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Over over over thinking.......

Aspychata

Aspychata

Serenity waves, beachy vibes
V.I.P Member
So this topic has hit our forum many times. I am not totally sold on the fact that over-thinking is negative. The more we view different thoughts, and our thoughts are sometimes are all interconnected, the more we get on board with who we really are, and how we react and respond to situations, and even triggers. If we know certain issues cause us to overthink, don't we become better at analyzing our patterns of thinking? (Happy new year to everyone).
 
Aspychata said:
So this topic has hit our forum many times. I am not totally sold on the fact that over-thinking is negative. The more we view different thoughts, and our thoughts are sometimes are all interconnected, the more we get on board with who we really are, and how we react and respond to situations, and even triggers. If we know certain issues cause us to overthink, don't we become better at analyzing our patterns of thinking? (Happy new year to everyone).
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Happy New Year right back!

For me, it depends on the quality of my overthinking.

Am I circling the drain and having no insight, only winding myself up or else punishing myself? Probably not a good use of time and thought.

If accomplishing either creative end result or useful change to my perspective or understanding, then a good thing, I think.

Wallowing in woulda-coulda-shoulda, not so much.

Seeing clearly what I should/shouldn't have done to prevent future problems, pretty good.

Also: have I had coffee (helps) or is it 3am (not good)
 
I think it really depends... if someone is overthinking to the degree where they can't make a choice and/or it becomes invalidating, then I think it is a problem.

I'm the kind of person who can really spend too much time on some questions - and way to little on others. Has it gotten me into troubles that I don't think enough about some things? Yes - has the opposite happened, that I couldn't make a choice on something that wasn't important, also yes.
 
The good news? Overthinking makes me a better consumer.

The bad news? How long the buying process can be at times.
 
Aspychata said:
So this topic has hit our forum many times. I am not totally sold on the fact that over-thinking is negative. The more we view different thoughts, and our thoughts are sometimes are all interconnected, the more we get on board with who we really are, and how we react and respond to situations, and even triggers. If we know certain issues cause us to overthink, don't we become better at analyzing our patterns of thinking? (Happy new year to everyone).
Click to expand...

I'm with @ra49 and @kriss72 on this in regards to the type of thoughts you overthink about.

The problem too though is the psychological component involved. If you had a neglected upbringing and were told you are not doing things right according to what said parent  thinks is correct, to them. Then there is that in play too. Self-doubt will always make you overthink everything negatively and it's hard to get out of it, if you've done it for a long time.

However, I see what you are trying to get at. Overthinking isn't bad nessissarily, due to it being a function of our Autism. What is bad, is what our thoughts can potentially be about.
 
Xinyta said:
The problem too though is the psychological component involved. If you had a neglected upbringing and were told you are not doing things right according to what said parent  thinks is correct, to them. Then there is that in play too. Self-doubt will always make you overthink everything negatively and it's hard to get out of it, if you've done it for a long time.
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I think you have a point, I think many of us here in this forum has experienced that things we have said, our opinions were not acceptable to our parents (or others) even they were sane, and then it can be quite confusing as to what to say.

I remember more than once when I was a child (like pre-teen, I remember one time my head was about waist high with my father) that something my parents said, didn't make logic sense to me - so I said "but...", the result was a slap on the side of my head and an angry parent telling me to never speak against them - that is not good for building self confidence... also in my adult (professional) life, it has not been uncommon that my opinions doesn't count, because it comes from me when I first start at a new job - in one place I worked, I learned to say "some people think..." when I wanted to say something, as they would then take it into consideration, but if I said "I think..." then it was ignored - like in, keep silent, let the profs talk Kriss. - Some places I'm taken serious on day one, other places it has taken almost a year, but it might be other aspects than the ASD that come into play there... in any case having an oppion in the NT world can be confusing because there are so many things to take into consideration, and you better be prepared to defend it, unless you are a child and they have anger issues :)
 
Sometimes if we think things into the ground, (overthink), then if we can stand back and understand why we are obsessed with whatever, we can also analyze our anxiety or anger that has lurched us into that route of ruminating. This has happened to me at jobs, and my anxiety has been that l may lose my job, and therefore unable to pay my rent, and therefore have to pick up recyclables and live at the beach, because my core is anxious. Has this ever happened, no. But my anxiety causes me to ruminate and think what if scenario. So now l analyzed my thinking pattern and l realized that staying financially afloat is an anxiety, and endless ruminating doesn't really change that outcome. This is just my example. You may have a completely different ramification topic and a totally different direction.
 
ra49 said:
circling the drain and having no insight, only winding myself up or else punishing myself
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That's obsessive overthinking. Thinking should have an objective and a cut-off point should the objective not be reached.

kriss72 said:
someone is overthinking to the degree where they can't make a choice and/or it becomes invalidating
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Analysis paralysis and catastrophizing are unproductive forms of thought and lead to nothing but anxiety.

en.wikipedia.org

Analysis paralysis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

www.psychologytoday.com

Catastrophizing

Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion that prompts people to jump to the worst possible conclusion, usually with very limited information or objective reason to despair. When a situation is upsetting, but not necessarily catastrophic, they still feel like they are in the midst of a crisis.
www.psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com
 
@kriss72 , we are quite prone to this. I learned that when l joined this forum. Now, l am trying to get to the core of catastrophing thinking, l believe there lies the culprit- either worrying, or anger, or etc.
 
