Is Overthinking Actually A Compulsion?
If you've replayed the same conversation for the forty seventh time today, desperately searching for the exact moment you said something wrong... I want to ask you something before you say “I’m overthinking again.”
Are you getting anywhere by thinking about it? Or is it just... continuing in a loop and you end up climbing the endless “what if” tree?
The distinction matters more than most people realize, because what you might actually be doing in your mind more than you being a member of ‘The Overthinkers Club.’
Compulsions Don't Have to Be Physical
Most people hear "compulsion" and picture something we can see someone doing - checking a lock, hand washing, repeatedly tapping on a surface. But a compulsion is really just any repeated behavior aimed at reducing distress or preventing a feared outcome. And plenty of compulsions can happen entirely inside your head.
Checking a lock is a compulsion. But so is checking your memory. And so is checking your intentions. And checking whether you're a good person… Checking. Over and over. In your head, with no one around you ever even knowing what’s happening.
This “version” also has a name: "Pure O," short for obsessional OCD, where the compulsions are almost entirely mental. No out-loud counting, no visible rituals - just an exhausting loop of thinking that never gets anywhere. It's incredibly easy to miss, including by the person living it, because from the outside, it just looks like being thorough. You might feel like you’re a deep thinker. Or that you’re “in your head” a lot.
Here's How to Tell the Difference
Processing a thought has an end point. You think about it, you eventually get somewhere or find an answer, and you go on with your day.
A compulsion doesn't. There’s one more “what if” that you just can’t find an answer to.
Next time you catch yourself in the loop, ask: “Am I getting new information right now, or am I just ‘checking’ again?” If it's checking - if you've already thought this thought, already reviewed the moment, already asked yourself the questions - the next step isn't to think harder. It's to notice that you are, in fact, checking or reviewing or ruminating, and to let the discomfort of not having an answer be present.
The Thought Itself Isn't the Problem
If part of what's looping is a thought that genuinely disturbed you - something that made you feel sick, followed instantly by "what does it say about me that I even thought that?" - I want to make sure you know something:
Having a disturbing thought doesn't mean anything about who you are, even though it feels like it does. The people most bothered by a thought like that are almost always the ones who'd never act on it. The horror you feel about the thought is evidence that you don’t want it. That it goes against what you truly believe in or want.
Your brain generates thoughts all day long. It doesn't mean you have to believe them, want them, assign them any meaning, or that you would ever act on them.
Why This Is Actually Good News
Once you can name what's happening - not overthinking, not being a “champion worrier,” not that you’re "too much" - it becomes something you can work with. This is one of the most treatable things I see, and treatment doesn't mean learning how to better argue your way out of the loop. It means learning to recognize when you're checking, reviewing and ruminating instead of processing… and building tolerance for the discomfort of not chasing the answer to the next “what if.”
You might be a worrier, but if this has resonated with you it might be a little more than just worry. You might be dealing with rumination and a lot more than having a mind that Just. Won’t. Stop… and it’s very treatable.
If any of this sounds like your inner monologue, we can work on it! Learn more about OCD & ERP therapy here, or book a free 15-minute consultation and let's talk about what's actually going on.
Talk soon, Lori
A closely related pattern worth mentioning: some people struggle with hair pulling and skin picking, which are also part of this same family of conditions. They’re just as treatable once you know what’s happening and get a proper assessment. If you deal with hair pulling or skin picking (otherwise known as Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors), you can read about them (Is Hair Pulling or Skin Picking OCD?) and reach out for a consult.
Written by Lori Streator, Licensed Therapist & Board Certified Bariatric Counselor (BCBC)
Lori has 20+ years of clinical experience specializing in anxiety therapy, high-functioning anxiety, emotional eating, and bariatric counseling for women. She serves clients in Bradenton, FL and online across Florida and Illinois, owns Solaire Therapy & Wellness, and hosts the Let's Talk About It with Lori Streator podcast.