Thinking Traps 107
greater levels of anxiety in later years. This proved to be the
case in the opposite direction as well, as repetitive negative
thinking made anxious people experience more symptoms
of depression in later years. Therefore, it appears as if repeti-
tive negative thinking can help explain why people with sig-
nificant anxiety often undergo periods of depression later on
in life.
Repetitive Negative Thinking
(RNT)WORRY
Negative verbal
thoughts about the
future.RUMINATION
Brooding about past
failures and the
causes of one’s
symptoms.
POST-EVENT
RUMINATION
Reanalyzing
perceived blunders
from past social
situations.Figure 4.2. Different Types of Repetitive Negative Thinking
By now, you have seen how repetitive negative thinking
plays a crucial role across various expressions of anxiety.
W hen reviewing the evidence, it’s easy to understand why
separate anxiety disorders often occur together, because