This anxiety spiral — also known as “catastrophic thinking” or “magnifying,” — is cognitive distortion that often occurs alongside anxiety and depression. Think of your brain as a rocky mountain: one single negative thought loosens an avalanche of related anxieties.
Overthinking can be symptom of major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, and external factors may also trigger the overthinking pattern. (For example, if you interact with people who frequently question your abilities, you may start overthinking things and lose trust in yourself.)
While both mental health conditions involve repetitive worrying, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often engage in unwanted and repetitive behavior in response to their worry. People with anxiety, however, tend to overthink their worry, but don't act in specific responsive manners.
Spiraling into a deep depressive episode is common in individuals with depression. Once an individual goes through one depressive episode, they become more likely to go through another one. Depression is a common mental health disorder that affects 4.8% of US adults as of 20194.
ADHD shame spirals are negative feelings and thoughts around a perceived or real mistake spiraling out of control. These spirals feel like life is on an uncontrollable downward spiral and can increase anxiety and depression symptoms.
People with psychosis typically experience delusions (false beliefs, for example, that people on television are sending them special messages or that others are trying to hurt them) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not, such as hearing voices telling them to do something or criticizing them).
You're feeling anxious or depressed
Both anxiety and depression are emotional responses to prolonged stress. If you're headed towards a mental breakdown, you may experience episodes of feeling helpless or uncontrollable crying. You may also have emotional outbursts or feelings of uncontrollable anger.
“Just moving around for a little bit, like by taking a short walk or doing a quick yoga flow can change your whole outlook, get you out of the spiral, and give you those feel-good, mood-boosting endorphins,” says nutritionist Carolyn Brown, MS, RD.
Differences in emotions in people with ADHD can lead to 'shutdowns', where someone is so overwhelmed with emotions that they space out, may find it hard to speak or move and may struggle to articulate what they are feeling until they can process their emotions.
A MELTDOWN CAN SEEM TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE.
Sometimes it appears as poor self-esteem, yelling, rage, or tears. But sometimes the challenging behavior is your own in reaction to your spouse, child, sibling, or friend who has ADHD: “Why did they not hear me? Now I'm the angry one.”
A reoccurring thought loop is a fixation on fears, motives, or how we feel we should have acted or not acted. While looping thoughts are a bi-product of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), other individuals with anxiety can also have looping thoughts.
"Frequent racing thoughts may be related to anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, or other mental health issues that need exploring," says Fabrett.
Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness. Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters. Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports. Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much.
High-functioning ADHD could mean: you experience severe symptoms but have developed “work arounds” to carry on with daily tasks and responsibilities. your symptoms are mild, and you're able to function with minimal impairment. symptoms are greatly impairing in some areas but you're highly functional in others.
Obsessing and ruminating are often part of living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). No matter how hard you try to ignore them, those negative thoughts just keep coming back, replaying themselves in an infinite loop.
Spiraling is rooted in brain-based and cognitive science. A spiraling curriculum encourages reinforcement of previously-learned concepts, which promotes the retention of skills in later grades. Students can continuously be looking back at concepts. Think of it as incorporating new information with old information.
Negative spirals are those patterns that make us slip from feeling positive and capable of getting results into a negative fog that make us feel all our actions are pointless and doomed to failure.
feel isolated — disinterested in the company of family and friends, or withdrawing from usual daily activities. feel overwhelmed — unable to concentrate or make decisions. be moody — feeling low or depression; feeling burnt out; emotional outbursts of uncontrollable anger, fear, helplessness or crying.
50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 3/4 begin by age 24.
Losing your mind may be experienced as extreme confusion, distress and/or dissociation from oneself. It may be so overwhelming that it leads to anxiety and panic attacks. You are not alone in feeling this way, and to answer the question again; it is highly unlikely that you're losing your mind.