treatment of anxiety, as well.
Rumination is a behavior and not a mental health condition. It's a common symptom in anxiety and mood disorders, though. But it doesn't have to be permanent. You can learn to manage it.
Indeed, research has linked this tendency toward overthinking with numerous harmful behaviors, particularly overeating and drinking too much alcohol, as well as health consequences such as an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and other toxic effects.
Importantly, however, rumination is not only related to depression, but is involved in the development and/or maintenance of a broad range of disorders, including post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, insomnia, eating disorders, somatic symptom disorder, and substance use disorders2, 3.
Untreated, rumination syndrome can damage the tube between your mouth and stomach (esophagus). Rumination syndrome can also cause: Unhealthy weight loss. Malnutrition.
This is why the American Psychiatric Association recommends fluoxetine, along with other SSRIs, as one of the first-choice medications that can be used to treat OCD. People taking fluoxetine may experience side effects such as: Trouble sleeping or feeling more tired than usual.
“There are parts of the brain that are a bit disrupted, like the frontal cortex, in terms of brain function and we know that serotonin can reduce the intrusive thoughts,” Dozois says.
This medication can help you regain interest in daily activities by improving your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy levels. It has been shown to reduce fear, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and panic attacks.
Rumination is a mental compulsion. For people struggling with OCD, rumination can look like engaging with an intrusive thought in an effort to figure it out. It can involve searching for an answer – specifically, needing to feel certain about it.
The urge to ruminate can feel truly addictive such that the more we ruminate, the more compelled we feel to continue doing so. Rumination can increase our likelihood of becoming depressed, and it can prolong the duration of depressive episodes when we do have them.
With obsessive thoughts, you don't feel like you have a choice in thinking about them. On the contrary, rumination is typically viewed as a choice. It's done to try to figure out where your fears are coming from, what you should believe or what you should do to prevent something bad from happening.