• Replies 6 replies
  • Subscribers 8 subscribers
  • Views 223 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Rumination, is it a bad thing?

TheCatWoman

I often get the impression that the sort of thinking ND people do is frowned on by the NT world, they call it ruminating, which it is, but I dont' see it as a bad thing, quite the opposite I think it's a good thing that I enjoy. I enjoy having a good think about things, to be able to explore the different aspects of something, it dosen't have to be all deep and meaningful, but deep and meaningless.

I wonder if rumination isn't somethng we need to reclaim as a positive for ourselves rather than take it on as yet another negative thing we do but "normal people" don't.?

Are NT's afraid of thought, what do they fear will happen?

Are there other words, phrases and things you think should be reclaimed as positives?

  • in reply to Kevmck

    I get that too, I tell myself sharply that I don't live there anymore and in some cases never did and never will and ask myself why I want to borrow trouble? It's not easy to drag yourself out of these spirals, but it is possible, it takes will power, determination and an ability to recognise whats happening.

    I'm coming to the conclusion that I do this more when things are going right, or at least theres no major hassle going on, I think worry and disaster management have become so ingrained in me over the years, that part of my brain dosen't know what to do without it

  • It's not a good thing for me, as it tends to add to my sleep issues. If something is going on in my life my brain will model every possible way that it can play out when I really need to sleep! Switching it off is very difficult and usually involves either sleeping pills, alcohol or switching to a specific special interest that I have, but that can sometimes be as damaging to my sleep as well. I guess that it's manageable if it's something that I know is going to affect me, but sometimes my brain will decide to pick a random event from my past and run it through my scenario modelling process. I'd love to be able to switch it off! 

  • in reply to Alien0n3arth

    My bad again, I'm sure I've heard NT's talking disparagingly about ND people thinking to much and ruminating. I agree being in a doom loop isn't a good thing, but's it's not something I associate with autism, but with cPTSD.

    I have to tell myself a story every night, it's probably why I have so many weird dreams? 

    I really enjoy my inner life, it's often a safe space, its such a rude awakening when someone speaks to me, likek the woman who insisted I was being rude because I didn't hear her and I was in my own little world! How can it be rude to be in your own little world when you're out walking your dog?

    I often work mysef into a favourite tv program or book, I've done this for as long as I can remember, probably because I'm an only child? Fictional people are so much easier and nicer than real people! 

  • Rumination is not really thinking about a special interest or exploring something. It's looping on a negative subject, such as if in a meeting you say the wrong thing, then replay it for an hour a day for 2 months, then decide you can't do meetings.

    Just thinking about whether leaf shapes serve an evolutionary purpose is not rumination.

    So, given rumination is generally negative and about undermining your own confidence, it is hard to see it as good.

  • It depends on how you define rumination I guess.

    From: www.dictionary.com/.../rumination

    • Psychology.,  excessive, repetitive thinking focused on the same, usually negative, idea or theme: characteristic of some obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders.

    This seems the logical choice when referring to the autistic aspects.

    Since it has mostly negative connotations then I think it is a bad thing.

    If you are just referring to general pondering then it isn't really an autistic trait, but it a much more neutral thing.

  • I love thing you described,  but sometimes I hate it. If one scenario about me sitting in a car together with my hero David Grusch and discussing UFOs while looking in the sky with full milky way, follows me for half a year, then doesn't matter how wonderful and pleasant is this "movie" playing again and again in my head, I finally get tired of it. I got so sick of it that I finally almost vomited, then it finally git replaced by something else. Now it's back. Scenario with David Grusch and me sitting in a car, there is wild nature around, rocks, mountains,  desert, wonderful view on tge milky way. In so.e versions of my fantasy there is a UFO appearing and talking to us both telepathically. 

    So I love my movies in my head, but sometimes it's too much. Then I ask my brain: hey! Stop it! It's enough. But the brain replies: no, it's not enough! Again hahaha! Or in situations that someone interrupts my "movie" I get a replay of the whole scene and dialogue since the beginning.  It impacts my daily life in situations when someone talking to me, but no reaction from me and only when the person shouts irritated,  then I start realising that someone is talking to me. I also have a scenario of me landing an airplane in emergency.  I used to watch obsessively some videos about landing airplanes and various catastrophic accidents in the sky, there was analysis why it hapened etc. Then my brain created this movie and I play it with one particular track.