# Stop overanalyzing yourself to death



## kid a

It seems the more i analyze myself, and research disorders i MIGHT have and that relate to what i already know i have(anxiety) makes me more aware of everything little thing i do . which makes me think i have all these disorders when i only have the main parts of the disorder like depersonalization , derealization,anxiety. i have all these things that are some symptoms in other disorders but it DOESNT mean i have the illness. Its just a viscous circle when you over analyze yourself and find all the things wrong with you. Im going to spend more time trying to find the positive things about myself, and why they matter in my life. because it depresses me when i think i have an illness that i probably dont and now im watching my every move. I saw someone quote today "what we think, is what we become-buddha" which i think means if you think all these bad things about yourself and that you are crazy or that you have certain disorders you probably will physic your self into having them..


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## pegger18636

I definitely feel you on this one. I've spent sooo much time over the past few years now constantly researching different disorders to see if I fit the descriptions. I'm not totally sure why either, I think I keep feeling like I must have someting worse than just SAD or depression so maybe I need a different treatment or the one I'm trying won't work. I even took a class on abnormal psych. last winter and it was somewhat torturous in that I kept being like k well this kind of fits me maybe I have this... about everything single thing I read. I considered different forms of schizophrenia, personality disorders like schizoid and avoidant personality, aspergers and autistic spectrum disorders. I actually have a mini DSM though and from that and the textbook descriptions I don't think I actually have any of those, only ever a few symptoms or similarites but others definitely not, (except maybe avoidant personality, SAD and AvPD are soo0o0o similar.) 

After all of it though diagnosis of mental illness is only a system used to help better study and treat it but no two people are the same and two people with the same technical diagnosis could be vastly different from one another. For better or worse I don't know I think there's pros and cons to diagnosis but definitely the STIGMA associated with being diagnosed with any kind of mental illness is the worst part of it.

You're definitely right though focusing so much on what you have and why you have it does you absolutely no good. It only makes you feel worse, it doesn't get you anywhere and ultimately doesn't really matter. You're much better off accepting, focusing on the postive, and moving forward. And that buddha quote makes alot of sense too it fits social anxiety perfectly just because of the nature of it, I mean that's almost just what it is, a fear of going crazy and you're thoughts constantly telling you that there's something wrong with you. And you're thoughts telling you that you must have something else or that "I'm worse!" is just another natural tendancy of the SA person.


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## dmtri

This is some of the realest ***t I've seen on here. I hate over analyzing, but it's always like the more I try not to, the more I do it.. Smh.. I actually don't like coming onto this website because I sometimes feel like I'm better off without it.


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## Fivetimesone

*Eh*

I just stumbled on this while killing some time, and actually registered to post this.

Not sure why I'm even here....I don't know if I have SA; and to be honest, I don't care. I have a great life and it could be a million times worse.

I do feel like the over-analyzation of the petty things in life drive me nuts--and the ****ty thing about that is when you try to stop over-analyzing, it's a catch-22--you analyze more.

I saw you mentioned a Buddhist quote, and to be honest, meditation and non-attachment have helped me in the past couple years. Laziness and apathy have caused me to break these habits from time to time, but I do feel like I'm on point and generally happier when I do these things daily.

Hope this helps...there are tons of pages which describe the tenants of Buddhism; and while I'm not and will probably never be a practicing Buddhist, it is nice to know that the knowledge is out there for you to do whatever you want with.

I want to end by saying that I've found most people in the world with an IQ over 130 have (what I would call) symptoms of SA. Being too smart for the mundane/market-saturated world we live in is tough to deal with at times, at least for me. Own the things you do and be introspective later...works for me anyway. Peace/Go D Rays/BEARS


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## jessckuh

Yes! SMH! Like just a few days ago my breast felt sore. I worried that I was dying or something so I got on google. I typed in 'painful nipples' and "early signs of pregnancy" came up EVERYWHERE! I panicked. I cried and I thought I was a loser. What's so stupid about is 1) I have PCOS which makes me extremely difficult to conceive and 2) I haven't had sex in awhile now. We really do need to stop doing this to ourselves. This type of stress might kill me before I ever hit 30


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## Sugarymonk

*Over analyzing*

So true, I think that most of us are the way we are because we think too much. Deep down I'm a sensitive person and I'm constantly thinking, what does this person think about me, what does that person think about me. I even choose answers to questions according to what certain people like to hear. I think from now on I'm going to give my brain a break and just be me and not care what people think. I know it is impossible to please everybody, so I am just going to end up pleasing the people who like me for me and stop trying to make people like me.


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## Hamtown

Well its the only thought that makes it real.I went through a period where i kept trying to not identify with my thoughts you realize how much you are actually controlled by your mind and that the voice in your head is not you, hell i still can't stop thinking for more then 20 seconds.

