Ruminative Tendencies

[elainegrey]

Andrews and Thomson struck up an extended conversation on the evolutionary roots of depression. They began by focusing on the thought process that defines the disorder, which is known as rumination....

The bleakness of this thought process helps explain why, according to the Yale psychologist Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, people with “ruminative tendencies” are more likely to become depressed. ... Because rumination hijacks the stream of consciousness — we become exquisitely attentive to our pain — numerous studies have found that depressed subjects struggle to think about anything else, just like Wallace’s character. The end result is poor performance on tests for memory and executive function, especially when the task involves lots of information. (These deficits disappear when test subjects are first distracted from their depression and thus better able to focus on the exercise.) Such research has reinforced the view that rumination is a useless kind of pessimism, a perfect waste of mental energy.
-- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28depression-t.html?pagewanted=2
"Depression's Upside," NYT, JONAH LEHRER, Published: February 25, 2010

Oh. This is my blogging. I suspected it was a perfect waste of mential energy, but i hadn't quite gotten to giving it a name.

via nellorat, who actually had interesting things to say about the article.

Comments

[laughingrat]

Hm. I get worried when authorities in white coats start trying to tell me about myself. I really do. Especially when they say things that sound victim-blamey.

Depression happens because of things we can't help. It's a condition, not some kinda slacker tendency to Thing Wrong. Augh.

Sorry.

[elainegrey]

Well, i was being sort of self snarky about my journalling. (Some days i wonder why anyone continues reading my journal, because it's such a pool of navel gazing.) I suppose it didn't quite reach the level of humor.

Sorry if it was button pushing.

[laughingrat]

No no, it's not you. It's the Man. Damn the Man!

I like your journal, just don't always have commenty things. :)