Solve Your Problems through Increasing Self-Control

When you look at the emotional problems and addictions that plague many of us, it becomes clear that many of these would be eliminated if we had more self-control. In fact most people who have these struggles even admit that if they only had more self-control, they would not have these mental health issues. The infamous victim mentality is something we have all struggled with and the biggest thief when it comes to losing hope on pursuing our ambitions and dreams as we grow up.  This article will look at the different methods we can learn from studying Psychology which will help us achieve personal growth in this area of our lives so that we may go on to live a more abundant life.

Solve the problem holistically

Perhaps the best way to defeat any bad habit is to get to the bottom of what makes us give in to the bad habit in the first place. This may take regular appointments with a therapist or we can read self-help books that will empower us by helping us to get to know ourselves and what makes us tick. This is the purpose of Psychology, or “soul study”; since everything starts in the mind, all we have to do is learn how to control our mind and manage our emotions.

We give in to many of our bad habits as a way to self-medicate stress and anxiety that we face on a daily basis in our life. This is why we can go see a Psychiatrist and get a prescription for psychotropic drugs, such as antidepressants, that will reduce our craving such substances. However, what most people do not realize is that while we reduce our craving for the bad substances, we are merely becoming dependent on having to take a pill every day. In addition to that, we have to face the side effects of taking these pills long term because we never made a commitment to pursue self-development which would help us to manage our emotions in the first place. This would empower us to not have to rely on external substances to manage our emotions for us.

By engaging in an activity such as mindfulness meditation, we can become more centered in the present. This will help clear our minds and learn to stay grounded in the present. It was originally a spiritual exercise but you do not have to be spiritual to ground yourself in the present and thus release all anxieties.  As we become more centered, we feel more empowered to take on what each day has in store for us. This empowerment is what fills us with self-confidence which is another characteristic that is evident in people that suffer from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia

Empowerment comes from overcoming the victim mentality

The reason so many of us have struggled with a victim mentality is because of our lack of self-confidence.   We do not realize just how much power that we possess, or we are aware of it and we are afraid of it.  In fact, Science has even proven that the human body can heal itself of many of our sicknesses. For example, the antibodies that our bodies produce when we have an infection. This is why when we do have an infection and we have a strong immune system, prescribed antibiotics will not work.

This is also why Anonymous groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, do not work. Their method of overcoming addictions is to just stop giving in to the habit. The only result of this form of treatment is that our human nature will find something else to self-medicate with. It may in fact be religious rituals, which Anonymous groups are based on.  Any compulsive activity can be the body’s way of self-medicating; from drinking, drug use, sexual activity, religious activity, and even being a workaholic. 

The cool part of the whole thing is that none of our addictions, in and of themselves, are inherently bad. There is truth that all things can be good in moderation; i.e., drinking socially or even smoking (primarily a pipe), work, and definitely sex can also be therapeutic as well. Isn’t it more freeing to do these activities for fun because we want to than as some addiction which controls us because we are trying to fill some kind of a void in our lives?  By committing to personal growth and learning the basic principles of Psychology as to why we do what we do, we can develop the self-control that we need in order to master these addictions before they master us.

E Bishop Wooten

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The Daily E Blog. http://dailyevotionals.wordpress.com