Similar thing happened to my cousin jessckuh, she was reading disorders and as soon as she read enough into one she'd freak out and say "oh now i've got bipolar!" ..it wasn't an issue before but now that you know about it its the end of the world?It was kind of funny though lol.

The only problems i can truly ever remember in my life?Me over-analyzing every situation past,present or future.


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## Belshazzar

Socrates said "The unexamined life is not worth living." I think we need a corollary: "The overexamined life was not lived in the first place."


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## miminka

kid a said:


> It seems the more i analyze myself, and research disorders i MIGHT have and that relate to what i already know i have(anxiety) makes me more aware of everything little thing i do .*I saw someone quote today "what we think, is what we become-buddha"*


Oh, I love that quote. I'm studying Buddhism which I feel is a positive step in ultimately overcoming my anxiety. And I certainly know what you mean. I went through that phase last year where I'd research similar disorders and convince myself I had them. It was all anxiety.


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## cubanscorpio

"Confidence can be a self-fulfilling prophecy as those without it may fail or not try because they lack it and those with it may succeed because they have it rather than because of an innate ability." wikipedia


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## fixmein45

I hate when people tell me to stop overanalyzing myself. You don't analyze because you think its fun you analzye because you feel like somethings wrong. I agree that its really easy for someone with SA to overanalyze but i think criticising yourself for overanalyzing only feeds the problem.


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## wjc75225

Ya, I overanalyze due to my OCD, partly ... I'm trying to stop it!


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## Wael

I agree totally. Make a list of important yet not urgent things you want to happen for you: at personal, academic, knowledge, abilities and work levels. See what concrete things you need to do in order to arrive there. Focus on these. Nothing should be wrong with anyone of us


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## linray33

Wow, hearing all of this makes me feel a lot better. I tend to over analyze things a lot too, things that happened in the past (quite a while ago) to be specific. Anyway, what I've noticed is that the more attention you give to whatever you're over analyzing, the more you're going to believe it. I've completely over analyzed and over thought situations that literally happened over a year ago so much to the point that I've ended up convincing myself things happened that really did not. It's crazy how powerful your mind can be and just how much you can control your thoughts-it's scary. My advice is to REALLY try to stop the over thinking. Much easier said than done--trust me, I KNOW! I've driven myself crazy sometimes thinking about random things in the past that may have caused stressed but then I just end up stressing myself more because I worry and think that things happen that really did not! Your mind can play tricks on you and make you believe things that are not true.

Has anyone else experienced this or is it just me--talking yourself into things that never happened or suddenly thinking a ton about something that you didn't give the time of day too when it actually occurred? Then it ends up stressing you out and it's the only thing you can think about? Trust me, I know I must have some issues with anxiety or something but this stuff can be intimidating.


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## luffy

yeah, for a lot us, over-analyzing is automatic. it takes a lot of discipline to stop. and even then...


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## anthrotex

It's almost become a mantra.. When I start to get really down on myself and tell myself all the reasons my friends don't like me and nobody could want me, I do the whole Saturday Night Live thing, "I'm wonderful, I'm funny, I'm smart, and gosh darn it, people like me!" I may not say that verbatim, but it really helps to just interrupt my negative thoughts with something that I rarely ever say to myself.


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## JenN2791

jessckuh said:


> Yes! SMH! Like just a few days ago my breast felt sore. I worried that I was dying or something so I got on google. I typed in 'painful nipples' and "early signs of pregnancy" came up EVERYWHERE! I panicked. I cried and I thought I was a loser. What's so stupid about is 1) I have PCOS which makes me extremely difficult to conceive and 2) I haven't had sex in awhile now. We really do need to stop doing this to ourselves. This type of stress might kill me before I ever hit 30


Oh god I've been there. I had sudden sharp pain around my abdominal area over the summer. Followed by cramps -- 2 wks before my expected date for menstrual cycle. Googled that baby up and saw "early signs of pregnancy" all over the place *deep sigh* And I did indeed have sex before these cramps came in, so I was like holy shishkabob mother of god. Panicked for weeks....went thru a terrible case of anxiety (thought I developed asthma but turns out I don't have asthma, so I took an inhaler for nothing)...took 2 pregnancy tests both negative yet I doubted those results like NAHHHH ITS TOO EARLY TO TEST WHAT IF I'LL BE PREGNANT LATER FOR SURE?!

*sighs* Terrible. Just terrible. Over-analyzing is an issue of mine not just with very person things like that^ but.... just everything in general really. I had researched every possible mental illness and self diagnosed myself with 948598453 different things, and it only tore me apart. Like you, it made me watch every little darn thing I do...it was terrible.

So in recent weeks I learned to just "let go." Let go of what may be wrong w me, and focus on what I like about myself. Keep myself busy with school and whatnot, and doing things i enjoy doing. By doing that, I pretty much forgotten about "what's wrong" with me.


