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Metacognitive Training

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  1. Introduction
    Identify your fire
  2. Choose your own adventure
  3. Self-Esteem & Stigma
    Introduction
  4. What are self-esteem and stigma?
  5. Self-esteem, stigma and substance use
  6. Activity 1- Communication tools
  7. Activity 2- Creating a positive self-concept
  8. Activity 3- Focusing on your strengths
  9. Summary
  10. Quiz
  11. Explaining Situations
    Introduction
  12. What are attributions?
  13. Attributional styles and substance use
  14. Activity 1- Balanced explanations Part 1
  15. Activity 2- Balanced explanations Part 2
  16. Activity 3- Practicing explanations
  17. Summary
  18. Quiz
  19. Worrying & Coping
    Introduction
  20. What is rumination?
  21. Worrying and substance use
  22. Activity 1- Observe your thoughts
  23. Activity 2- Postpone rumination
  24. Activity 3- Shift your attention
  25. Activity 4- Sensory grounding
  26. Activity 5- Relaxed breathing
  27. Summary
  28. Quiz
  29. Attention & thinking
    Introduction
  30. Terms are related to thinking and memory
  31. Attention and substance use
  32. Activity 1- Card games
  33. Activity 2
  34. Activity 3- Problem Solving
  35. Summary
  36. Quiz
  37. Relapse
    Introduction
  38. What is relapse?
  39. Cravings, triggers, and relapse
  40. Activity 1- Managing triggers
  41. Activity 2- Alternative strategies
  42. Activity 3- Emergency plan
  43. Activity 4- Learning from each relapse
  44. Summary
  45. Quiz
Metacognitive Training What is rumination?
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Lesson 20 of 45
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What is rumination?

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It is natural to think over and over about certain life events or painful experiences. However, when this thinking goes on for too long without reaching a solution, it can make things worse.

Rumination is when you repeatedly think about negative emotional experiences. When you feel like your worrying is uncontrollable, you are ruminating. Rumination can often be automatic and intrusive. 

Here are some examples of these thoughts: 

  • Why do I have problems other people don’t have? 
  • Why can’t I handle things better? 
  • What am I doing to deserve this? 
  • Constantly wishing a recent situation had gone better. 

 People ruminate for a variety of reasons. Some believe that rumination is beneficial. 

 Below is a list of common positive beliefs about rumination: 

  • I need to ruminate about my problems to understand my feelings. 
  • I need to ruminate about the bad things that have happened in the past to make sense of them. 
  • Ruminating about my problems helps me to focus on the most important things. 
  • Ruminating about the past helps me to prevent future mistakes and failures. 

Are these beliefs accurate?  

  • Most of these beliefs associate problem solving with ruminating. Problem solving focuses on actions that can be taken in a future situation, whereas ruminating focuses on the “what-ifs” of problems. You can go to the Problem Solving module to learn about how to work through problem productively  
  • Ruminating does not lead to solutions but increases negative mood.

Some also believe that rumination is harmful. 

Below is a list of common negative beliefs about rumination: 

  • When I ruminate, I can’t do anything else. 
  • Ruminating means I’m out of control. 
  • Ruminating will turn me into a failure. 
  • Ruminating means I’m a bad person. 
  • It is impossible not to ruminate about the bad things that have happened in the past.

Are these beliefs accurate? 

  • The belief that rumination is harmful can cause even more rumination to occur. 
  • Rumination is often thought to be uncontrollable, but there are strategies that help against ruminations.