Impulse Control : Study Showing Its Vital Importance

August 28, 2017 2:17 pm , David Hosier MSc

We have already seen that those who suffer such severe, protracted childhood trauma that they go on to develop borderline personality disorder (BPD) have very significant problems regarding self-regulation (i.e, controlling intense emotions) and with IMPULSE CONTROL (along with a wide range of other symptoms).

This impaired ability to control impulses, in turn, can have a seriously adverse effect on myriad aspects of the individual’s life, potentially leading to, for example, relationships problems, substance abuse, gambling, compulsive sex, poor financial control due to compulsive shopping, lowered work /academic accomplishments, violent outbursts and many other difficulties.

In this article, I will briefly outline a study that helps to show the relationship between poor impulse control in childhood and later life success :

THE STUDY ON IMPULSE CONTROL AS A CHILD AND FUTURE LIFE OUTCOMES :

The study was conducted by Walter Mischel and E.B Ebbeson. A group of children were given two options :

OPTION ONE : They could have one marshmallow immediately.

OR :

OPTION TWO : They could have two marshmallows if they were prepared to wait fifteen minutes for them.

The children were then left alone with the marshmallows.

RESULTS :

Some children gave in to temptation immediately and some managed to defer gratification for a short amount of time (but not the full fifteen minutes).

HOWEVER : About one third of the children were able to defer gratification for the FULL FIFTEEN MINUTES (in the main they distracted themselves from the temptation to eat the marshmallow by playing or singing to themselves, according to the researchers).

TWELVE YEARS LATER, a follow-up study was carried out on these same individuals. The results of this follow-up study were :

The individuals’ PERFORMANCE ON THE IMPULSE CONTROL TEST (as described above) was more highly correlated with future life success than any other measure, including socioeconomic status and I.Q.

In other words, on average, the children who managed to wait the full fifteen minutes before eating went on to have significantly more successful lives (as defined and measured by the twelve year follow-up study) than those children who were unable to do so. The fact that the level of an individual’s impulse control appears, according to this particular study, to be a better predictor of that same individual’s future life success than either their socioeconomic status or I.Q. implies that how well we are able to control our impulses is of vital importance.

RESOURCES :

eBook :

Above eBook now available on Amazon for instant download. Click here or on above image for further details. (Other titles available.)

Self-hypnosis download :

Improve Impulse Control. CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

David Hosier BSc Hons; MSc; PGDE(FAHE)

Posted in: RECOVERY, WHOLE SITE (ALL 850+ ARTICLES) , Tagged: delayed gratification, importance of impulse control, impulse control, marshmallow test

Early Trauma Can ‘Shut Down’ Prefrontal Cortex

November 16, 2016 10:46 am , David Hosier MSc

THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX :

First, I will describe the main functions of the brain’s prefrontal cortex ; they are as follows :

modulates feelings of fear associated with threat (eg calms us down if a raised alarm turns out to be a false alarm)
controls the intensity of our emotions (so we are neither inappropriately under-emotionally aroused nor inappropriately over-emotionally aroused)
helps us to plan and control impulsive, ‘knee-jerk’ reactions
helps us to become mentally attuned to others and to empathize with them
provides us with a moral awareness and ethical framework
provides us with insight into the workings of our own minds
helps us behave rationally
helps us to think logically
helps us maintain a healthy balance between hyperarousal (too much arousal) and hypoarousal (too little arousal).

How Early Trauma Adversely Affects The Development Of The Prefrontal Cortex :

Even in emotionally and mentally ‘healthy’ individuals, the prefrontal cortex does not become fully developed until the age of about 25 years; this is a major reason why the behaviour of someone aged, say, eighteen, is often more erratic and ill-considered than that of a person aged, for example, twenty-six years. (It follows from this that a strong argument can be put forward that courts of law should take into account the underdevelopment of the prefrontal cortex in younger adults when considering sentences for this age group.)

Also, crucially, the development of the prefrontal cortex is particularly sensitive to the emotional and psychological environment in which we grow up.

Indeed, if one has suffered severe trauma when growing up, the prefrontal cortex (specifically, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex) may not physically develop to its usual size and, therefore, in adulthood, be of a smaller volume than average.

This can inhibit the functions listed above to varying degrees (depending upon the degree to which the development of the brain region has been damaged). In particular, the individual affected in this way may develop hypersensitivity to stressful stimuli, an inability to calm him/herself down when experiencing stress (sometimes described by psychologists as an inability to self-regulate emotions) and abnormally high levels of fear and anxiety.

Extreme fear responses and high levels of anxiety are particularly likely to occur when an individual who has incurred damage to the prefrontal cortex due to childhood trauma experiences a stressful event or situation which triggers memories (on either a conscious or unconscious level) of the childhood trauma.

HOPE OFFERED BY NEUROPLASTICITY :

However, there is hope for people who have been affected in this way due to a quality of the brain known as ‘neuroplasticity‘ which allows the brain to repair itself. You can read about this in my article Mending The Mind With Self-Directed Neuroplasticity.

You may also wish to read : How CBT Can Help Repait The Cortex

RESOURCES:

IMPROVE IMPULSE CONTROL. Click here for further details.

eBook :

Above eBook now available on Amazon for instant download. Click here,

David Hosier BSc Hons; MSc; PGDE(FAHE).

Posted in: EFFECT OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA ON BRAIN, WHOLE SITE (ALL 850+ ARTICLES) , Tagged: damage to prefrontal cortex, impulse control, prefrontal cortex, prefrontal cortex and law, prefrontal cortex shutdown, ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Complex PTSD

July 28, 2014 12:39 pm , David Hosier MSc

Complex PTSD:

There has been some controversy regarding the difference between post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD amongst researchers.

