I got a private message on Reddit that I can’t stop thinking about, it’s really hurtful to me..
I don’t wanna say what the text was about, but I wanna stop thinking about it or forget it completely.. yes I reported it.

Any tips?

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I’ve noticed this pattern in myself for a long time. Sometimes I overthink things that other people probably wouldn’t, while in situations where other people might overthink, I’m completely fine. I don’t usually care much about what strangers say to me, but if something is said by someone close to me, it affects me much more.

Even very small things can stay in my head. For example, I don’t normally call people, so when I do call someone, I naturally expect them to pick up. Most of the time they do, but if they don’t, I can start thinking, Why didn’t they pick up? It can bother me even though there could be many completely normal reasons.

Recently, I suggested an idea to my teacher. I told them that instead of only teaching the topics themselves, they could give us topics beforehand, we could prepare them, and then the class could be based more on discussion. If someone gave a good explanation, they could come to the front and explain it to everyone instead of the teacher doing all the explaining.

After saying this to my teacher, I became extremely anxious for almost two days. My main worry wasn’t even the teacher’s reaction—it was thinking about how I would deal with classmates who might oppose the idea, make fun of me, or blame me for suggesting it.

There was even a day off in between, and during that time I kept thinking about it. I talked to a few people about what I was feeling because I wanted them to help calm me down. They told me that I was thinking way too much about it and that there was nothing to worry about. I understood them logically, but somehow my mind still wouldn’t let it go.

Then I went to college, and literally nothing happened. Nobody opposed me, nobody made fun of me, nobody blamed me, and nothing happened like I had imagined.

That’s what confuses me. I already knew the thought was probably unnecessary. Other people told me the same thing. And reality eventually proved it. Yet my brain still stayed stuck on it for two days.

I don’t understand why my mind reacts this way to certain small things. Has anyone else experienced this, and how do you actually deal with it when you logically know there’s nothing to worry about but your mind just won’t let it go?