Impulsiveness

Are you someone who tends to take action without thinking through the consequences? Do hasty decisions often get you into trouble? Do you often act based on your feelings in the moment rather than on a long-term plan? You may be struggling with impulsive behavior, one of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Impulsivity can be a very troubling aspect of BPD. Impulsive behavior can lead to problems with relationships, physical health, and finances, as well as legal issues. Learning more about impulsive behavior and treatments that target it can help reduce the impact of impulsivity in your life.

What is Impulsivity?

Impulsivity is a tendency to act quickly without thinking about the consequences of your actions. Impulsive behavior usually occurs in reaction to some event that has caused you to have some kind of emotional response.

For example, imagine you are waiting in line at the bank and someone cuts in front of you. If you were to act on an impulse, you might immediately behave aggressively toward that person (e.g., yelling, or even becoming violent), without thinking about the consequence of this kind of behavior (e.g., being escorted out of the bank or even arrested).

It is important to note that occasional impulsive behavior is not necessarily indicative of a diagnosis of BPD. Everyone acts impulsively from time to time. Only when this type of behavior becomes either frequent or serious (e.g., dangerous), is it considered problematic.

What are Some Examples of Impulsive Behaviors?

Some examples of impulsive behaviors include:

·       Going on spending sprees

·       Driving recklessly

·       Promiscuous sex

·       Binge eating

·       Yelling, shouting, or screaming at others

·       Threatening to harm others

·       Destroying property

·       Shoplifting

·       Getting in physical fights with people

Can Impulsivity Be Treated?

Yes. Many treatments for BPD have components that target impulsivity. For example,Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) focuses on building skills that will help you to reduce your impulsive behaviors.

Mindfulness, which is a skill taught in DBT, can help you to stay more aware of your actions so that you can take time to consider consequences. Mindfulness can help you to make healthier decisions about how to respond to events around you.

Medications may also help with impulsivity, but are probably most effective when used in conjunction with psychotherapy.

If you are struggling with impulsivity, learn more about treatments for BPD that may help you get impulsive behavior under control.

Is Impulsive Spending Breaking Your Budget?

Impulsive Spending Can Be a Struggle for Those With ADD / ADHD

Sure, impulsive spending may leave you with the challenge of storing all of your new purchases. But the real issue is that it can quickly lead you down the path to debt.

Here are some simple tips to keep your finances in better order by gaining control of impulsive spending:

Become Aware of Your Impulsive Spending

The first step to making a change in behavior is to recognize the problem. Once you acknowledge that uncontrolled spending is an issue, your awareness of the problem will help you follow through with a plan to stop.

Make Shopping Lists

Use lists to write down needed items before you go out shopping. Purchase only what is on your list. We have all fallen into the trap of going to the grocery store when we are hungry and buying (and spending) much more than we really need. Lists will help you maintain control over spending.

Use Cash Rather Than Credit Cards

Credit cards can certainly be convenient, but they can also be dangerous when it comes to impulsive spending. Use cash for purchases. It is a whole lot harder to see your cash disappear, in my opinion.

Delay the Impulse to Spend

Shop with an empty wallet. Use the time to look around and find exactly what you need, then ask the sales person to hold the item for one day. Go home and think about it. Do you really need this item? Can you afford to buy it?

Keep Tags on Purchases

If you do end up buying an item, keep the tags on for one or two days. Or if the item is in a box, keep the box sealed and don’t open it. Take some time to consider your purchase. You can always take it back the next day if you decide it was bought on impulse.

Shop Online

If you are in need of a new pair of walking shoes, rather than going to a mall full of temptations, go online. Add a few choices to your shopping cart, then wait a few days to consider your choice. Use this time to decide if it is really what you want and need.

Discuss Major Purchases Before Buying

Before shelling out lots and lots of money on a major purchase, discuss it with your spouse, a friend or family member. Use them to help you sort through whether or not it is wise to purchase the item.

Don’t Shop Socially

The mall is a fun place to visit, and often times groups of friends will get together for social time while shopping. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of shopping and make purchases that you don’t really need when friends are around to tell you how great the item is.

Learn to Say No

Rather than getting into the habit of saying “I must have,” get a handle on what you really need. It is so easy to “shop ‘til you drop,” but it is really difficult to deal with the negative repercussions of this behavior.

Impulsive and Compulsive Spending
by Crown Financial Ministries

Americans are daily bombarded by advertising messages that attempt to entice consumers to indulge themselves with whatever product is being sold.

Advertisers play on the insecurities of consumers and tell them infinite ways their products will satisfy needs and dissatisfactions. Consumers in turn spend with a vengeance.

However, this consumption does not add up in favor of the consumer.

Of course, not everyone overspends on a regular basis. Most people would admit to having spent beyond their means at some point or another, but this does not classify them as impulsive or compulsive spenders.

