IMPULSIVITY – I want it NOW!
By Lola
It’s only March as I write this, but the cherry blossom trees are blooming with the delicate pink petals opening their souls to the sun and the shoots of the daffodils are standing straight and tall. Too bad, snow is in the forecast for tomorrow! I wonder if we don’t sometimes do that as human beings. We grow too bold too soon and then bam! We are shut down.
Specifically, I am referring to people who are impulsive. At the moment what you say or do seems right or righteous. Afterwards, oftentimes immediately afterwards, a pang of regret begins to sprout. Oh, no, I didn’t do that, did I?
What are the causes of impulsivity and how can we control it? Sometimes impulsivity is a sign that we have a disease. Bipolar disorder is one possible diagnosis. Bipolar disorder used to be termed manic-depressive disorder. Being manic depressive can manifest itself in several ways:
· Violent surges of mania and the extreme pathos of depression
· Cyclical moodiness, such as happy one moment and sad the next. Continuous….
· Mania manifested by extravagant behaviors – spending, sex, drugs, alcohol, disobeying the law – feeling immune to danger.
The best thing to do when one suspects bipolar disorder is to contact a psychiatrist or other physician, preferably a psychiatrist, who has been trained in diagnosing and dispensing medication for bipolar disorder.
Some of the side effects of medication can be brutal, so it is best to have a continuous therapeutic relationship with your psychiatrist. Also, if you have been diagnosed with depression and depression meds are not working, it is possible that you are bipolar. Individuals diagnosed with depression and receiving depression meds actually get worse after a while on their meds. Bipolar individuals need to be treated with different medications.
If you need more information, contact your physician, but know one thing for sure: if you had a broken arm, you would most certainly go to a physician, preferably an orthopedist, so if you are having mental problems, you should definitely seek out the advice of a psychiatrist. In this day and age there is no reason not to take care of your WHOLE body, which includes your mind.
And the next time you feel like speeding down the hill at 80 mph in a residential district or purchasing more than you can afford, then, perhaps, then you will be able to resist, knowing that your mind is being impulsive and you do not have to deal with that behavior anymore. And you are not alone!
The following site is extremely helpful for those who have loved ones diagnosed with bipolar disease:
http://www.bpso.org/booklist.php
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