Rather Than Desirable, Outcomes.: What Is Impulsivity?

What is Impulsivity?
Impulsivity, or an impulsive behaviour, is broadly defined as actions without

foresight that are poorly conceived, prematurely expressed, unnecessarily risky,
and inappropriate to the situation. Impulsivity is associated with undesirable,
rather than desirable, outcomes.
Fortunately, there are treatments that can help bring impulsivity under control,
including psychotherapy, mindfulness training, and pharmaceutical drugs.
Characteristics
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-

5), impulsive behaviors are a hallmark of BPD.
People who are impulsive are commonly described as:
 Hot-headed
 Rash
 Unpredictable
 Unstable
It is, in fact, the instability that best characterizes BPD as a disorder. People
with BPD typically struggle with the feelings of inadequacy that manifest with
unstable emotions, unstable behaviours, and unstable relationships.
Diagnosis
1. An impairment of personality functioning, either in terms of poor self-

image and self-criticism or instability of goals, aspirations, values, or
career plans
2. An impairment of interpersonal functioning, either in terms of a lack
of empathy (due to negative attitudes and hypersensitivity) or the inability
to sustain intimacy (due to mistrust, neediness, or the fear of
abandonment)
Differential Diagnoses
Impulsive behaviours are not exclusive to BPD. They are also associated with
the following:
 Physical causes of impulsivity, including acquired brain injury or a

neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer's disease or Huntington's
disease.
 Bipolar mania, often in tandem with grandiosity and a flight of
ideas (During an acute manic episode, a person will often act impulsivity
with little thought of the consequence. Spending sprees and hypersexual
behaviors are two common examples of impulsivity related to bipolar
disorder).
 Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), known as
hyperactive-impulsive ADHD, spurred by the child's inability to keep still
or control inappropriate behavior (It is this lack of control, combined with
a constantly shifting focus of interest, that spurs impulsivity.)
 Substance use disorders, although the impulsiveness is typically
exhibited under the influence of drugs, when craving drugs, or when
actively seeking drugs.4
 Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), closely aligned with BPD but
differs in that there is a pervasive and persistent disregard for morals,
social norms, and the rights and feelings of others
Causes
No one can say for sure what causes BPD and, more specifically, what causes
impulsive behaviour in BPD.
Psychological Factors
There is some evidence that BPD is triggered by post-traumatic stress

disorder (PTSD), particularly if the trauma occurred in childhood.5
Genetics
Studies into behaviours 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.
Types
There are many different types of behaviour 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:
 Abruptly changing or cancelling plans

 Binge eating or drinking
 Clearing out belongings to "start anew"
 Constantly "turning over a new leaf"
 Destroying property
 Escalating confrontations
 Frequent emotional outbursts
 Inability to receive criticism without affront
 Joining and quitting a lot of groups
 Jumping to conclusions
 Meaningless or risky sex
 Over-apologizing
 Oversharing of emotions
 Overspending
 Physical violence
 Quitting a job suddenly
 Self-harm
 Self-mutilation
 Threatening to harm one's self or others
Treatment
Psychotherapy
Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy
ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their
relationships with others.
DBT can help people who have difficulty with emotional regulation or are
exhibiting self-destructive behaviors. We should have Dialogue whenever
needed and Validation
In DBT, a patient and therapist work to resolve the apparent contradiction
between self-acceptance and change to bring about positive changes in the
patient.
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.8
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.
Dialectical behavior therapy was effective in attenuating impulsivity, self-
damage regulating emotions, and improving behavioral/emotional
problems such as depression, anxiety, anger, emotional instability, and
emotionality.
Impulsive behavior and explosive anger are generally known as dangerous
behaviors, and encompasses a wide range of immature and pleasure
seeking behaviors, which are usually accompanied by high risk.
Impulsiveness is the main cause of many social problems such as uncontrolled
sexual behaviors, drug abuse, personality disorders, and crime.
Dialectical behavior therapy is an approach that combines referral-based
acceptance and solidarity with cognitive behavior and social skills trainings
How It Works
DBT has evolved to become an evidence-based psychotherapy approach that is
used to treat many conditions. DBT is used in three therapeutic settings.3
 Group settings where patients are taught behavioral skills by completing

homework assignments and role-playing new ways of interacting with
others.
 Individual therapy with a trained professional where a patient's learned
behavioral skills are adapted to their personal life challenges.
 Phone coaching in which patients can call the therapist between sessions
to receive guidance on coping with a difficult situation they are currently
in.
Each therapeutic setting has its own structure and goals, but the characteristics
of DBT can be found in group skills training, individual psychotherapy, and
phone coaching
 Acceptance and change. You’ll learn strategies to accept and tolerate

