Definition
The term brooding compulsion is composed of two words, both of which belong to the field of psychiatry: Brooding and compulsion. Brooding describes a process of reflection, in which thoughts revolve around a topic or complex of topics for the entire duration. The affected persons do not come to a solution for the thought-out problems and are permanently occupied with the corresponding topic.
Compulsion or a compulsive disorder is a mental disorder. Here the patient feels a strong urge (or compulsion) to do or think certain things without being able to defend himself against it. The condition is described by those affected as stressful and it leads to restrictions in everyday life.
The compulsion to brood is therefore the constantly occurring urge to think about one and the same topic without coming to a solution. Often the problems that the people concerned are dealing with have no real solution. This makes their situation even more difficult. Although they are often aware of the senselessness of their thoughts, they cannot counter them.
Causes
The tendency to brood is initially strongly dependent on the personality of the person concerned. Some people generally worry more about current or past issues. They tend to doubt a supposedly simple solution, which could be interpreted as a pessimistic way.
The cause is not always an illness. Certain events in life, such as a dismissal, give rise to worried thoughts, in this case about the future financial future. The distinction between understandable brooding and a pathological inclination lies in the perception of the person concerned: if the person is suffering from his or her own thoughts and cannot tear himself or herself away from the subject matter despite distraction, a mental illness could be at the forefront.
Even if the compulsion to brood results in restrictions in everyday life, there is probably an underlying illness. The cause of a brooding tendency or compulsion to brood is often found in a depressive disorder. In most cases of this disorder this is an important criterion, which is one of the classic symptoms of the clinical picture of depression.
Another disease from the field of psychiatry is the generalized anxiety disorder. Patients have a comprehensively anxious basic attitude and, in the context of the compulsion to brood, worry a lot, mainly about the future. Not infrequently, physical health plays an important role here as a central theme.