I like my introspection, but the trauma brain reactive emotional "reasoning" (which is, kind of, oxymoronic) is problematic.
 
Aspychata said:
@kriss72 , we are quite prone to this. I learned that when l joined this forum. Now, l am trying to get to the core of catastrophing thinking, l believe there lies the culprit- either worrying, or anger, or etc.
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For me the connectivity hypothesis for some forms of autism holds answers. This is is the observation that for some gene variants associated with ASD the frontal cortex has more neurons and is highly connected, at the cost of strength of connections to other parts of the brain in some cases. I know it invites confirmation bias, but it really aligns to my experiences. I read a wonderful thread on it, I'll see if I can find it.
 
Aspychata said:
So this topic has hit our forum many times. I am not totally sold on the fact that over-thinking is negative. The more we view different thoughts, and our thoughts are sometimes are all interconnected, the more we get on board with who we really are, and how we react and respond to situations, and even triggers. If we know certain issues cause us to overthink, don't we become better at analyzing our patterns of thinking? (Happy new year to everyone).
Click to expand...
There can be a phenomenon where there is "paralyzation by analyzation" that occurs when the fear centers are also triggered. The emotional centers are sometimes our worst enemy when it comes to risk analysis. Whether you are going to parachute out of a plane for the first time, are investing your money into a potentially great opportunity, or walking across the room to introduce yourself to someone you are attracted to, those emotional centers are generally inhibitory.

We only become better at analyzing when we have overcome our fears at one time or another, and/or when we have accomplished previous goals. If you don't take risks in life, you aren't going to have those positive "dopamine hits", gain confidence in your abilities, and you might not fully understand what you are capable of or who you really are.

Whenever I compare my decisions in life, my risk analysis, with say, some of my co-workers:
1. I was one of the first people to have solar panels and battery storage in my county. Even my installer was inexperienced with battery storage and was hesitant. Now, some 8 years later, after pulling the data from my home and others, solar + battery makes up nearly 90% of his business. Most people I talk to are amazed at the money I am saving, yet will create every excuse in the world why they would not make that investment, even when it is installed for "zero down", and would rather be paying significantly more for their electricity from a centralized utility company.
2. Once I realized my electricity meter was spinning backwards all day and had banked up thousands of dollars in net metering credits that I was never going to spend, I realized I have a "fuel station" on my roof. Why am I spending several hundred dollars a month on gasoline and continuous maintenance on gas-powered vehicles when I can plug in at home, and never see a gas pump or service center again? 6 years later of driving 2 "expensive" Teslas I am saving myself several hundred a month, compared to the "inexpensive" gas-powered vehicles I was driving before. The type of money I can put into other investments. I bring this up to co-workers, "I'm not driving that electric crap." OK, keep being dependent upon gasoline and keep spending your money at service centers.
3. I invest heavily in stocks, my retirement accounts, and precious metals. I do not keep much money in a savings account, although I keep a minimum balance for emergencies. We keep just enough in our checking to pay our bills and live comfortably, but we don't have a bunch of money we keep "fallow" in low-interest accounts. I have stocks that average 50-200% year over year. The S&P 500, my retirement accounts are based upon, is only around 8-12%, year over year. Savings accounts are roughly 3%. So, obviously, I dump my money into my stock portfolio. We don't spend our money on frivolous things. We live a pretty minimalist life. Yet, when I talk to my co-workers, they would rather spend their money on boats, camper trailers, snowmobiles, expensive vacations, and then complain that they never have money to put into their retirement accounts, are just too strapped with bills, and the stock market "is just too risky". Fine, be up to your eyeballs in debt and monthly bank payments if you find that "less risky".

One thing I don't have is fear of taking risks, and they have paid off significantly. I am highly independent in my thinking, I rarely listen to other's cognitive biases, and anything I can do to NOT be reliant upon "the establishment", the more freedom I feel.
 
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Neonatal RRT said:
Interesting theory, but the increased density of neurons is characteristic of only one of three subtypes of autistic brain morphology.
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Absolutely. And I do have to wonder if in future we won't have multiple diagnoses that, while sometimes presenting similar symptoms, are actual distinct conditions. Although I fully understand that the same physiological presentation can result in very different experiences of symptoms, there's still something that doesn't sit right with the 'spectrum' concept. It has the feel of "here be dragons" which, hopefully, will one day be charted waters.
 
Aspychata said:
So this topic has hit our forum many times. I am not totally sold on the fact that over-thinking is negative. The more we view different thoughts, and our thoughts are sometimes are all interconnected, the more we get on board with who we really are, and how we react and respond to situations, and even triggers. If we know certain issues cause us to overthink, don't we become better at analyzing our patterns of thinking? (Happy new year to everyone).
Click to expand...
Yes overthinking is hard especially when you have to be inside four walls a lot.
It is exhausting and in the past I actually tried not to think at times
So I could have a break which is hard because no matter what it persists.
For me I do not always enjoy it and prefer remaining positive
 
I get told i am overthinking things at work, by people my senior, and what they mean is 'you are wasting time on things that dont need it'. You need to learn where to draw the line and this is SO difficult for my brain type.

I've learnt that you just have to 'roll the dice' and see how a project/situation plays out when you have put in your input at 50%, then learn from the outcome.

When it comes to work time is money and you need to learn where to halfass things to meet targets.
 
I just get ashamed some in the cases where my overthinking probably looks like insecurity or paranoia. I don't want people thinking that I'm always like that or that maybe the cheese is sliding off my cracker, etc.
 
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