Learn More About Impulse Control

Have you ever found yourself not being able to stop and think before acting upon something? Whether it was buying expensive items, making a quick decision, or answering a question before it was done being asked? If you have found yourself doing any of these things, it may mean you have trouble controlling your impulsive behavior. Often, those who struggle with impulse control tend to act quickly with no thought of the consequences and there may be nothing on your mind beyond that moment in time. Though this is something experienced mostly in children, adults can have difficulty controlling their impulses as well. As we mature, we learn to control these impulses, but sometimes that isn’t the case.

Some examples of impulsive behaviors in adults may include:

-Bingeing or overindulging in things such as shopping, gambling, and eating

-Destroying your own or someone else’s property in moments of anger

-Losing your cool far too often

-Taking minor situations and making them more severe than they are (making a mountain out of a mole hill)

-Self-harm or hurting yourself in intense moments of sadness, anger, or disappointment

-Joining and quitting groups in search of a fresh start

Some examples of impulsive behaviors in children may include:

-Running into the street without looking both ways or jumping into a pool without knowing how to swim

-Frequently interrupting conversations

-Becoming physical like pushing other children or throwing items when upset

-Taking items they want instead of asking or waiting their turn

-Screaming or yelling out of frustration

So what causes these impulsive behaviors?

In regard to our internal or biological makeup, our genes and family history play a big part in why people struggle with impulse control. It could even be the way certain areas of the brain develop or the connectivity of the brain in general. We can face struggles with our temperament and have trouble with delayed gratification, or not getting what we want when we want it. From an outside perspective it can be due to physical or sexual abuse, harsh discipline, parental neglect or rejection, frequent changes in caregivers, incarceration of parents, and a family history of substance-related disorders.

How can you control your impulsive behavior?

It is important to know the cause of this behavior before learning how to control it. Often, it is not your fault that you experience issues with this. If you yourself are struggling to control this behavior, you can begin by mentally working through potential scenarios where you struggle with controlling your impulses and practice how to stop and think before you act. It can also help by dealing directly with your usual impulses by making it more difficult to act on them.

Examples of controlling your impulses may look like:

-Learning and sharing your triggers can be beneficial in order to avoid them and take control of your behavior.

-Plan for your triggers. Identifying solutions for your weaknesses as well as being prepared physically and mentally can help decrease your thoughts of acting impulsively.

-Practice mindfulness or meditation. These skills can help you keep track of your internal dialogue.

-BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF!

If it is your child, you can help make them aware of their impulsivity and how it may affect them later on. You may want to consider looking into alternative behaviors through role-playing to help them understand there are different ways to act but also have their needs met. It is very important to teach and practice patience with them.

Grounding techniques are a good platform for improving your impulse control. These techniques focus on an aspect of the physical world rather than the thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing within yourself. They help to bring you back to the present moment in order to make a positive decision. A good grounding technique that can be used anywhere at any time is walking slowly. As you’re walking notice each footstep while saying “left or right” in detail as you begin to notice each movement you make. Focus on the ground beneath you and how you can feel the ground pressing back up under your feet. The goal of this technique to help regulate your thoughts and give you a moment to “pause” before making decisions.

For either adults or children it may help to envision a traffic light. When we see a traffic light generally, red means stop, yellow means proceed with caution, and green means go. When you’re experiencing a moment of impulsivity it can be helpful to think about the traffic light, first you must stop what you’re doing, take a moment to think about how the action you’re about to take could affect you or others once the action is complete, then proceed how you see fit.

With any mental health concern, it is always good to be honest with your clinician. Discussing impulsive behaviors can be a part of your healing process and your journey to better mental health. An important piece to remember is not all impulsive behaviors have a direct link to an underlying disorder.

There are certain diagnoses where impulse control may be present:

Bipolar disorder: Impulsivity and elevated mood are often associated with one another. Due to bipolar disorder being a period of highs and lows, when a person experiences the “highs” they often make decisions without taking into consideration the outcomes as they are unable to self-regulate.

Anxiety and Depressive disorders: Those who experience anxiety and/or depressive disorders will face periods of decreased impulse control due to feelings of desperation to simply feel better. Feelings of desperation cause poor decision making and can cause individuals to make poor choices in coping or managing their symptoms in general.

Post-traumatic stress disorder : An individual who has been diagnosed with PTSD may experience decreased impulse control as they have difficulty regulating or understanding their emotions. They turn to different impulses to help self-soothe or regulate their feelings.

Oppositional defiant disorder: Those who experience Oppositional Defiant Disorder have trouble regulating their behaviors which cause them to become uncooperative and combative. During periods of uncooperativeness and combativeness individuals will make poor decisions based on their emotions which can be linked to decreased impulse control.

Impulse control can be a symptom of an underlying mental health diagnosis and can be disruptive to those who experience it. If you feel these symptoms are something you’re experiencing, please discuss them with your therapist in order to gain better understanding as well as how they can help you manage them!

Remember, you don’t need to figure this out alone! The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Request An Appointment here.