RUMINATION AS A HABIT ARTICLE 1[MENTAL HEALTH]

ARTICLE 1

Repetitive thinking about problems is unhelpful if if it becomes an automatic habit that is triggered in lots of different situations . As a habit , it can be set off and start running out of control before you even realize it.

The pioneering work on rumination in depression was conducted by professor Susan Nolen – Hoeksema at Yale university. Her research indicates that rumination is a learned , habitual way of thinking that people adopt when they feel sad or down.

At its simplest, a habit is a way of responding that has repeatedly occurred in particular circumstances , so that those circumstances then become a cue for the response to occur automatically .

For example may have regularly smoked when in the pub with his friends (Before the change in the law) , so that going to the pub and having a drink could act as a cue to lighting up a cigarette without realizing. This is one reason why giving up smoking can be difficult , unless the routines and places associated with smoking are replaced .

Likewise, to build a positive habit like exercising , it helps to have a regular routine , where you go for a run at the same time each day. As such, rumination can be considered a mental habit, triggered by feeling low.

I will complete in article 2 soon.