What exactly is overthinking disorder?
After all, everyone might get overwhelmed by obsessive thoughts from time to time. However, when this starts to consume our lives, it could turn into a severe, constant issue and become a condition to pay attention to. Some people are more predisposed to it, especially those who have other anxiety disorders. It turns out that overthinking activates the same parts of the brain that cause fear and anxiety.
Here are 10 apparent signs that prove you might suffer from overthinking disorder:
1. You are overthinking if something is on your mind and you continuously go over it.
A particular idea becomes overwhelming, and you start worrying about it. You begin to analyze the circumstances, events, and possibilities that could be. Finally, you end up with many different thoughts racing through your head. And you have to go over each one of them.
2. Over-thinkers remember every single word and detail from a conversation.
They think about them again and again and try to find a meaning of all the things that have been done or said. They cannot rest. That makes overthinkers nervous and gives them the sense of being under pressure all the time.
3. An essential trait of an overthinker is that they see the world in black and white.
For them, things are good or bad, right or wrong. Moderate views are not typical of them. So, if they love someone or something, they love deeply. And the same goes when they hate. That is their way of seeing things.
4. They take others’ opinions too seriously.
Overthinkers analyze every word and try to understand what exactly the other person wants to tell them. Things become even more severe for the ones with empathetic personalities who are more sensitive. All this overthinking probably drives them crazy. What is more, others cannot understand overthinkers’ constant need to analyze each detail related to an event.
5. These people might become a burden to their close ones.
It’s difficult to live with someone who’s too emotional, extremely analyzing, too nervous, neurotic or passionate. Another common problem of the more sensible over-thinkers is that no matter how hard they try to connect with the environment and the people around them, they usually can’t. That’s why they succeed much more when working individually or when performing activities which are different from the tasks involved in their daily routine.
6. They crave love but seldom receive it.
Their soul is delicate and pure, so when they don’t get the affection or the love they are looking for, overthinkers might feel down and close themselves off to the world because they need time to heal their wounded heart.
7. An overthinker tries to find a meaning in everything.
They need to know why others say or do things. These people can’t live without finding answers to the questions they have. They always try to understand why things happen in a certain way.
8. Need to establish a strong connection with the universe.
When overthinkers manage to do this, they feel satisfied and in peace with themselves. However, if they fail, overthinkers could feel depressed and distance from the rest of the world. It often seems like it’s them against the universe and that’s a confrontation they don’t know how to avoid.
9. Suffer from insomnia.
A common problem of almost all overthinkers is that they might have insomnia. It’s exactly before going to sleep when our worst thoughts could take over. It’s the moment when an overthinker starts analyzing everything said and done.
10. Another essential factor is a low mood.
Overthinkers tend to have more negative moods which are associated with a more analytical thinking style. That lays the ground for a perfectionist worry style that is in a sense impossible to satisfy and leads to more suffering and anxiety.
The “worry spiral.”
Researchers are now discussing the tendency to ruminate on problems beyond one’s control. They call this tendency “worry spiral.” The symptoms involve forgetting what the initial problem was in the first place and overthinking an event that hasn’t taken place. The good news is that new research published in Biological Perspective has revealed why chronic worrying occurs and how to prevent it.
Christian Jarrett author of Personology explains it.
He says that over-thinkers “tend to have a kind of perfectionist approach” and feel obliged to “work through every eventuality and solving every problem. They want to take action to relieve their worries, even if they’re resting in bed at 2 a.m, lost in thought.”
The solution to breaking out of the spiral is simple.
“Try to move on once [the worry] no longer seems relevant. Think about it like this: Instead of perceiving your worry as a means to an end, accept it as an emotion to let go of once you’ve decided it’s no longer needed. It’s difficult to deal with the worries which eventually lead to overthinking. But you can reduce worrying. Imagine it is a pit stop on the way to enjoy the rest of your day,” the researchers conclude.
Although overthinkers are too sensitive, their personality is unique.
Despite all the problems overthinkers encounter, they have some of the best qualities in the world.
They are talented, original and unique. These people possess an unusual way of thinking which may not be accepted by everyone. However, it makes them worth loving. They are emotionally intelligent, and that’s why all their relationships, are based on deep feelings.
