Forrest and Dr. Rick delve into one of the questions we’re asked most frequently: how we can let go of obsessive and intrusive thoughts. We explore why we tend to get trapped in certain thoughts, the negative effects of rumination, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We then discuss facing our fears and how we can balance getting close enough to a problem that we can do something about it…without getting so close that we become overwhelmed by it.
Rumination Course: Rick’s 5-week online course Breaking Out of Rumination starts on March 29th. Rumination is a big pain point for many people, and this course will help you learn how to break repetitive patterns of thought. Learn more at RickHanson.com/ruminating, and use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive a 25% discount.
Key Topics:
- 0:00: Introduction
- 1:20: What is rumination?
- 5:00: Why we get stuck in certain thoughts
- 8:10: Two kinds of obsessive thoughts
- 11:00: The brain’s attempt to problem solve
- 13:40: Assessing a hypothetical client
- 20:15: We all have weird thoughts
- 25:20: Feeling the hypothetical outcome, or completing the gestalt
- 31:40: Rick completing a gestalt on psychedelics
- 33:45: Balancing closeness and distance
- 39:45: Exaggerating the obsession vs. thought suppression
- 42:35: Widening your view and surrendering to the worst
- 44:50: The intrinsic emptiness of a ruminative thought
- 48:10: Another hypothetical case study
- 56:10: Doing good in the world as an antidote
- 59:30: Recap