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## Boring Loser

I overthink and overanalyze everything way too much, so much that nothing ever gets done, cause i'm thinking way too much about how to do it right and not fail at it. This is my biggest problem, and this is what i've been doing wrong all this time. It's a hard thing to get yourself out of too. All the problems you have are problems because you make them problems. I need to stop making everything a problem.


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## aw1993

I too am an overanalyzer but I think its partly due to my personality. I like to research and understand the depths of all things, including social things which just makes me paranoid.


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## Mae West

Great point! Many people are just focusing on the positives about themselves and reaping the benefits!


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## Und3rground

People here say that over-analysis is making their life torture but I think that being able to pay attention to finer details is a skill that could benefit us if we knew how to make it work on the things that we wanted to. Surely that level of awareness and attention to detail must be able to be trained and used for something that can benefit us? For example I am a person that tries to pick apart the minute details of all of my social mishaps and other things that are basically wasting my time and holding me back. On the other hand, I have been told that I have a very meticulous nature with the way I do certain things, so I'm sure that the level of attention we have could be trained to work for us rather than against us. Or am I just rambling and need to go back on my meds?


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## ermor90

I should stop thinking so much about possible faults in me too. It was good I noticed this thread... I think Ive been thinking in subcouncious I obsess, but its hard to stop. We all wanna understand ourselfs right?



anthrotex said:


> It's almost become a mantra.. When I start to get really down on myself and tell myself all the reasons my friends don't like me and nobody could want me, I do the whole Saturday Night Live thing, "I'm wonderful, I'm funny, I'm smart, and gosh darn it, people like me!" I may not say that verbatim, but it really helps to just interrupt my negative thoughts with something that I rarely ever say to myself.


Good idea. I should think positive, but it kinda feels my brain power is weak... hard to remember, hard to read. Hard to be alert.

BUT ANYWAY I NEED TO STOP OBSESSING ABOUT POSSIBLE DISORDERS! I want to, I really do. Anthrorex I even sended u a PM where i wanted u to read about me and maybe tell me what u think. I need to stop.


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## betweensilence

Many times i cant stop analysing it just drives me crazy. First il be happy and generally okay but after an hour il be sad and anxious again (cos suddenly i found something i should worry or be sad about). 

Think in order to overcome SA we really need some tough mental discipline.


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## tardisblue

It does take tough mental discipline. I think the trap a lot of smart people (like us!) get into is we think that analyzing something will lead to some ultimate truth. Instead, it's easy to use analysis as a crutch to not take action.

It also doesn't help when the "facts" we're using aren't necessarily objective, because we may have biases to make our view of our experiences extra negative. Like Richard Feynman said, the easiest person to fool is yourself.


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## DitsyBoi

This is an absolutely terrible habit to get into. NEVER self diagnose yourself, thats what doctors are for. Wiki is **** for side effects and diagnosis.

Your just as likely to be effected by the *belief* that you have some of the listed psychological side effects after you read and article on a specific condition than you would be if actually effected by it.

Again, if you are concerned, see a doctor.


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## dontdreamitbeit

I do it all the time. 
If I get a headache, automatically it's a brain tumor. If I hurt my leg, automatically it's broken ect.

As hard as it is sometimes, I've stopped myself from Google-ing every time I feel like I have a new illness. 
It doesn't help us at all, as much as we think it does. I always used to think "Well, if I research at least I know what it is and I'll calm down" which just isn't true. I'd panic more and more until someone came to me.
Another thing I tell myself constantly is "You can't catch a illness just by reading about it."


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## JenN2791

kid a said:


> It seems the more i analyze myself, and research disorders i MIGHT have and that relate to what i already know i have(anxiety) makes me more aware of everything little thing i do . which makes me think i have all these disorders when i only have the main parts of the disorder like depersonalization , derealization,anxiety. i have all these things that are some symptoms in other disorders but it DOESNT mean i have the illness. Its just a viscous circle when you over analyze yourself and find all the things wrong with you. Im going to spend more time trying to find the positive things about myself, and why they matter in my life. because it depresses me when i think i have an illness that i probably dont and now im watching my every move. I saw someone quote today "what we think, is what we become-buddha" which i think means if you think all these bad things about yourself and that you are crazy or that you have certain disorders you probably will physic your self into having them..


Def know what you mean. I absolutely feared 1-2 months ago that I may have borderline personality disorder, and i let it eat me up :\ I started feeling even more anxious, thinking...omg what if other folks can sense that I may have BPD and then not want anything to do with me, etc etc etc.

I been focusing more on trying to be a better and healthier person (emotionally and physically altogether), and I haven't really been worried about how others may perceive me as and so forth as far as "OMG WHAT IF THEY THINK I HAVE SOME DIAGNOSED MENTAL ILLNESS" crap goes.

Someone told me last month that I need to really stop singling myself out and making myself feel as if I'm an outcast in this society when I'm really not an outcast at all....which is true.


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