Overthinking things

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I'm told I over-think everything all the time, even by people who just met me. Must be pretty obvious if they pick up on it! Like pete1061 said, how the heck do you 'stop thinking' any more than you stop coughing or sneezing?

I overthink a lot and a lot of those times it causes more problems than it solves, but to me it's the best way to analyze a situation.

Some could say "don't think, just do it" which makes sense but can also lead to problems. Guess it depends on my situation.

As a philosophy student, telling me I think too much is like telling a...guy who does a thing...not to do that thing.

I'm bad with similes.

When people tell me "don't think" I get very upset, because thinking is all I do. The worst subset of thinking is worrying, which I do a lot of, and which is an Aspie trait. I'm an expert worrier.

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps, but almost always those of us who struggle with unhealthy brain loops need medications for depression and anxiety. I wish there was another answer, but it's part of our wiring and chemistry.

My two cents.

So, I pick up on social cues. I just don't know what to do about them.

Case in point, today I went into my boss's office while he was in a meeting. Generally he doesn't care that I come in if someone's there. But this person and he were talking, and when I came in the other person stopped talking abruptly. I heard it, but didn't know what I should do, and all the options ran through my head, so ultimately I figured since I was already there I should hurry up and finish what I was doing. Turns out that was the wrong thing to do. My boss politely asked me to see if I could come back and finish later, at which point I rushed out the door.

I felt like an idiot.

Things like this happen a lot.

If I miss other cues, I generally don't know about it unless someone points it out to me.

I am constantly analysing experiences and over thinking them. I can be in my bed half asleep and suddenly a memory of a social mistake I made 10 years ago will come back to me and I'll be awake for ages analysing why it all went so wrong.