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Professional Help is Required in Dealing with Impulse Control

  • anonymous Asks ...
    anonymous

    Hello, I have had some problems with impulse control since growing up as in when I didn't get my way at home, I slammed doors, I am 39 now and in rage have run away from home 3 times in the last yr only to return feeling confused about my own behaviour; now before you say I should be living on my own at almost 40, I have, a couple of times, but after a breakup of an engagment (I impusively would lose it on him but I knew he wasn't the one and probably impulsively got into the relationship, though I did want marriage, I impulsivly picked him based on a comment of someone saying ok it's time, just do it); I want to be a 100% responsbile for my reactions/and respond to situations, not react, as it has cost me jobs, relationships, and almost turning 40 now, I had a breakdown when I ran from home on one occasion where my mother's comment that I wasn't listening to her when I was just trying to cook something to feel better after being laid off from my job and also after breakup of a relationship, had left me low; I felt so insulted by her comment that I am almost 40 and don't listen, that I insulted her, ran to my room and was throwing a chair at my bed and screaming and swearing; thankfully no one but the workers working on renos I don't know heard, however, since then my confidence/self-esteem has recovered somewhat but a deep sadness is still there, as I don't know how I can trust myself in any situation, if I have to be worried about my own reactions; something that has also been reflected to me in relatinships with men, who have said they don't know even after they find me amazing and loving and a great catch, they don't know if they can talk to me without me intterupting, breaking up with them over and over (out of fear of being hurt is probably y I do it,but i realize this is not fair and hurts them, even if justified, it can be done in a rational thought out manner); Please help I want to get a handle on this. I am generally very loving, caring and emotional, into art and admired by people; but when life failures or big events that are negative happen and I feel repeated disappointed wt a job or relationship is when I lose it, or when I am afraid in a relationship with a man mainly. Other than that, I am completely calm, meditate daily and am more than fine, now with mediations, things like my impulsive speeding when driving and my impulsive dating one man after another (without getting too close physically, though emotionally still draining as I have tried hard to be engaged/married again but feel stuck), dating and driving much better with meditation; since I was a teenager they put me on mild antidepressants/anti anxiety but no offense they did nothing to help me permanently; the mediation is what helps in a real way, but still the temper loss I had with throwing a chair at my bed and hitting my bed scared me. Please let me know what are healthy ways to express anger/redirect the energy so when major negative events happen, easier to deal with. for example I had such a positive attitude after being laid off as I hated my job and although I was shocked for 10 minutes, I was singing on the way home, feeling free, but I didn't tell anyone I told evone I quit. then the breakup happened with someone I thought I might marry and my mother's reaction which was not that bad but treating me like a 2 year old made me lose it bad. I want to trust myself again, I want to know that I will never have impulsive issues; as even impulsive comments online, once got me into big trouble a few years back, and now on facebook, affected my relationship with my sister in a very unnecessary -ve way, just because i didn't feel good that day and was stressed and posted something stupidly.

    Read more: How Can I Learn Not To React So Angrily?

  • Dr. Shirley Schaye Says ...
    Dr. Shirley Schaye

    I read and reread what you wrote several times. I noticed that you made no mention of seekiing professional help. Given the anger problems that you have and issues of impulse control I would strongly suggest that you seek out a therapist who is psychodynamiically/psychoanalytically oriented. Only this kind of therapy wiill help. You may want to go to my website and click on PSYCHODYNAMIC/PSYCHOANALYTIC TREATMENT and read what I wrote about this kind of treatment.

    www.newyorkcitytherapists.net. You will have a good idea then of what this treatment is about. If you let me know your zip code/postal code I'd be glad to help you find someone with the right kind of training.

    Dr. Shirley Schaye

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