I am looking for a word that is close in meaning to nostalgia, but not so passive. Something that is compulsive. It should also be unambiguously negative. A bonus would be a connotation of anxiety.

Edit: I am looking for a noun, like nostalgia, that describes the state or emotion.

RegDwigнt

97.8k40 gold badges313 silver badges407 bronze badges

asked Dec 11, 2013 at 18:57

5

Rumination is the term I have used in the past to describe the given situation.

RegDwigнt

97.8k40 gold badges313 silver badges407 bronze badges

answered Dec 11, 2013 at 21:02

1

Scrupulosity comes to mind as an anxious concern with not doing wrong, and at least in a spiritual or psychological sense, it suggests a somewhat obsessive interest in past mistakes.

There's also penitence, which is sadness for something you've done wrong, but it doesn't connote anxiety.

answered Dec 11, 2013 at 20:09

1

Habitual is the closest word I can think of. It usually is negatively toned.

RegDwigнt

97.8k40 gold badges313 silver badges407 bronze badges

answered Dec 11, 2013 at 19:10

2

If a person is constantly reliving the past, rummaging over poor decisions or errors they committed and at the same time experience feelings of loss, sadness or disappointment I would suggest the following:

Regret

Regret is often expressed by the term "sorry." Regret is often a feeling of sadness, shame, embarrassment, depression, annoyance, or guilt, after one acts in a manner and later wishes not to have done so.

Remorse

Remorse is an emotional expression of personal regret felt by a person after they have committed an act which they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or violent.

answered Dec 12, 2013 at 6:31

Reminiscing

indulge in enjoyable recollection of past events. It is often more of a positive term than negative, it is a verb (to reminisce). It is all about you are in the present thinking back on the past.

answered Nov 10, 2022 at 10:05

1

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.