Identifying (And Breaking) Destructive Cycles.
March 30, 2017 by Staff
Filed under Health, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) There are many reasons why you – or someone you care about – might fall into a destructive cycle of behavior. Finding the cause is something to consider, but only when you have outright confronted the actual problem.
Of course, to do that, you need to know what the problem actually is.
What Is A Destructive Cycle?
The term is quite loosely defined and can mean different things to different people. But for the purpose of this article, let’s define it is:
A pattern of behavior that results in unfortunate happenings in someone’s life. It is not an isolated occurrence, but when someone finds themselves in the same poor situation over and over again.
What Are Examples Of Destructive Behavior?
The most obvious example is that of addiction. Generally, to conquer at addiction once and for all, you need the help of professionals. Very few addicts actually solve the problem by themselves – though they can be masters of convincing themselves (and others) that they have done so.
Other examples include cases where people find themselves wondering why all of their relationships go wrong in the same way. Or it might be a matter of stress, where you have promised yourself over and over that you will learn to take things easier… and then you don’t.
Why Does It Happen?
Even with bad things, humans are creatures of habit. We have a tendency to repeat behavior even if we know it’s bad, purely because we find it familiar. That in and of itself is comforting. It’s easier, on a psychological level, to have something go wrong or make a mistake because of something we have done. Dealing with the randomness of the fact that, sometimes, life is just terrible and bad things happen – many of us struggle to cope with that. We like patterns, things we can predict – and that’s often more comforting than just taking a chance.
Recognizing this is the key part to understanding what the issue is and how you can break it. It’s important to learn that, even if you try something new and it doesn’t go as you intended, it’s still better than trying something you knew would go badly – even if you were momentarily comforted by it.
How Do You Break It?
Ah, the key question, and one that doesn’t have a simple “fits everyone” solution.
A lot of answering this depends on what you are having an issue with. If you are struggling with addiction and have never spoken to a professional counselor about it, then that should be your first port of call. It doesn’t need to be scary. There is a multitude of ways of obtaining the help you require, from using online advice forums to attending the likes of Beachway Therapy Center for a more thorough overview that can help reset your life with focused time. All that matters is that you’re not just expecting to handle it alone anymore.
To an extent, this applies to other destructive behavior, too: tell someone about it. Sometimes, we need a harsh mirror reflecting back on us when we are making tough choices – but you have to be brave enough when, if someone tells you you are going in the wrong direction, you can handle it. Even if it’s just a stranger on an internet forum, discuss the issue and outline how you’re going to try and prevent it in future – then let them keep an eye on you, too.
Staff Writer; Sherry Carter