Rumination: The Backbeat That Never Seems to Stop

It was all of you that made this very clear on one of our polls many months ago – rumination is the issue that takes the greatest toll on you. And I think it’s a pretty good guess that this is the experience of all survivors of narcissistic abuse. Rumination is defined as “a form of perseverative cognition that focuses on negative content, generally past and present, and results in emotional distress.” (Sansone & Sansone, 2012) – which is just a technical way of saying that rumination is the thoughts that get stuck in our head and leaves us feeling bad.  Since it is such a primary element of the fallout of narcissistic abuse and a blockade to healing (and can feel like it will never end while you are in it) – this month we are going to take on the complex issue of rumination so that you better understand it, get some tips for how to cope with it, and may even find a little compassion for why you do it.