How to Stop Ruminating on Memories of Mental Health Stigma

If ruminating on memories of mental health stigma and discrimination haunt you, there are ways for you to stop ruminating. Taking back control when you remember events where you were stigmatized, can be as simple as taking a breath. Here are some techniques to help you stop ruminating on mental health stigma memories of when you were ill.

Stop Ruminating on Bad Stigma Memories by Taking a Breath

Even the makers of new computer watches are aware of the power of pausing to breathe so you can take back control of your thoughts. On my watch, every few hours I am reminded to stop what I'm doing and breathe in and out for just one minute. It really helps keep my thoughts on a more healthy track.

For some time, I have had bad memories of times of being stigmatized for my mental illness. I remember writing a letter when I was ill that didn't make sense. I remember shouting out nonsense walking down the street and later being picked on for it. These bad memories haunted me and made me feel awful even years later.

The fact is that you can learn to stop ruminating on memories mental health stigma resulting in pain and humiliation. When mental health stigma haunts a person's memories, often the best things a person can use to take back control are relaxation techniques. One of them is as I mentioned, stopping to breathe, but there are many.

Other Ways to Stop Ruminating on Mental Health Stigma Memories

Some of the ways I stop and take control of my thoughts when stigma haunts my mind is to:

1. Close my eyes (if safe to do so).
2. Try to clear all of the negative thoughts I am experiencing and just think of a clear blue sky.
3. Flex and raise my shoulders and then let them drop down to my side; let the tension flow out of me.

This can greatly increase mental focus and allows me to stop ruminating on memories of mental health stigma, and there are more ways to take control than that.

One of the best ways to take control of your mind is to maintain a practice of meditation. Simply breathing is one kind, but you can do the same while walking, and there are other more complicated forms of meditation and relaxation techniques that can help you take back control of your thoughts and memories. Some of the more traditional Buddhist methods that are very effective emphasize training over long periods to get rid of the "monkey mind" where thoughts go all over (To Reduce Anxiety, Listen to Anxiety with a Quiet Mind).

By clearing your thoughts daily, training yourself to control what you think, and focusing on a phrase (mantra) while breathing in rhythm, you can stop stigma from taking control of your thoughts with bad memories of when you were ill. Getting this control back can give you leaps and bounds of recovery. I know it has allowed me to feel good enough to work and function on my own.

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