The root causes of self-destructive habits can differ from individual to individual, based on licensed drug and alcohol counselor Candace Kotkin-De Carvalho LSW, LCADC, CCS, CCTP. Some of the commonest causes embrace an absence of optimistic coping expertise, unresolved points from childhood or adolescence, and poor psychological well being.
Lorz describes self-destructive behaviors as being the product of both misguided makes an attempt at self-protection or moments of dissociation. They’re usually formed by beliefs you may have about your self, what you deserve, and the way you may have taken within the messages of the world and people round you, she says, making them primarily a response to private circumstances which have had a traumatic affect on you. They could have even labored (otherwise you believed that they’ve labored) up to now to guard you from feeling burdened, overwhelmed, damage, exhausted, scared, or in peril, she provides, however in the end these coping mechanisms at the moment are inflicting extra hurt than safety.
Osibodu-Onyali provides that when folks have skilled a number of adverse occasions and even traumas, it adjustments the best way they view themselves, others, and the world. “They begin to expect bad things to happen, and when good things come their way, they introduce self-destructive behaviors so that things return to the negative pattern they are used to. It’s not that they enjoy negativity; it’s just that it’s familiar,” she says.
Additionally, self-destructive behaviors could be signs of many psychological well being points, based on Manly. For instance, an individual who’s affected by melancholy could have interaction in self-protective behaviors, like not going to work as a result of an absence of power or to keep away from stress, which can be in the end self-destructive. Those that suffer from substance use problems could resort to self-destructive behaviors, together with stealing to keep up the dependancy or driving whereas below the affect, with little or no potential to genuinely recognize the long-term affect; the cumulative results of those behaviors are sometimes tragic.
“A variety of mental health disorders such as BPD often leave the sufferer stuck in a cycle of self-destructive behaviors that leave the individual feeling angry, isolated, and misunderstood,” she provides.