The Correlation Between Overthinking and Mental Health

Chronic overthinking is a taxing experience that can leave you constantly second-guessing yourself and your interactions with others. 

It can heighten your stress levels and make you feel trapped in thought spirals that affect your everyday life, and it can also have a direct connection with various mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. 

At Jackson House, we believe in every person's potential for true healing from mental health symptoms. Our team can help you better understand what you are experiencing so you can find solutions for change. 

Overthinking

Overthinking is a continuous and obsessive focus on specific things that are bothering you. It involves thinking about negative things for a long time, pulling you out of the present and leaving you stuck in the past or the future. 

At the time, it might feel as though you’re considering all possibilities or a situation or just thinking things through thoroughly, but it’s more than that. It involves over-analyzing things to an excessive level and often searching for meaning where there isn't any to find.

Constant overthinking can take over your life, affecting the way you view yourself, your relationships, and your everyday actions. It can convince you of things that aren’t really true or exaggerate things greatly in your mind.  

Some common overthinking struggles include: 

• Ruminating 
• Second guessing
• Seeking constant reassurance
• Experiencing issues with focusing
• Feeling on edge
• Having worst-case scenario thoughts
• Struggling to make decisions 
• Worrying about many topics

What Does a Thought Spiral Look Like?

To better understand what overthinking can look like, imagine someone who struggles with worry and insecurity. Over time, let’s say that these feelings cause them to believe that they are being a bother to their friend, when in reality, this is not true.

Because of this idea, they may begin to analyze every text message and conversation with their friend, subconsciously looking for something they might have done or said wrong. Even though their friend doesn't actually feel this way, their overthinking might cause them to become increasingly convinced that their fear of being a bother is true.

After dwelling on these fears for a while, they may pull back from their friend and hold back in conversations. Even worse, they might struggle to articulate what is going on in their mind, leading to more isolation and feelings that don't get resolved.

It is important to understand that overthinking on its own is not a mental health condition, but it can be a symptom of a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression. 

Anxiety

Overthinking and anxiety can feed into each other. Anxiety is what causes a sense of mental urgency, and this feeling commonly drives overthinking. On the other hand, overthinking causes even more anxious thoughts to occur, and these struggles often lead to a never-ending cycle. 

Though the thoughts that you experience when you’re anxious and overthinking are typically linked to things that are outside of your control, heightened, or untrue, they can feel extremely distressing and real at the time. 

Both anxiety and overthinking stem from a strong desire to have control over the future or solve problems, but unfortunately, they commonly lead to increased stress without solutions as one is stuck replaying and analyzing things in their head. 

Depression

Overthinking can also affect someone in a depressive state. Because overthinking causes you to dwell in negative mental spaces, it can trigger depressive symptoms or make an episode worse. 

For example, picture someone who is already struggling with depressive thoughts. Imagine that they begin to fall into an overthinking spiral due to low self-esteem. As the untrue thoughts about their sense of self become more and more real to them, it may leave them feeling even more down than they already were.

In this case, low mood symptoms might be exacerbated by overthinking, leading to the person becoming more mentally drained as they struggle with thoughts about their perceived shortcomings. Even when these thoughts only exist in a person’s mind, they can be extremely difficult to break free from when battling depression.

How To Combat Overthinking

Though overthinking can leave you feeling isolated, you are not alone. It is a recognized symptom of various mental health conditions, and it is important to know that it’s not your fault when you find yourself spiraling. This is why having a support system is so crucial.

It’s okay to have days where it’s harder to see the truth, and you don’t have to suffer in silence. Your friends and family can be great reminders of what is true about you or your life. They can offer encouragement, or they can simply listen as you explain your headspace to them.

Sometimes, just vocalizing your thoughts can help. Saying things out loud can help you realize what isn’t true or open the door for other people to share their outlook on a situation. They can give their opinion, identify places where you are being overly self-critical, or even just remind you of good things about yourself or your life that you might forget in a spiral.

You might also find that actions like exercise and journaling can be a great outlet for working through difficult thought patterns. You can write about exactly what is going on in your head during a spiral, or you can go on a walk or a run as an outlet. 

Further, medication, therapy, and practices like mindfulness are just a few forms of professional support out there that can help you address mental health symptoms and work through overthinking spirals. 

Personalized Mental Health Solutions

Jackson House provides personalized solutions to those in the San Diego community who are dealing with mental health challenges. We can provide assistance with medication management, therapeutic intervention, coping skills, and more. 

If you would like to find out more about the services we offer, get in touch now to start your journey with us.