Why so impulsive

There are three types of ADHD: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combination. Learn more about each and how to…. Intermittent explosive disorder IED is a mental health condition with symptoms that include violent or aggressive behavior, intense arguments, and….

Personality disorders are a group of mental health conditions that are characterized by inflexible and atypical patterns of thinking, feeling, and…. Hyperactivity affects both you and those around you, and can lead to anxiety and depression because of how others respond to you.

Read more about…. People with passive-aggressive behavior express their negative feelings subtly through their actions instead of handling them directly.

Read on to…. Paranoid personality disorder PPD is characterized by intense mistrust and suspicion of others. Learn about similar disorders, diagnosis, treatment…. Having quiet Borderline Personality Disorder BPD means that you direct mood swings and behaviors inward, rather than directing them towards others…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Is Impulsive Behavior a Disorder? Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph. Is it a disorder? Is impulsive behavior a disorder?

Impulsive behavior symptoms and examples. Examples in children. Causes of impulsive behavior. Risk factors for impulsive behavior. When to see a medical professional. How to control impulsive behavior. Read this next. Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Personality Disorder. Medically reviewed by Jeffrey Ditzell, DO. Other kinds of therapy can backfire, you see, particularly with c-PTSD. Things like endlessly talking about the past can put you in constant trigger mode and is the worst thing.

Did you discuss how it made you felt, are you constantly discussing the results of it and how to troubleshoot this so it works for you instead of against you? We certainly hope so.

You are a grown woman, not a child, and any mental health practitioner should treat you like one. My problem and question deals with impulsive behaviour and isolation. With other people in the room I can usually make better choices and limit my negative behaviour. Yet when alone I struggle. I am sure this is common to many people.

I have suffered from depression for between years, I am open about it with people it is not hidden and many people are sympathetic. However, I do not live near family or close long term friends and my depression and social isolation mean that I have very few, if any, close friends where I live. My finances are very tight, I am not in debt thankfully, but it always costs something to socialise, even if it is just the cost of a cup of something.

Consequently it is not unusual for me to spend long periods alone a week without a conversation is not unusual. And it is this isolation which makes space for impulsive behaviour and bad choices. The chance of me suddenly making new friends is limited and I cannot see a way to break my negative behaviour patterns. I do all the things I can to expand my support base, I do volunteer work, I take evening courses whenever I can, I have joined a reading group etc.

But the contacts I make are temporary and transitory, the length of the course etc, and my depression makes me awkward around people which leads to further difficulties in making friendships.

Making plans and attempts to stop my poor decisions alone using my own brain feels a little like telling someone with a broken leg to fix it by walking on it. I have tried numerous types of therapy and numerous drug regimes, but I have not yet found anything to shift it.

I know what I am going to do is foolish, I know that it will lead to negative feelings, but I I cannot stop my behaviour.

As my depression gets worse in the evening, when I am more likely to be alone my negativity compounds the difficulties. Any suggestions? So we are not sure if you are being remarkably hard and critical on yourself here, or even if the negative behaviour is even an addiction which you need to accept as such and get help with, as addictions are very hard to control alone.

The other thing we are noticing here is that there is a lack of emotion here, a real tightness and clinical tone, and we are wondering if this is significant, if you approach life this way. We think you should be very proud of yourself for all this effort, it shows you are a resilient and courageous person.

And you are obviously very intelligent. But as you are aware, your system is not working. You say you have tried numerous types of therapy. What types? For how long did you attend sessions? Did you actually like the therapist? Did you focus on relating? And trying new ways of relating? There are many types of therapy that focus just on relating.

In summary, we need more information. Iam now 20 years old and although my depression has gotten a lot better since I have stopped taking all these unessacary medications, I still make these rash choices that in the long run leave me upset when I know it will.

Any suggestions would. Hi Julia, we think you might find our article on self sabotage interesting. We were wondering, though, did this doctor just give you meds and not talk therapy? Often our conscious brain hides these things deeply in our unconscious as a form of self-protection. But if you have patterns of self-sabotage, depression… then there are things that need to be bought to light and healed. It requires a commitment to an ongoing process of self discovery, preferably with a talk therapist you feel you can trust.

You are young, and such impulsive behaviours could also be you discovering who you are as an individual and rebelling against your traditional upbringing. In fact why see it as mistakes at all?

You are learning about relating, and we all get it wrong sometimes. Perhaps certain symptoms might even lessen when you finally gain your independence from your parents entirely, and develop your own personality fully. But support could only help. Best, HT. I suffer from impulsivity as well. For example, I have gotten into a car with someone I met once so I didnt even know him and I have my boyfriend crying to me to come back. I wanted to go back so bad but I couldnt.

I hear his voice in my head to this day. I live with the guilt everyday and I hate myself for it. No single test can confirm whether impulsive behavior is the result of BPD or some other condition. To this end, a person must meet the two major diagnostic criteria for the disorder:. Both criteria must be met to be diagnosed with BPD. It is a complicated process requiring clinical expertise and one that is prone to misdiagnosis.

To avoid this, all other possible causes must be explored and excluded, both psychological and physical. Impulsive behaviors are not exclusive to BPD. They are also associated with the following:. With borderline personality disorder, a person will have extreme emotions that they find hard to control. With antisocial personality disorder, there will be a marked lack of emotions.

There is some evidence that BPD is triggered by post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD , particularly if the trauma occurred in childhood. Studies into behaviors in twins have suggested that genetics may play a larger role in BPD than imagined.

It's believed that a genetic error on chromosome 9 may be linked to features of BPD, including the partial inheritability of impulsive aggression. Mutations like these may alter the otherwise normal production of serotonin and dopamine , the neurotransmitters associated with mood and cognition. In people with BPD, impulsivity may also be closely tied to dopamine receptors on the brain itself, according to research from Vanderbilt University.

If these receptors are impaired, particularly on the frontal lobe of the brain where logical decisions are made, a person may have less capacity to "think things through" before acting.

The same faulty receptors may explain why people with BPD often have feelings of emptiness and self-loathing characteristic of depression. Without the means to effectively receive and transmit the dopamine signals, a person is less able to achieve self-control or sustain a sense of emotional well-being.

It is this combination of environmental, genetic, and physiological factors that likely create the perfect storm for the development of BPD and BPD-associated impulsivity. There are many different types of behavior that can become impulsive with BPD, and each situation is different.

There are, however, themes and scenarios that are common among people with BPD, including:. While impulsive behaviors can be severe and pervasive, they can often be successfully managed with treatment. Many treatments for BPD have components that specifically target impulsivity. Dialectical behavior therapy DBT focuses on building skills that reduce your impulsive behaviors and increase your ability to think and reflect before acting. By using coping mechanisms to handle intense emotions, a person with BPD is better equipped to face situations without confrontation.

Mindfulness, a skill taught in DBT, encourages you to stay in the moment, which can help you to remain more aware of your actions so you take the time to consider consequences. Practicing this technique can help you to take the time needed to reflect on your options, empowering you to make more rational decisions about how to respond to events around you. Mindfulness meditation is a modality often used to support the training.

Medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs sometimes combined with a low dose of an antipsychotic may also help.

This is especially true if your behavior is extreme and poses a risk to your safety or those around you. There are a number of drugs that specifically treat impulsivity, including:. Medications are most effective when used in conjunction with psychotherapy with a therapist who specializes in BPD. In addition to complying with your treatment plan and seeing a therapist, there are steps you can take to better cope with impulsivity.

Next, you can try one of these strategies when you notice an urge to engage in one of those behaviors:.