Dear Brian:

This is all that you shared: “Thinking about the past/Living alone, I have lived alone for many years. It is easy to fall back into the habit of thinking about the past and trying to analyze events. At times it can become rumination…  As far as future goals, I am working towards getting a degree online so I can have more opportunities. I go to a coffee shop every other day to study to give myself structure”.

This is what you asked: “Are there any suggestions from those who have also had this issue?”

My input and suggestions: you used the word rumination. Rumination= passively focusing on one’s distress. Ruminations leads to depression. The solution is to actively focus on something positive. Positive, healthy alternatives for you to focus on may be (1) the online study program that you are engaged in, as well as (2) socialization with people in the coffee shop you frequent.

Wikipedia reads on the topic of rumination (the boldface is my addition): “Although rumination is generally unhealthy and associated with depression, thinking and talking about one’s feelings can be beneficial under the right conditions… healthy self-disclosure can reduce distress and rumination when it leads to greater insight and understanding about the source of one’s problems. Thus, when people share their feelings with others in the context of supportive relationships, they are likely to experience growth. In contrast, when people repetitively ruminate and dwell on the same problem without making progress, they are likely to experience depression”.

–  Self disclosure: “a process of communication by which one person reveals information about themself to another. The information can be descriptive or evaluative, and can include thoughts, feelings, aspirations, goals, failures, successes, fears, and dreams, as well as one’s likes, dislikes, and favorites” (Wikipedia).

My suggestions: maybe you can find real-life contexts where you can self-disclose: a support group perhaps, group or individual psychotherapy, or some other supportive context. You are welcome to use your thread for this purpose. As a fellow member, I will be glad to be as supportive of you as I can be.

anita

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