your life circumstances, emotions, and yourself. You will also develop
skills that can help you make positive changes in your behaviors and
interactions with others.
 Behavioral. You'll learn to analyse problems or destructive behavior
patterns and replace them with more healthy and effective ones.
 Cognitive. You'll focus on changing thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and
actions that are not effective or helpful.
 Collaboration. You'll learn to communicate effectively and work
together as a team (therapist, group therapist, and psychiatrist).
 Skill sets. You’ll learn new skills to enhance your capabilities.
 Support. You'll be encouraged to recognize your positive strengths and
attributes and develop and use them.
DBT Strategies
People undergoing DBT are taught how to effectively change their behavior
using four main strategies
Core Mindfulness
Perhaps the most important strategy used in DBT is developing mindfulness
skills. Mindfulness helps you focus on the present or “live in the moment.” This
helps you pay attention to what is happening inside you (your thoughts,
feelings, sensations, and impulses) as well as using your senses to tune in to
what's happening around you (what you see, hear, smell, and touch) in
nonjudgmental ways.
Mindfulness skills help you slow down and focus on using healthy coping skills
when you are in the midst of emotional pain. The strategy can also help you stay
calm and avoid engaging in automatic negative thought patterns and impulsive
behavior.
Sample Exercise: Observe Mindfulness Skill
Pay attention to your breath. Take note of the sensation of inhaling and
exhaling. Watch your belly rise and fall as you breathe.
Distress Tolerance
Distress tolerance skills help you accept yourself and your current situation.
You will four techniques for handling a crisis:
 Distraction
 Improving the moment
 Self-soothing
 Thinking of the pros and cons of not tolerating distress
Distress tolerance techniques help prepare you for intense emotions and
empower you to cope with them with a more positive long-term outlook.
Sample Exercise: Putting Your Body in Charge
Run up and down the stairs. If you're inside, go outside. If you're sitting, get up
and walk around. The idea is to distract yourself by allowing your emotions to
follow your body.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal effectiveness helps you to become more assertive in a relationship

(for example, expressing your needs and be able to say "no") while still keeping
a relationship positive and healthy. You will learn to listen and communicate
more effectively, deal with challenging people, and respect yourself and others.
Sample Exercise: GIVE
Use the acronym GIVE to improve relationships and positive communication:
 Gentle. Don't attack, threaten, or judge others

 Interest. Show interest with good listening skills (don't interrupt someone
else to speak)
 Validate. Acknowledge the other person's thoughts and feelings
 Easy. Try to have an easy attitude (smile often and be light-hearted)
Emotion Regulation
Emotion regulation lets you navigate powerful feelings in a more effective way.
The skills you learn will help you to identify, name, and change your emotions.
When you are able to recognize and cope with intense negative emotions (for
example, anger), it reduces your emotional vulnerability and helps you have
more positive emotional experiences.
Sample Exercise: Opposite Action
Identify how you're feeling and do the opposite. If you are feeling sad and want
to withdraw from friends and family, make plans to see your loved ones.
Coping
In addition to complying with your treatment plan and seeing a therapist, there
are steps you can take to better cope with impulsivity. Often, the first step is to
identify the impulsive behaviors that you’d like to change. Next, you can try
one of these strategies when you notice an urge to engage in one of those
behaviors:
 Conduct a chain analysis, which allows you to identify the impulsive

behavior, what happened prior to the behavior, evaluate your thoughts
and feelings, and consider the consequences.
 Join a support group. If you lack resources like supportive friends and a
family, joining a support group can be helpful in managing your
impulsive behaviors. It will also allow you to talk to others about what
has (and hasn't) worked for them as far as coping with impulsive
behaviors.
 Replace impulsive behaviors with healthy ones. While impulsivity may
cause a short-term positive effect (for example, taking away anxiety or
fear), there are healthy ways to cope, including going for a walk,
journaling, talking to a trusting friend, or meeting with a support group.
 Practice deep breathing. Deep breathing is one way to help manage
stress, which can help you regulate your mood and reduce impulsive
behavior. Focusing on your breathing can also help distract you as you
move past the urge to act impulsively.

Rather Than Desirable, Outcomes.: What Is Impulsivity?

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rather Than Desirable, Outcomes.: What Is Impulsivity?

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Rather Than Desirable, Outcomes.: What Is Impulsivity?

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What are some common types of impulsive behaviors associated with BPD?

What are some common types of impulsive behaviors associated with BPD?

What are some psychological and genetic factors that may contribute to impulsivity in BPD?

What are some psychological and genetic factors that may contribute to impulsivity in BPD?

What is Impulsivity?

Impulsivity, or an impulsive behaviour, is broadly defined as actions without

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-

People who are impulsive are commonly described as:

1. An impairment of personality functioning, either in terms of poor self-

 Physical causes of impulsivity, including acquired brain injury or a

There is some evidence that BPD is triggered by post-traumatic stress

 Abruptly changing or cancelling plans

 Group settings where patients are taught behavioral skills by completing

 Acceptance and change. You’ll learn strategies to accept and tolerate

Sample Exercise: Observe Mindfulness Skill

Sample Exercise: Putting Your Body in Charge

Interpersonal effectiveness helps you to become more assertive in a relationship

Sample Exercise: GIVE

Use the acronym GIVE to improve relationships and positive communication:

 Gentle. Don't attack, threaten, or judge others

 Conduct a chain analysis, which allows you to identify the impulsive

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.