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rumination

stress thoughts
by
Weirdly Successful
Weirdly Successful (author)  

First published: 28 June, 2023 | Last edited: 1 April, 2025 || 📚🕒 Reading Time: < 1 minute

Ruminations are thought loops that you seemingly can’t get out of.

Examples: thinking about what you should’ve said 5 years ago, feeling anxious if they misunderstood you, or worrying about whether you should’ve behaved differently, did they judge you, whether you were in the wrong, etc. Can be present in both OCD or ADHD.

Related Questions

What's actually happening when I go into verbal shutdown?

communication language speech
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Related Terms

justice sensitivity

Justice sensitivity is the heightened awareness of rule violations and inconsistencies, paired with an intense emotional and physiological response. For many neurodivergent people, fairness and consistency function as essential navigational tools when you can't reliably read social cues or predict what will happen next. When rules are applied inconsistently or stated expectations don't match actual consequences, your nervous system registers this as a genuine threat to your ability to navigate the world safely. The intensity of your reaction reflects the pattern violation itself, regardless of the moral weight of the situation. Justice sensitivity is morally neutral—it tells you when a rule has been violated, but not whether the rule was good or fair in the first place.

Learn more
communication emotions self-image society
cognitive load

Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used at any given time. For neurodivergent people, activities that others might find automatic (like maintaining expected facial expressions or processing background noise) can significantly increase cognitive load.

Learn more
focus information
internalised ableism

Internalised ableism is a psychological construct that refers to the internalisation of negative beliefs, stereotypes, and prejudices about disabilities that are prevalent in society. It involves self-stigmatization and the development of a negative self-concept based on one's disability and onboarding negative beliefs said to us by parental figures, teachers, grown-ups and society in general.

Learn more
prejudice self-image society
ADHD paralysis

ADHD paralysis is a form of executive dysfunction. It refers to the difficulty in initiating, continuing, or completing tasks, even when the person understands the urgency and importance, and also has the ability to do the task. ADHD paralysis can be triggered by various factors, including overwhelm, anxiety, or the perceived complexity of a task.

Learn more
focus pain time
norepinephrine

Also known as noradrenaline - a neurotransmitter involved in alertness, attention, and response to stress.

Learn more
neurobiology neurotransmitter
hyperactivity

Hyperactive Type is one of the ADHD subtypes. Hyperactivity can present in physical and mental symptoms. Hyperactive traits include fidgeting and other sensory-seeking behaviours, interrupting others when they talk or finishing their sentences for them, impulsive actions and thrill-seeking behaviour (with a reduced sense of danger), having many ideas and blurting them out.

Learn more
energy movement
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About the Author

  • Weirdly Successful

    Weirdly Successful

    Weirdly Successful is a 100% neurodivergent-run aspiring social enterprise developing strategies and frameworks for life & work for neurodivergent adults.

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