Do you find yourself constantly worrying about things that may or may not happen? Do you spend hours upon hours going over past conversations and events, trying to figure out what you could have done differently? If so, then you might be suffering from overthinking. Overthinking is a mental disorder that causes individuals to obsess over things to the point where it becomes difficult to live a normal life. While there is no cure for overthinking, there are treatments available that can help lessen the symptoms.
Is there medication for overthinking?
However, you should consult with a psychiatrist or therapist to get an accurate diagnosis and the best treatment plan for you. There are a few different types of medications that can be prescribed for overthinking, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and beta-blockers. If overthinking is causing significant distress or impacting your ability to function in your everyday life, then it is important to seek help from a professional.
Why Do People Overthink?
In this case, they mean overthinking, which is defined as too much thinking when there is no need for it or when it would be better not to think about something at all. It may seem that by doing this we help someone or solve a problem, but in reality, everything works against us. This condition sometimes becomes an obsession and prevents from seeing things clearly and success coming. So why do we overthink things? What reasons cause our mind to work in its own way?
Here are some reasons why do people overthink.
Perfectionism
People try to make everything perfect. Although there is nothing bad about it, in most cases you need to relax and not overdo it. A great example of the human desire for a perfect result can be found when a child wants a toy or something else bad, and they create an image in which this must be the best toy ever. But when they get it, what happens? Most often, they are disappointed because it’s just not as good as their imagination wanted it to be.
Unsureness
Unsure people always ask themselves questions like “What if?”, “Do you think that…?” etc. They hardly trust other people’s opinions and never stop doubting unless someone them wrong. Sometimes even if they want to make a decision, they get stuck because it’s easier not to do anything than risk making the wrong one.
Fear of disappointing others
People who are afraid of disappointing others often act irrationally and keep second-guessing themselves. They can’t say “No” or even just ask for some time to think before giving an answer. It may be difficult for them not to care what other people think about their actions, but in some cases, this is just impossible.
Perfectionism again
If someone has an idea that if something is worth doing, then it must be done perfectly, they will definitely overthink things. They may become so scared of making mistakes that will ruin the whole plan. It often happens that they don’t even start trying because of such thoughts and fears.
High expectations
People with high expectations always want to please themselves and prove to others how good they are at something. No matter if we can do it or not, we will try our best and overthink each step we take in order to reach the goal as fast as possible. Sometimes this causes problems like anxiety or depression when reality doesn’t meet their expectations.
So now you know what is overthinking and why people do it most of the time without even realizing it. Stop worrying too much about things which you cannot change, but concentrate on those aspects of life that depend only on you!
The Effects Of Overthinking On Mental Health
When you take a minute to think about the things that go through your mind, it’s common to notice negative thoughts. Maybe you’re having regrets or worrying about something that happened in the past or thinking of how things could have been different if only you had done this instead of that.
However, one thing not many people know is that these types of thoughts can actually cause mental health issues over time. Here are six ways overthinking affects your overall wellness:
1) It Puts You at Risk for Depression and Anxiety
While everyone experiences negative thoughts from time to time, those who spend too much time dwelling on such things tend to develop depression and anxiety disorders. In fact, according to ” Psychology Today,” 80 percent of all clinically depressed people have an anxiety disorder, too.
2) It Can Lead to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
People who overthink things often do so in an unhealthy way — obsessively. When this happens, you can develop obsessive-compulsive disorders like OCD, where you start to believe that thinking something will make it true. For example, one with OCD might keep thinking he or she forgot to lock their front door; thus, they need to go repeatedly check for hours until they finally realize the lock is on, and they can stop thinking about it (until tomorrow when it starts all over again).
3) It Causes Paranoia and Delusions
When you overthink negative things that happened in the past or worry about what’s going to happen in the future, your mind can easily go in a negative and isolated direction. For example, you could start to think that aliens are out to get you or that someone is out there listening to your conversations or spying on you.
4) It Causes You to Have Anxiety
Nearly everyone who overthinks suffers from some level of anxiety — whether it’s based on their thoughts or not. In fact, according to ” Psychology Today,” people who have mental illnesses like depression and anxiety feel symptoms more intensely than those who don’t have such issues. So while paranoia and delusions can be symptoms of mental illness alone, someone with both conditions will experience them even more so than normal.
5) It Creates Stress
According to ” Psychiatry Advisor,” stress is a major factor in mental health conditions, and those who overthink end up feeling stressed as a result of their thoughts. When you constantly worry about how things could be or should have ended up, it takes its toll on your body and brain; this can create fatigue and even raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels.
6) It Reduces Narcoleptic Symptoms
While negative thoughts usually cause stress and make narcolepsy worse, there’s one upside: ” Scientific American” says that people with the condition (wherein they fall asleep randomly throughout the day) experience fewer symptoms when they’re depressed or sad. So while dwelling on bad thoughts alone won’t help reduce narcolepsy, being generally sad does. This is because such thoughts increase the number of chemicals that already exist in the brain, which help reduce symptoms.
Few Ways Of Medication For Overthinking
Here are three ways that you can calm your thoughts and return to living in the present moment.
1) Mindfulness Meditation
If you’re new to meditation or attempting it out of desperation because nothing else has worked for you, don’t let this put pressure on you. The goal of meditation isn’t perfection; if clearing your mind is difficult at first, just focus on breathing deeply for ten minutes every day, and eventually, you’ll notice that you don’t get as caught up in your head. As for breathing, this may sound like a simple task, but it’s actually quite challenging to slow down and breathe deeply and consciously. Often we take shallow breaths or even hold our breath without noticing. However, deep breathing is important not only for increasing the amount of oxygen in your body but also because it affects mental clarity and decreases stress.
2) Guided Imagery
If focusing on the path of your breath doesn’t work well with your mind, then try something else, such as guided imagery. This technique involves following an image or narrative in order to disconnect from thought patterns that may be causing anxiety. There are many forms of guided imagery, including guided meditation, hypnosis, and progressive muscle relaxation. Give one of these methods a try and see if it helps you to release thoughts that are holding you back.
3) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The main idea behind CBT is to change the way you think about things in order to reduce negative emotions. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds; let’s say, for example, that you lay awake at night worrying about what will happen the next day. If this is something that occurs often, your mind can begin to associate sleep with fear (or whatever emotion is consuming you). So instead of continuing down this train of thought, take some time before bed to assess the issues troubling you and write them down on paper. Then set the alarm for five hours before you’re due up to and make it your goal to not think about the problems again throughout the night.
Final Word
While there is not currently a medication for overthinking, it is possible to manage the condition with therapy and lifestyle changes. If you are struggling with overthinking, Talk to your doctor if you think this might be a good option for you. Remember, you are not alone in this struggle. Millions of people deal with overthinking every day, and there are ways to get help.