I Can’t Stop Thinking About It
Many people with ADHD express frustration with the frequency and depth of negative and intrusive thoughts. These thoughts can be painful, and they may grow and grow until they affect daily life. Dwelling on such thoughts increases anxiety, depression, and restlessness—often causing you to make poor choices, incorrectly read the room, misinterpret social cues, and become oblivious to your surroundings. Anxiety makes you more internally focused, which can lead to rejection sensitivity. How can you manage those intense, negative thoughts?
Prevent rumination with five daily strategies
- Ask yourself, “Am I ruminating?”
The gear shift of the brain, the cingulate gyrus, may be stuck. This gear shift helps you shift from thought to thought, transition between activities, or move away from being stuck. Some people are prone to have an overactive cingulate gyrus and therefore tend toward rumination. When you ruminate, do you notice you continue in this loop and nothing seems to break it? Ask yourself, “Am I ruminating?” “Am I stuck?” Engage in a body scan and check in with yourself. Take your own emotional temperature to see what you are feeling in your body and mind. - Re-evaluate your inner story.
Could it be that you didn’t fully understand the comment, intention, or act about which you are ruminating? Double-check your reasoning by asking yourself these questions: “What is the story you are telling yourself? What evidence is there that this story is true? What else could it be?” Now, create a neutral thought to replace your negative thought. Instead of thinking, “They did not return my text because I was too outspoken at that meeting,” consider that “They might be busy, it is a hectic time of year,” or “I have no evidence that Jane was offended by how I behaved at the meeting.”