Symptoms

Excessive thinking at night
Insomnia
Stress
Mind is on high alert
Worrying

What To Expect

Affected people often complain of sleepless nights, lack of concentration and constant emotional exhaustion. The brain often does not stop thinking and thus can hardly recover. Too many thoughts can often be overwhelming. Recovering becomes more difficult. The affected often cannot take breaks. This often leads to anxiety and worrying. Many people are familiar with phases in life in which the mind seems to never rest and constantly think about past situations or upcoming events. If these conditions persist for a longer period of time, excessive and negative ruminations can become pathological - this thought process is called brooding. Pathological rumination is thus an extreme form of thought circling that does not lead to a solution. Often, those affected by rumination have their attention in the past or future, but not in the current moment.

Made Worse By

An overactive mind is often triggered by everyday situations or trauma. It is difficult to control the thoughts. And there are no real causes for this. Nevertheless, you should avoid situations that make you feel uncomfortable.

Diagnosed By

Only when an overactive mind occurs outside of depressive episodes is it diagnosed as a separate disorder. If, on the other hand, it occurs in the form of worries about everyday events or possible future misfortunes and lasts longer than six months, this is an indication of generalized anxiety disorder. In most cases, an overactive mind increases toward evening. Due to the endless loops of thinking, general mood deterioration, lack of energy and malaise occur. If the compulsion to brood is not recognized and treated in time, it can lead to severe depression and anxiety even in people without any previous psychological disorders. Over time, physical symptoms such as tension, concentration problems, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, stomach ulcers and digestive problems can also occur. In addition, negative thinking is mentally stressful to the body, causing increased release of the hormone cortisol. This has a dampening effect on the immune system and thus increases the risk of disease.