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Is overthinking a mental disorder?

127 Answers
Last Updated: 07/26/2021 at 11:10pm
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
January 17th, 2016 4:25pm
Over thinking is human instinct. It's natural to get engrossed or think about certain things. Nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. However, if over thinking is driving you into a pool of negative thoughts, it is surely something to be a little worried about. In such a case, by over thinking, you are only creating problems that aren't there. You can't change certain things in the past or control what happens in the future, so learn the art of controlling one's thoughts and emotions. Learn to let go and live your life to the fullest. There are lots of tips on how to do that, here on 7cups. Best of Luck !! :)
Anonymous
January 15th, 2016 2:41am
If you're talking about recurring, obsessive thoughts on a single subject, OCD is a possibility. If you're talking about causing yourself a large amount of stress and negatively affecting your life with your overthinking, anxiety or depression is a possibility. But overthinking things, in itself, is not a problem. It's a natural trait that has allowed humans to evolve as the top species, and while some people do it more than others, its not necessarily a bad thing. If your "overthinking" is having a negative impact on your life, then please, speak to somebody about the worries you have. But if not, then no, it's not a mental disorder. And there's nothing wrong with being cautious.
imreallysorry
January 20th, 2016 11:01pm
Is over thinking a mental disorder? It can be. It depends how much you are overthinking things. It's normal for everyone to do it from time to time. If you are doing it non-stop, then you probably have symptoms of anxiety. If you find yourself overthinking all of the time, and it's stressing you out, you should consider talking to a therapist on 7 Cups.
kindgirl517
January 23rd, 2016 6:59pm
Overthinking is NOT and never will be a mental disorder. It is just that you, well, over think things! Don't worry about having a mental disorder. You're overthinking right now if you asked this question! Overthinking things is kind of a funny thing. Just don't worry about being sick in the head just because you overthink. That will make you overthink more, and it can lead to some sort of anxiety. If you overthink, that just means you're smart! Seriously, it's been proven. Have a nice day! :)
Niyati30
January 25th, 2016 9:16pm
Yes over thinking leads to stress. It cause depression and play a havoc to your health. It can distrupt your positive wellbeing
Anonymous
March 6th, 2016 7:55am
Over thinking helps you prepare yourself for the future.. But if you start over thinking for small issues that involves guessing what others might think about you then it would start affecting your life. It is not a mental disorder but its not good in excess.
SilentSerenityy
January 27th, 2016 1:05pm
Over thinking is a symptom of anxiety, so technically it could be considered a mental health problem, seeing as anxiety is one.
Anonymous
January 30th, 2016 12:25am
99% of the time, no. Depending on the type of overthinking you are doing, it can be problematic, however. Repeatedly thinking of the same thing over and over again is called 'rumination' or 'ruminating thoughts' (think of a cow, ruminating its food. it chews it over and over again). These thoughts are not inherently harmful, but they can pose problems because you get stuck on the thoughts, or catastrophize the thoughts (meaning things are blown out of proportion). That being said, this does not mean that the thoughts are not harmful. Overthinking things can be a form of anxiety. If in doubt, talk to someone you can trust about what you are feeling.
Harish
February 14th, 2016 2:42am
Someone who lost something very important in his/her life will start to over think and i wont last long usually. He/She will develop anxious nature because of their life experiences for ex: breakup, academic failure etc...I would not call something disorder that can fade from time 2 time even though it is termed as disorder according to medical terms. Overthinking is purely because of lack of self-confidence, when one gains it he/she will never have problem reagarding overthinking
fancydrums00
February 19th, 2016 9:10pm
No. A lot of people like myself overthink about a lot of things. Its pretty normal to overthink about the silliest things.
TheFleaMarket
February 11th, 2016 6:14am
We sure can think it is, huh? Sometimes it even feels like one. But no, overthinking is not a mental disorder. We all have the capability to excite and calm our thoughts. Left to their own devices, our thoughts can run a bit wild and cause us to overthink some aspect of life. Remember you do have control over your thoughts no matter how much it seems they are running the show. It takes awareness and some practice to wrangle them back to reality, back to the present, the here and now. Look for and discover ways to bring calm and tranquility to your thoughts and overthinking will ease back into your control.
