Of all the reasons people seek therapy, one of the reasons we see most often here at Soho Integrative EMDR is a desire to get“unstuck” from negative thought cycles.
The tendency to overthink—to overanalyze situations or think excessively about a certain topic—is very human, and most people can probably relate to falling into this pattern at one time or another.
But for some people, overthinking can become an ingrained habit that keeps us stuck and stops us from being fully present. This is especially true for those who struggle with other mental health issues. In fact, across most of the diagnostic labels the mental health system assigns people—from depression to anxiety to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—negative thought cycles are a common concern.
Overthinking often reinforces the cycle of feeling stuck, especially when tied to anxiety, depression, or trauma.
What we call “overthinking” goes by many different names: worry, rumination, and obsession, to name a few. Each of these terms refers to a slightly different thought process.
Worry involves focusing on a negative future outcome (or many possible outcomes) and is often accompanied by a feeling of anxiety.
Generally, anxiety tends to pull our thoughts in a negative direction. This is because our brains are wired to prioritize processing information about threat or danger that might be important for our survival. This is why, when we are worrying about the future, we tend to focus on worst-case scenarios.
These thoughts make us feel more anxious, which makes us focus even more intently on negative information—keeping us stuck in a cycle.
Whereas worry thoughts are focused on the future, rumination tends to be focused on something from the past or an ongoing situation.
Often, ruminative thoughts are self-critical. Many people with a tendency to ruminate experience emotions like sadness, anger, or guilt while stuck in thought spirals.
Like with worry, the negative emotions that accompany rumination keep our attention focused on negative details, trapping us in a cycle of negative thinking.
Obsessive thought loops usually start with an intrusive thought accompanied by a sense of urgency, as if the brain is saying that there is a problem that needs to be solved right now.
Even more so than worry and rumination, obsessive thoughts can feel uncontrollable—this is why many people with obsessive thoughts look for any strategy they can find to end the spiral.
Often, people will engage in compulsions to quiet their obsessions. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that bring about a short-term sense of relief, like seeking reassurance from others or double (or triple) checking to make sure you did something correctly.
It is important to acknowledge that most people worry, ruminate, or experience intrusive thoughts from time to time—especially during periods of high stress.
Focusing our thinking on topics that feel upsetting or even painful—like a recent breakup or even a childhood trauma—is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can be a crucial aspect of healing from these experiences.
As humans, we have the capacity to use our thinking to work for us, by:
But for those with histories of trauma, unmet needs early in life, mental health disorders like anxiety or depression, or neurodivergent information processing, our innate drive for problem-solving and emotional processing can transform into worry, rumination, or obsession.
When this begins to interfere with other aspects of life—perhaps by leading us to avoid doing things we value, or by taking our time and energy away from relationships or work—it is time to consider reaching out for support.
“Overthinking” can be adaptive when it leads to problem-solving, emotional clarity, or coping with stress, but it becomes problematic when it interferes with daily life.
Most people who struggle with overthinking would probably say there is no benefit to it. It is distracting, stirs up uncomfortable emotions, and takes time away from things we care about.
But sometimes, these thinking patterns developed to help us meet a need, and it can help to reflect on the function, or purpose, that our overthinking serves.
Some people get the most stuck when thinking about topics that are outside of their control, like what others think of them. On some level, worrying about these topics can feel like we are gaining a small sense of control.
This helps us understand why people turn to worry during times of high stress: when things around us seem out of control, we try to feel in-control however we can, as if we can prevent a negative outcome if only we think about it long enough.
Similarly, people who are less comfortable with uncertainty are more likely to get caught up in worry spirals and obsessions. The more uncertain the situation, the more room the brain has to “fill in the blanks,” usually with worst-case scenarios.
In situations where negative outcomes are possible and concrete solutions exist that can mitigate them, it can be adaptive to anticipate worst case scenarios and take action to prevent them. But in situations where negative outcomes are unlikely, or risks can’t be fully mitigated, overthinking becomes more of a hindrance than a helper.
