How to Stop Self Destructive Behavior

Men and women who carry out self destructive behavior demonstrate the habit over and over again without repose. These behaviors include every aspect of life, from work to family to romantic relationships; the list literally goes on forever. These behaviors have negative impacts on their lives, which serves them with rejection, disappointment, and failure to find happiness. Subsequently, the ramifications of these self destructive behaviors form a downward spiral to various levels of suffering. The unintended consequences of such behavior have negative impacts not just for the victim themselves, but also for those around them. Each behavior can be stacked on another and lead to a complex layering of social dysfunction.

Often, the individuals suffering from these routines or involuntary behaviors are aware of the situation, but are either unwilling or unable to rectify the urge to self-sabotage. Sometimes the behaviors themselves have a positive feeling, but that feeling eventually degrades over time. This may lead to the individual seeking more damaging behaviors to fill the void of the initial issue that started it all. How to stop self destructive behavior becomes important when it reaches a level that threatens safety, well-being, or life in general. That is why it is important to understand the generation of such self-defeating rituals and what they are.

Signs of Self Destructive Behavior

How to stop self destructive behavior? First, you must identify those behaviors, so you can deal with them accordingly. These include:

• Self Mutilation or Injury (NSSI)
• Substance Misuse or Abuse
• Alcoholism
• Vaping or Smoking
• Eating Disorder (IE: Bulimia, Anorexia)
• Hermit Syndrome
• Abusive Relationship Seeking
• Cell Phone/Tablet Addiction
• Gambling
• Unsafe Sexual Practices
• Sleep Escapism
• Suicide Attempts
• Violence Towards Others

Many of these behaviors tend to appear together or replace each other when going untreated. Addictions form and patterns emerge that cause pain and suffering for those afflicted. Many times, these signs are hidden in plain sight under social conventions that are considered acceptable in society. For instance, social drinking or smoking can seem harmless from the casual observer, but might be a gateway into more harmful behaviors.

The Environment Becomes Us

Human beings are complex animals with intricate social, cultural, and religious traditions, which are triggered, shaped, and exploited by mechanisms of an economic system. The environmental pressures and stresses truly impact the development of human beings throughout their lives. Often, the human psyche is too weak to thwart the advancement of pressures in advertising and social networks. These networks include childhood groups, cliques, and teams, as well as family and work relationships. Everyone is pulling and picking at everyone else in some form or another, which is why peer pressure can trigger certain behaviors early in development.

How to stop self destructive behavior that originates in childhood is one of the first aspects that must be addressed. Many studies suggest that adults that suffer from self destructive behavior and habits have histories of childhood trauma in their early developmental years and throughout adolescence. These moments of disruption, chaos, or even abuse build the foundation of poor choices and bad habits. Verbal, physical, and sexual abuse contribute to the likelihood of severe outcomes for those involved, which may include life threatening, self-harming types of behaviors. Issues will also arise due to neglect or psychological abuse by parents or guardians, which may be another source of these negative behaviors. This is why it is important for family, teachers, and neighbors to intervene when these problems become apparent. Society, as a whole, must take responsibility for everyone in the community rather than just themselves if we are truly to tackle these social ills.

Changing the environment is usually helpful when dealing with issues that may be triggered or enhanced by a place where these behaviors originated. This sometimes means taking drastic measures and removing the individual from the environment that created the original trauma. It is necessary to retreat from negative spaces that contain triggers and enabling factors, so one can separate from the places the toxic behavior manifests. Safe spaces or even places of solitude should be considered when dealing with behavior issues.

Meditation and Mindfulness as Treatment

If you struggle with self destructive behaviors, the practice of mindfulness meditation has the potential to release the sufferer from the attachment to the behavior. The process of detaching oneself and perceiving your actions with a nonjudgmental attitude creates a shift in perspective. This perspective can lead a person to discover themselves as the object of awareness, rather than a victim of an experience. Taking this step back, this practice can remove the ego and replace it with a sense of observation that can be used to dismantle the negative behaviors that have taken over the individual. This newly acquired and practiced discipline, if harnessed, can have life changing results.

There are other aspects of mindfulness involving diet and exercise that can help pull the afflicted from the behaviors by replacing the old routines with new, healthier ways. Yoga and exercise in general can stimulate healthy endorphin production that can ease the transition away from the unhealthy emotional chemical dependencies. Adding swimming to someone’s routine can also promote a state of equilibrium and renewal. Bringing fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables to one’s diet can also help reinforce the transition with necessary vitamins and fiber for a healthy gut biome. The gut biome is very important in the production of amino acids and other building blocks of a healthy immune system that promotes general well-being.

Elevation Behavioral Health Provides Self Destructive Behavior Programs

Elevation Behavioral Health is a Los Angeles-based residential recovery program that offers behavior corrective services and comprehensive trauma and self harm treatments for individuals with destructive behaviors ranging from substance abuse to suicidal tendencies. Our luxury accommodations in beautiful and serene settings help provide a comfortable and healing environment while patients engage in comprehensive treatment programs geared towards their recovery.  For more information about the program, please contact Elevation Behavioral Health today at (888) 643-7135.