While overthinking itself is not a mental illness, it is associated with conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance use disorders. Rumination can be common in people who have chronic pain and chronic illness as well, taking the form of negative thoughts about that pain and healing from it.
People who overthink tend to score high in the neurotic department. Neuroticism is one of the five big personality traits, along with openness, conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness. It's linked to anxiety, fear, moodiness, worry, envy and frustration.
Overthinking is commonly associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), says Duke. GAD is characterized by the tendency to worry excessively about several things. “Someone can develop GAD due to their genes. Or it could be personality factors like the inability to tolerate uncertainty in life.
Overthinking is caused due to various reasons like fear, intolerance to uncertainty, trauma, or perfectionism. Overthinking can also be a symptom of already existing mental health conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, or depression.
It's a common stereotype that is often humoured, but it turns out there is actually scientific backing to it. A study reported in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease has confirmed that women overthink more than men do, due to their brains having more activity.
No. Overthinking isn't thinking, it's having the same thought and never moving on. It's unhealthy. Intelligence is practically the total opposite of overthinking.
Research shows that overthinking is prevalent among young (25-35-year-olds) and middle-aged adults (45-55-year- olds). Overthinking tends to be worse among women. And too much thinking can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, emotional distress, and self-destructive behaviours.
Overthinking — also referred to as rumination — is when you repetitively dwell on the same thought or situation over and over to the point that it disrupts your life. Overthinking usually falls into two categories: ruminating about the past and worrying about the future.
Overthinking strikes all of us at some point, but if it goes unchecked and unresolved, overthinking can certainly morph healthy relationships into toxic relationships. If you fall victim to your thoughts and allow them to go too far, they can end up driving a wedge of distrust between you and other people in your life.
Take, for example, ADHD. While most people associate ADHD with hyperactivity and impulsivity, it can also manifest in more subtle ways, such as through intrusive thoughts and overthinking.
Hyper-Rationality is a trauma response and coping strategy. Overthinking, over-analyzing, and over-rationalizing are coping strategies that we learned early on to help us make sense of an unpredictable environment that at some point made us feel unsafe.
Often overthinking can be the result of feeling strong emotions of fear, panic, anger, excessive worry, etc. Identifying and challenging these feelings and thoughts may be an effective place to start.
Research has indicated that individuals with high emotional reactivity (high neuroticism) and introverted tendencies (low extroversion) are more likely to experience anxiety than other personality types [101].
Overthinking can be viewed as both a strength and a weakness; it is, therefore, not a strong answer to give when asked about your weaknesses at interview. What is this? In some respects, someone that overthinks can be perceived to be unsure of themselves and their decision-making.
An overthinking mind tends to focus on the negative, sabotaging happy thoughts and keeping your mind in a constant state of negativity. When your happiness wanes, it affects your mental health and your productivity.
They tend to be good at problem-solving and have a high IQ. Additionally, overthinkers are often creative and have a lot of great ideas. They also tend to be good at critical thinking and analyzing situations. Another positive effect of being an overthinker is that they are usually successful in life.
But you're not alone—research suggests 73% of 25- to 35-year-olds chronically overthink, along with 52% of people ages 45 to 55. In many cases, overthinking could show up as rumination, which often involves perseverating on events of the past and even the present with a negative mindset.
Overthinking or rumination not only affects your peace of mind but increases your chances of getting depression and anxiety.
Overthinkers care too much. They are worried over mistakes or errs often considered trivial by others. They are empathetic and easily detect a change in tone or body language of another person that unfolds another thinking spiral.
The causes of catastrophic thinking can depend on the person, but the basic answer is often some sort of anxiety-related condition. This may include Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which can cause obtrusive worrying about worst-case scenarios.
The good news is that you weren't born an overthinker. Overthinking is the result of one fact of human existence: we all have patterns to our behavior. These patterns, good and bad, develop over time based on life experiences.
Overthinking and worrying is common with highly sensitive people. You notice every detail and overthink what should be a simple decision, like where to go for lunch. You are prone to getting stuck in the rehashing of the “what-if” rut.
Ability to learn new topics quickly. Ability to process new and complex information rapidly. Desire to explore specific topics in great depth. Insatiable curiosity, often demonstrated by many questions.