Obsessive Thinking as a Driver of Anxiety

The Mind Stuck in a Circle

If we had to point to one key and universal component of anxiety, it would undoubtedly be obsessive thinking.

This mental pattern is the true engine that keeps anxiety running, trapping our mind in a vicious circle.

It is such an exhausting process that you have probably invested a great deal of effort trying to stop it, usually without much success.

Understanding its nature is the first step in learning the techniques that will ultimately allow you to manage it effectively.

Defining Obsessive Thinking

Obsessive thinking is defined as the act of going over the same fears or worries in your mind over and over again.

It is a mental process in which you get stuck, going over the same problem without reaching any real solution.

A clear example occurs when you wake up in the morning, when in a matter of seconds your brain latches on to a worry.

Although in daylight this worry may seem unimportant, in that moment it dominates your entire mental state.

The Paradox of Obsessive Thinking: Imaginary Threats, Real Reactions

The great paradox is that your body reacts to these obsessive thoughts as if it were an imminent and real threat.

If you were in a real emergency, it would make sense that your body would be in a state of fight or flight to survive.

However, when you suffer from anxiety, your body responds the same way while you are safe in your bed or at home.

Your body does not differentiate between the fear of a real danger and the fear generated by a thought, activating the same physiological response.

The Past and the Future as Obsessive Territory

Obsessive thinking almost always focuses on two temporal territories over which we have no direct control: the past and the future.

We obsess over the past, regretting conversations or incidents and mentally going over everything we think we did wrong.

In turn, this obsession with the past is connected to a constant worry about the possible future consequences of those events.

We also obsess directly over the future, trying to control an outcome that has not yet happened and is uncertain.

This attempt to function in the present while mentally being in the future is a faulty thought process that generates a lot of anxiety.

The Futility of Directly Fighting

Trying to directly fight your obsessive thoughts or simply telling yourself to "stop it" usually does not work at all.

Your mind can be compared to a wild horse; If you try to dominate it by force, you will only make it resist and fight even more intensely.

The only way to calm this "wild horse" is not through struggle, but through calm observation and acceptance.

Instead of fighting, you must learn to observe your thoughts without judging them, allowing them to come and go without holding on to them.

Summary

Obsessive thinking is the main driver of anxiety. It is defined as repeatedly going over the same fears and worries. Although they are imaginary, the body reacts as if they were real.

This thinking focuses on the past and the future, two moments over which we have no control. We obsess over past mistakes or future outcomes that have not occurred.

Fighting these thoughts does not work. Instead of fighting them, the key is to calmly observe them. By allowing them to come and go, their power is reduced and anxiety can be managed.