Depressive rumination
Rumination is a repetitive, passive pattern of thinking focused on depressed mood and its possible meanings and consequences — "Why do I feel like this?", "What's wrong with me?", "Why can't I be better?" It differs from problem-solving because it doesn't lead to action or a solution — it's a closed loop that perpetuates and amplifies suffering.
Rumination is one of the best-studied mechanisms that keeps depression going. People who ruminate more have longer, more severe, and more recurrent depressive episodes. Rumination also impairs memory, concentration, and problem-solving.
It differs from anxious worry (focused on the future and threats) — depressive rumination is retrospective, focused on failures, losses, and what's wrong "inside me." Techniques to reduce rumination include behavioral activation, mindfulness (creating distance from thoughts), and cognitive restructuring to identify the thought patterns that feed the cycle.
Practical example
Every night, Marcos replays mistakes he's made at work, in relationships, in life. "I should have done it differently," "I'm a failure," "why am I like this?" This rumination goes on for hours, worsens his mood, disrupts his sleep, and starts the next day already in the red — creating a cycle that keeps the depression going.
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