Does this sound like you? (Maybe not this extreme or even more, but you get the picture).
Are you accused of being an overthinker (mostly by yourself!), of constantly over-analyzing the littlest details? Do you occasionally find your mind running a thousand unrelated information per second thinking of an insignificant event you know you shouldn’t worry about?
Overthinking – Health Problems You May Experience
…and why you should consider quitting
“Why did he say that to me in such manner? He looks like a jerk who was molested years ago by his grandfather, but didn’t have a mom to save him because she always ferried with her favourite boyfriend who was a jerk and into drugs because he has a black dog who must’ve been a rot…”
Does this sound like you? (Maybe not this extreme or even more, but you get the picture). Are you accused of being an overthinker (mostly by yourself!), of constantly over-analyzing the littlest details? Do you occasionally find your mind running a thousand unrelated information per second thinking of an insignificant event you know you shouldn’t worry about? Do you find it difficult to take a break and relax even just for a moment? Yes, you!
It’s not abnormal to find your mind wandering a few times or to be engrossingly engaged in your job that you are unaware of the present moment. No, that’s not overthinking especially if it doesn’t occur constantly. But when you see yourself analyzing the “Good Mornings”, the “thank yous”, “the genuine comments and actions”, the minute details that you shouldn’t worry about on a normal day (except you’re an investigator and “good morning” and “thank you” keeps coming up as your culprit’s code), then chances are you must be an overthinker and it’s bad for your health.
You must have noticed how difficult it can be to calm your mind. How the abnormal thing is to find yourself enjoying the present moment. How exhausting it can be for your mind to hover around details every second uncontrollably leaving you stressed out mentally. In addition to its effect on your peace, when you are in that state your body also releases a steroid hormone (cortisol) which has a negative long-term effect on your health and well being (and erections!). This is when you realize overthinking may be a health problem you need to address.
Below are some of the reasons you should consider quitting or seeking help:
The is one of the obvious effects of overthinking on our body. Overthinkers feel it. some of them develop headaches (even migraines!) from constant fretting. This often leaves them feeling stressed and tired with no physical labour. On the inside, the steroid hormone being released can cause harm to the brain cells located in your hippocampus (part of your brain that plays a role in emotion and memory). Habitual overthinking can potentially alter the structure of your brain circuits and connectivity. According to University of California researchers in Berkeley, overthinking can result in mental issues and health problems like constant mood disorders and feelings of anxiety.
The brain and stomach are in such an intimate relationship to the extent that most often than not, what affects the brain affects the stomach (ever wonder why your favourite meal looks repulsive when you are sick). We mentioned earlier that overthinking often leaves you feeling stressed and tired. Chronic stress has the potential to harm your digestive system. It leads to gastrointestinal problems, some of which include: peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cramping, loss of appetite, bloating, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and so forth.
Habitual overthinking has the potential to put your heart at risk. Its effect on the heart can be manifested through chest pains, stroke and heart attacks in extreme cases. For some, the problem is compounded by the intake of substances for stress relief and sleep inducers.
Due to the steroid hormone released because of stress, so many skin disorders like acne arise or become worse. For patients with skin disorders like eczema, alopecia, pruritus,areata etc., anxiety and stress (caused by overthinking) make it difficult for them to heal because the hormone released tells the skin to produce more oil. Constant worrying is known to make one look older than he/she is. So if you want to look younger and bright, stay away from constant worrying.
Habitual overthinking suppresses your immune system and makes it easy for you to be infected by diseases. This suppression is also attributed to the release of the steroid hormone, cortisol. Ever wondered why you tend to fall sick when you feel depressed and anxious?
Other causes of constant overthinking include:
You stand a chance of losing your life and the ones you love if you are a habitual over-thinker. Nothing good comes from it! which is why you should seek immediate assistance from a professional on how to combat the habit before it eats you alive.
Lawrence enjoys writing for fun and often submits articles to LoveWorks for consideration.
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