During the early 1990s, the psychologist Judith Herman noted that individuals who had suffered severe, long-lasting, interpersonal trauma, ESPECIALLY IN EARLY LIFE, were frequently suffering from symptoms such as the following:

– disturbance in their view of themselves

– a marked propensity to seek out experiences and relationships which mirrored their original trauma

– severe difficulties controlling emotions and regulating moods

– identity problems/the loss of a coherent sense of self (click here to read my article on identity problems)

– a marked inability to develop trusting relationships

and, sometimes:

– adoption by the victim of the perpetrator’s belief system

Furthermore, some may go on to become abusers themselves, whilst others may be constantly compelled to seek out relationships with others who abuse them in a similar way to the original abuser (i.e. the parent or ‘care-taker’)

It is most unfortunate that, prior to the identification of the disorder that gives rise to the above symptoms, now referred to as complex PTSD, those suffering from the above symptoms were NOT recognized as having suffered from trauma and were therefore not asked about their childhood traumatic experiences during treatment. This meant, of course, that the chances of successful treatment were greatly reduced.

Research has now demonstrated that the effects of severe, long-lasting interpersonal trauma go above and beyond the symptoms caused by PTSD.

Complex PTSD Symptoms :

The main symptoms of complex PTSD are as follows:

1) severe dysregulation of mood

2) severe impulse control impairment

3) somatic (physical) symptoms (e.g. headaches, stomach aches, weakness/fatigue)

4) changes in self-perception (e.g. seeing self as deeply defective, ‘bad’ or even ‘evil‘)

5) severe difficulties relating to others, including an inability to feel emotionally secure or empowered in relationships

6) changes in perception of the perpetrator of the abuse (e.g. rationalizing their abuse/idealization of perpetrator)

7) inability to see any meaning in life/existential confusion

8) inability to keep oneself calm under stress/inability to ‘self-sooth’

9) impaired self-awareness/fragmented sense of self

10) pathological dissociation

The DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV) first named complex PTSD as: DISORDER OF EXTREME STRESS NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED (DESNOS). Now, however, complex PTSD is listed as a SUB-CATEGORY of PTSD.

Whilst it is certainly true that there is an OVERLAP between the symptoms of PTSD and complex PTSD, many researchers now argue that PTSD and complex PTSD should be regarded as SEPARATE and DISTINCT disorders.

ALL OTHER ARTICLES RELATED TO COMPLEX PTSD :

Above ebook now available from Amazon for immediate download. Click here.

TO RETURN HOME TO ABOUT CHILDHOOD TRAUMA RECOVERY : CLICK HERE

David Hosier BSc Hons; MSc; PGDE(FAHE).

Posted in: COMPLEX PTSD AND ITS LINK TO CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, WHOLE SITE (ALL 850+ ARTICLES) , Tagged: c-ptsd, complex ptsd, impulse control, symptoms of complex PTSD, what is complex PTSD

BPD, Alcoholism and Impulsivity

January 28, 2014 12:45 pm , Leave a Comment , David Hosier MSc

It is not uncommon for alcoholism and borderline personality disorder (BPD) to go hand-in-hand (click here to read my article on the relationship between alcoholism and childhood trauma). Those suffering from both alcoholism and BPD are particularly likely to have problems controlling their impulsivity.

The reason for this is the twin effects of alcoholism and BPD :

– ALCOHOLISM makes it harder for those who suffer from it delay gratification when intoxicated

– BPD is linked to those who suffer from it having difficulties with inhibitory control

These findings were reflected in a research study carried out by the psychologist Rubio, at the University of Madrid. The study involved nearly 350 participants and the results were as follows :

GROUP ONE – ALCOHOLICS WITHOUT BPD :

These participants had a much greater inability to delay gratification when compared to healthy controls. For example, they preferred to drink ‘now’ rather than feel better later (ie not have a hangover). Relapse rates amongst such individuals were found to be high.

GROUP TWO – ALCOHOLICS WITH BPD :

These participants were found to have a lack of inhibitory control over their thoughts and actions : once they started to drink, they found it very difficult to stop.

CONCLUSION :

We can infer from these results that in the sub-group of alcoholics with BPD, their alcoholism may be secondary to their lack of inhibitory control, whereas in alcoholics without BPD, their alcoholism is more likely to be due to their inability to delay gratification.

TREATMENT IMPLICATIONS :

The above further implies that alcoholics with BPD may benefit from treatment for their alcoholism that differs from treatment given to alcoholics without BPD ; specifically, it is now thought that alcoholics with BPD may benefit most from therapy which helps them to develop greater behavioural control – such therapy can involve medication and/or psychotherapy.

NOTE : Regularly drinking to excess is often due to an ultimately counter-productive coping mechanism known as ‘DISSOCIATION.’ Click here to read my article on this.

RESOURCES :

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH INTO IMPULSIVITY

MP3s :

OVERCOME IMULSIVITY MP3 – CLICK HERE

EBOOKS :

Above eBook now available on Amazon for instant download. CLICK HERE.

David Hosier BSc Hons; MSc; PGDE(FAHE).

Posted in: ADDICTION AND ITS LINK TO CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, WHOLE SITE (ALL 850+ ARTICLES) , Tagged: adhd impulse control techniques, alcoholics with bpd, alcoholism, alcoholism and borderline personality disorder, alcoholism and BPD, delayed gratification, impulse control, impulse control disorder, impulse control disorder definition, impulse control disorder symptoms, impulse control disorder techniques, impulse control disorder treatment, impulse control disorders and addiction, impulse control techniques, impulse control techniques for adults, impulse control techniques pdf, impulse control therapy techniques, impulsivity and alcoholism

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Impulse Control : Study Showing Its Vital Importance