WarmCaramel26
February 11th, 2016 12:15am
Hmm... I don't believe overthinking in itself is a mental disorder, but it can be a symptom of one. Many mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, etc.) foundation on overthinking. At the same time, overthinking isn't inherently bad, if it doesn't have a negative effect on you. :)
mike251
January 29th, 2016 3:09am
No, a lot of it has to do with worry and anxiety. It may be treated to an anxiety or depression issue, but may be acute and not a mental disorder. They are things you can overcome with CBT, and possibly professional help.
Anonymous
February 7th, 2016 8:23pm
Overthink is not a mental disorder it can be nerve wrecking but mostly people worry to much in this world.
ChinitaPanget
January 24th, 2016 4:42pm
It can be, when it becomes toxic. You'll feel tortured by your own mind.
bruisedbutnotbroken
January 17th, 2016 6:13pm
No, overthinking specifically isn't a mental disorder. But, overthinking can be associated with and diagnosed as anxiety.
Anonymous
April 24th, 2018 7:06pm
I don't believe overthinking is a "mental disorder". It can cause drama, or excess stress. It is best to write down your thoughts as you have them, then come to a conclusion naturally
Anonymous
February 10th, 2016 3:20am
Overthinking isn't necessarily a mental disorder, but different mental disorders can have overthinking as part of them. Also, overthinking isn't always a bad thing, but if it becomes stressful to you or the thoughts become negative, you should try talking to your familt or a trusted adult, such as a guidance member about it.
reeyseelbeel05
February 11th, 2016 3:05pm
No, overthinking is normal but not a good habit. Why do we overthink? Simply because we are human being. That is one of the distinction between humans and animals. We have the ability to think, create decision and make judgment due to the information that our brain is receiving from our senses, Overthinking is normal, you are not the only one who is experiencing that but overthinking without any reasonable reason is another story. You might experiencing other things or you might have other issues.
FindYourStrength01
February 4th, 2016 3:36am
It's likely a product of fear and can be acute anxiety. What I do when I start to overthink is tell myself that: "The future is inevitable and will happen rather I worry about it or not so why stress my brain out?"
Anonymous
January 25th, 2016 4:41pm
Well, overthinking can become a mental disorder, but it's usually called anxiety. Anxiety is a problem when it starts to interfere with your quality of life.
Anonymous
February 4th, 2016 5:30am
I think if it happens, it would fall under the Anxiety category. With panic attacks, too, I say yes.
Anonymous
February 4th, 2016 6:55am
Overthinking itself isn't one, but a person who is in a habit ofover analyzing stuff will often find themself suffering from some form of mental illness. Overthinking can also be symptom, if you are an anxiety patient then it is very common to think too much and derive worst case scenarios. The trick to it is to think logically, process the information but eliminate the part of your thinking that feel over exxagerated. Writing it down oftne helps because it puts things in perspective.
Anonymous
February 20th, 2016 7:37am
It depends on the extent of overthinking. Most of us overthink from time to time. If it becomes something that provokes chronic anxiety, then it might be considered some form of mental disorder.
iAmNandu
February 17th, 2016 1:51pm
Not necessarily. But it might also be stress or anxiety causing you to feel like you're overthinking. It might help to write down things that are on your mind or discuss them with a close friend.
electricDreamer81
February 5th, 2016 1:27pm
Overthinking is something all of us do, it's not a mental disorder. It's just important to remember that you're not someone else's opinion of you. You are your own definition of beautiful. Remember, always be a good person but don't waste time proving it. No matter what, there's always someone who cares.
happy22icecream
January 28th, 2016 7:19pm
I don't think over thinking is a mental disorder. Overthinking happens to everyone some times! It is normal :)
Ambs07
January 31st, 2016 3:11pm
Overthinking itself is not a mental disorder. However, it is often associated with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
faisyah865
January 22nd, 2016 4:41pm
Not exactly. Every now and then, a person overthinks and that is okay. It's not healthy is one overthinks too much.
Anonymous
February 26th, 2016 8:12am
Overthinking is a sign that you're human. If it's a disorder, it's one that almost everyone has gone through.