Sometimes, we overthink about how well we can manage anxiety-provoking situations. For example:
Across these examples, overthinking serves the purpose of feeling more prepared for scary situations—but in doing so, it cultivates more anxiety, keeps us detached from the present moment, and ultimately makes it harder for us to manage the situations successfully
Have you ever had a hard time relaxing because you were wondering when the “other shoe will drop,” so to speak?
If so, you may have been avoiding what some researchers call an “emotional contrast,” or a sudden uptick in negative emotions after a stressor.
Some people overthink even when things are going relatively well because it prevents us from experiencing an emotional contrast. In other words, it can feel easier to cope when things go wrong if we never let our guards down to begin with.
When our attention is taken up by our thoughts, it leaves little room for us to attend to our feelings. Some overthinkers automatically enter “thinking mode” as a way to avoid fully experiencing their emotions. In fact, some research shows that worrying can actually reduce how strongly fear manifests in the body.
Similarly, some people may ruminate on a feeling, like anger, as a way to avoid a different feeling, like vulnerability. Some may also worry, ruminate, or obsess over a particular topic as a way to avoid thinking about an even more upsetting issue that needs attention.
The feelings we try hardest to avoid likely serve a purpose and need to be welcomed in and processed—overthinking to avoid those feelings only causes them to linger on unresolved.
When we engage in self-reflection, it is usually to try to gain some insight into ourselves or to better understand a situation from the past.
For those who are prone to depression or anxiety, what starts as healthy introspection may quickly spiral into full-blown rumination. But because it feels like we are learning about ourselves or gaining clarity into the past, it can be hard to put the thoughts to rest.
This is especially true for individuals who have experienced trauma or loss that hasn’t been fully processed.
Overthinking can become so ingrained that it happens out of habit, without necessarily having a specific purpose in the moment.
As a survival mechanism, the brain learns to associate negative emotions, especially fear and anxiety, with the situations in which we feel them the most.
For example:
Often, the coping strategies we use most naturally are the ones that we were exposed to early in life.
Many overthinkers report having grown up with parents who worried or ruminated out loud a lot. When we are exposed to this early on, we internalize messages about how uncontrollable or unsafe the world is and how we are supposed to handle unpredictable or upsetting situations.
These internalized beliefs can then impact how we perceive threats in the world and how we cope with whatever stress, loss, and trauma we encounter for ourselves later in life.
Even when overthinking serves a purpose, it often comes with many costs.
Although it can be hard to relinquish the sense of control or safety that overthinking sometimes provides, its impact on our relationships, productivity, and quality of life often lead people to seek support to overcome it.
People who overthink often benefit from an integrative approach to therapy that balances skill-building and emotional processing.
Understanding the functions that overthinking serves—which differ from person to person—can help you and your therapist select treatment techniques that best fit your needs.
Some of the skills that may help you manage overthinking include:
In addition to skills, deeper emotional processing is often necessary to work through past experiences that have given rise to current anxieties.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an approach that helps people identify experiences from their past—such as losses, life-threatening traumas, or chronic mistreatment—that have not been fully processed.
When left unprocessed, these experiences can leave us with lingering effects on our mental health:
During EMDR, you work with a therapist to process the memories of these experiences, which can lead to a shift in your sense of safety and your beliefs about yourself, leading in turn to a reduction in symptoms like overthinking.
Therapy works best when it helps you address both the habit of overthinking and the deeper experiences that may have shaped it.
At Soho Integrative EMDR, we understand that everyone who struggles with overthinking has a unique story. That’s why we tailor our integrative approach to fit your needs, taking time to understand what has shaped your inner voice in the past and develop a treatment plan that can help you quiet your mind. With the help of a psychologist at Soho Integrative EMDR, you can harness your inner voice to work for you, not against you.