How Do We Overcome Worry and Rumination? (Episode 142)
In this episode of Disordered, guest co-host Kimberley Quinlan joins Drew to pull back the curtain on one of the most persistent hurdles in anxiety recovery: rumination. Whether you call it overthinking, worry, or mental "problem solving," the process is a universal constant across panic disorder, OCD, health anxiety, depression, and other related issues.
We examine why rumination feels like a productive tool when it is actually a mental compulsion designed to avoid the discomfort of uncertainty. Kim and Drew break down the "tax" that rumination imposes on your life, specifically the deep physiological and emotional exhaustion that leaves you without the energy to make the actual changes you want.
What You’ll Learn This Week:
The Process vs. The Content: Why the specific thing you are worried about matters less than the fact that you are stuck in a circular thinking process.
The "What If" Statement: How to recognize that "what if" is a statement of fear, not a question that requires an answer.
Problem Solving vs. Rumination: Identifying the moment thinking stops being an investment and starts becoming a drain.
Beliefs About Worry: Challenging the "positive" beliefs we hold, such as the idea that worrying makes us a better parent or more prepared for disaster.
Attention Control Training: Practical ways to re-engage with the present moment, even when your brain is screaming for certainty.
Recovery is about learning to put the thoughts down and returning to whatever is next in your day. It is hard work, and you might "suck at it" initially, but managing rumination is a skill for life that reduces suffering and brings you back to your own experiences.
Find Kim's podcast here:
https://www.youtube.com/@youranxietytoolkit
Kim's courses and workshops:
Kim's Instagram
https://instagram.com/YourAnxietyToolkit
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The Disordered Guide to Health Anxiety is now available. If you're struggling with health anxiety, this book is for you.
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Struggling with worry and rumination that you feel you can't stop or control? Check out Worry and Rumination Explained, a two hour pre-recorded workshop produced by Josh and Drew. The workshop takes a deep dive into the mechanics of worrying and ruminating, offering some helpful ways to approach the seemingly unsolvable problem of trying to solve seemingly unsolvable problems.
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