Yet it is becoming increasingly more difficult to identify unhealthy spending habits, because impulsive and compulsive spending appetites are legitimized by our popular “plastic” culture, which not only encourages credit card debt but also presents it as “the normal and accepted American way.”

Controlled spending
A good way to reduce debt is to develop discipline in spending.

That may include taking away all so-called security: cutting up credit cards and not taking out any bank or family loans. Then, develop a balanced budget that will control spending.

“Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?” (Luke 16:11). People must learn to handle the smallest things God has placed under their authority—their money—before He can trust them with greater things.

The following are guidelines that if followed should help control spending.

1. Establish self-discipline. Put all spending under God's control. With God's guidance, any bad habit can be broken.
2. Once spending has been brought under control, determine how much needs to be spent each month in every area of the budget and stick to the budget.
3. Be accountable to someone for a period of time. “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
4. Establish a “want-to-buy” list. Then wait seven days and find two additional prices for the same item. If there is still a need or want for the item after a week, go ahead and buy it. Nevertheless, only one item can be on the “want-to-buy” list at a time.

Impulsive spending
Although self-discipline is the best way to control spending, too many people are caught in a cycle of impulsive spending that seems to have a life of its own, beyond the limits of self-discipline.

Tahira K. Hira, a professor of family and consumer science at Iowa State University says, “Low self-esteem appears to be related to impulsive spending. Couple low-self esteem with lack of knowledge of current personal financial status, combined with other savings barriers such as procrastination, stress and insecurity, and the result is a greater focus on paying for needs today and forgetting those for tomorrow….The key is getting a grasp of cash-flow management. Those who don’t know extend their income with credit cards.”

Impulsive buyers buy on a whim, make unplanned purchases, usually lack self-control in buying situations, and lack clear priorities in spending, which results in overspending, unnecessary additional debt, unused articles, and family arguments.

Most impulsive spenders sabotage their own prosperity with the “I want it now” syndrome, which is characterized by spending beyond their incomes. This in turn leads to persistent fear, unremitting debt, and depression and feeds into a downward cycle of worry and low self-esteem…. the instant gratification of impulsive spending…deepening debts…more worry…more spending…

The best way to overcome short-term buying impulsiveness is to (1) leave the presence of the item; (2) price the item in three other places; (3) keep tight control on the use of credit cards; (4) buy only what is needed and practical; and (5) have spending priorities.

Discipline is the key to controlling impulse buying for the long term. “By what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved” (2 Peter 2:19).

Before buying on impulse, list the item on an Impulse List, talk about the item with your spouse or a trusted friend, obtain comparison prices, and wait seven days before purchasing the item.

Most impulse purchases can be eliminated by this discipline.

Compulsive spending
When people do not feel confident in themselves and have very low self-esteem, they may look to factors outside themselves as sources of value.

Compulsive spending is a means by which people fill the vacuum in the heart that should be filled with a sense of personal acceptance.

Listed below are 10 signs and symptoms that characterize compulsive spending.

1. Shopping or spending money as a result of being disappointed, angry, or depressed.
2. Having emotional distress or chaos in personal and family lives because of shopping or spending money.
3. Having arguments with others regarding shopping or spending habits.
4. Feeling lost without credit cards.
5. Buying items on credit that would not be bought with cash.
6. Spending money feels like a reckless or forbidden act.
7. Feeling guilty, ashamed, embarrassed, or confused after shopping or spending money.
8. Lying to others, especially the spouse, about what was bought or how much money was spent.
9. Juggling accounts and bills to accommodate spending.

10. Feeling of powerlessness and helplessness to overcome the compulsion to spend.

Although genuine freedom from compulsive spending is a fruit of the Spirit in that God offers the power to have self-control through His Son, Jesus Christ (see Romans 6 and Colossians 3), there are some viable steps that can be taken to help correct the problem.

The first thing is to understand the nature of the problem: the emotional needs and personality traits that have given rise to compulsion.

Second, develop and implement practical applications that include balancing outgo with income (do not spend unless there is money to spend), budgeting, setting goals, and getting quality financial counseling.

Third, eliminate credit buying. Compulsive spending is many times an addiction to credit cards. It generally takes 30 days to break someone from any addiction such as drugs, alcohol, and so on. Credit cards can be included with this group.

Therefore, either destroy the credit cards, place them in a drawer out of sight, or give them to someone for safekeeping, and do not use them for 30 days. Within those 30 days it will become apparent that life goes on without the need for credit cards.

Conclusion
U.S. personal-savings rate hit an all-time low of -0.2 percent in September of 2000 and have not returned to a positive level.

That means that Americans are spending more than they earn, which leaves less than nothing for saving.

Since impulsive and compulsive spending patterns can often be justified or rationalized in our current society in which these unhealthy spending cycles are encouraged rather than discouraged, savings will most likely continue to decline and debt will continue to increase until self-discipline and self-control are established and the impulsive/compulsive spending precedent is brought under control.