Could Your Impulsive Decision-Making Be Related to Anxiety?

If you have been ordered by a judge to take a decision-making course, you may be wondering how you got to this point. What is it inside of you that causes you to make poor decisions? Your impulsive decision-making could actually stem from deeply rooted anxiety.

Overthinking Leads to Desperation

Anxiety disorders are often characterized by overthinking. You may think that this means you think longer and harder about each decision you make, but this can actually have the opposite effect. As your anxiety mounts, it can create desperation. When you are desperate, you may make the wrong decision in the heat of the moment just to try and get relief from the anxiety.

Controlling Impulsivity with Anxiety Treatment

If you constantly make impulsive decisions due to anxiety, you may be able to improve your decision-making skills by first treating your anxiety disorder. Sometimes this requires medication, but there are other ways to keep anxiety down:

• Exercise – Burning off energy can help you tone down anxiety which can lead to making better decisions. The endorphins released by exercise can help you feel happier overall as well.
• Stay Busy – Keep your schedule full of mentally distracting things, channeling your energy into areas other than anxiety. Pick up a new hobby like puzzles, crochet, reading, or hiking.

If you feel like anxiety is running your life and leading you to make impulsive decisions, you should consult a psychologist. They can help you create healthy coping mechanisms for your anxiety, and provide medication if necessary.

How to Help Your Loved One Get through Substance Abuse

If a loved one has been ordered by a judge to take online substance abuse courses, you are probably experiencing a dizzying array of emotions. Your first instinct may be to get angry with them for letting themselves get to this point – but this is not what they need. They do need some tough love, yes, but you need to understand that lecturing them or lashing out in anger will not solve the problem. Here are a few things you can do to help them through their addiction recovery:

Help Them See their Addiction from an Outside Perspective

Sometimes the only way to get someone to see their addiction for what it really is is to force them to see it from your perspective. Outline exactly how their addiction is hurting you and everyone they love – how much it hurts to see them like this. They may not be aware of just how dire their situation is, and hearing how it is destroying their relationships may change that.

Do Not Enable Their Behaviors

One thing many loved ones of addicts fall into is enabling. Do not lend them money, and do not be lenient with them when it comes to their addictive behaviors. They may say they need the money for gas and food, but in the throes of addiction, you know in your heart that the money will not go towards necessities. You need to show them tough love in these situations, and not allow them easy access to the substances that are ruining their life.

Provide Encouragement

When you see them doing well in their recovery, make sure you let them know how proud you are of what they accomplished. Sometimes just hearing that from someone they care about deeply can push them on to success.