Counselling Service for Compulsive Behaviours
Compulsive Behaviours
There are many reasons you may want to seek the help of a professional therapist. Sometimes, your life or certain situations can overwhelm you. Sometimes, you need to talk to a professional because, left to your own devices, you are a master at rationalisation – most people are. However, the truth is to rationalise our bad choices, is to tell ourselves "rational-lies”.
- Life is hard, life is painful and this will make me feel better.
- I deserve this.
- I’m just chilling a bit. I can stop anytime I like.
- I don’t take it/smoke it/drink it/do it because I have to… I take it/smoke it/drink it/do it because I want to.
Sound familiar? The truth is anything that we feel compelled to do is controlling us, we’re not controlling it. It could be pornography, alcohol, drugs, social media or even exercise – just to name a few. If it’s driving you to do things you know you would be better off not doing, or at least doing in moderation, and if you feel you are out of control without it, you’re not free.
Sometimes, there are things within yourself that you need to sort out. Mental and emotional stress can have a huge effect on your ability to function. Being stressed out and overwhelmed, can lead to having obsessive thoughts and compulsions. If you are suffering because of your own compulsive behaviours, you can contact a therapist.
What is it?
A compulsion is an intense urge to do something. It’s characterised by an overwhelming and overpowering need to engage in a certain behaviour. The behaviour is usually preceded by obsessive and paralysing thoughts that make the person feel compelled to do an action. This is something that is difficult to control, and it can be very hard to function when you feel driven by compulsions to do things you later regret doing. The need to do certain acts gets in the way of normal, everyday life. There’s an impairment in the ability to function, and that is why therapy is needed to address this negative behaviour. Below are some common examples of compulsive behaviours:
- Repeatedly washing hands
- Hoarding
- Exercising too much
- Stacking items
- Touching items repetitively
- Mental exercises (counting, memorising, etc.)
- Excessive shopping
- Habitual pornography
- Substance abuse
How to Cope with Compulsive Behaviours
When dealing with compulsive behaviour, it’s very important to seek mental health counselling services. Working with a therapist will help you deal with the compulsions you feel. The first step is in discovering what core emotional need you have that isn’t being met. When you start to understand what unmet need, emotional pain or relation pain you are trying to numb or cope with or compensate for, with whatever substance or action you feel compelled to pursue, you will be able to start to take back control of your life. Treatment will typically require several sessions. The therapist will identify how these behaviours are affecting your daily life. They’ll take a close look at how the behaviour started, what triggers it, and your own feelings regarding the actions. Compulsive behaviours are associated with psychological issues that you will work with your therapist to uncover. The therapy sessions that you undergo are designed to help you determine the root cause of the behaviour and help you change and grow. Through therapy you will learn skills you can apply to ease the compulsion and the need the need to embrace it. The behaviour needs to be controlled so that it doesn’t affect your ability to function normally.
At, Strength & Strategies Counselling Services, we can help you. We offer mental health counselling services to those who are looking for help on the Sunshine Coast. You can give us a call on 0423 595 716 to book an appointment.