@Anonymous - No problem.
Rumination can be difficult to deal with be cause we often do it without realizing it. It's only when we really start to spiral that it becomes noticeable.
My suggestion is to practice being aware of when you're ruminating. If you find yourself getting caught in the cycle, rather than judging yourself or the experience, just simply say "ruminating," or maybe "spiraling." Just name it for what it is, nothing more, nothing less. After you name it, just notice how you physically feel. How were you feeling as you were ruminating? What does it feel like now that you recognize you were ruminating? What is happening right now, physically? Maybe you'll notice that your eyebrows are scrunched up. Maybe your jaw is clenched. Maybe you are frantically tapping your foot. Don't judge anything, just notice it. Then bring your attention to something else, away from the rumination.
The key is to be persistent. Because this is going to keep happening, over and over again. You WILL ruminate, and that's okay. Just keep noticing it, feeling what it feels like, and moving your attention elsewhere. Even if it happens 1000 times an hour.
The idea is that as you practice this, you'll be able to catch yourself ruminating earlier and earlier in the process, before it turns into a full blown spiral. As soon as you start to go down that road, it'll become second-nature: "ah, that's rumination."
It's also been clinically proven that setting aside a few minutes every day to write out your thoughts can be very helpful. Maybe just before you go to bed, just write them all out, in all of their scary detail. Don't hold back. Then, when they inevitably arise during the day, you'll be able to say, "Okay I hear you, and I'll deal with you later."
And this goes without saying, but if you aren't speaking to an OCD specialist and you have the means to do so, I would definitely suggest it!
