Have you ever decided to stop or decrease a behavior that was causing you harm, but —despite your efforts to do so—eventually you found yourself engaging in the behavior just as much as you ever did?

If so, you may have told yourself you were weak, lazy, selfish, or had other qualities that meant something was fundamentally wrong with you.

These explanations are not supported by research.

What are dysregulated behaviors?

Dysregulated behaviors (often called impulsive or addictive behaviors) provide relief or even pleasure in the short-term – but cause negative consequences over time. Examples include binge eating, alcohol or drug misuse, compulsive internet use, or a host of other behaviors.

If you struggle with dysregulated behavior, you probably learned to use the behavior(s) to try to “turn off” painful or uncomfortable emotions. However, coping with emotions by trying to “turn them off” is like putting an airtight lid on a pot of boiling water.

• Your emotions—and eventually urges—don’t cease to exist when you’re avoiding them, just like the boiling water and steam don’t cease to exist when the lid covers them.
• Instead, the steam/pressure (i.e., emotions/urges) continue to build until the pot eventually boils over, which is when the emotions and/or urges feel especially intolerable.
• You then may feel an even stronger need to “turn off” the heightened emotions and urges.
• So, you engage in the dysregulated behavior, which places the airtight lid back on the pot.
• And the discouraging cycle repeats.

How can this cycle be addressed? 

One method of addressing the cycle of dysregulated behavior is Mindfulness and Modification Therapy (MMT). MMT works to help clients break free from dysregulated behavior and take steps to feel better about themselves and their lives. MMT integrates key elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and other interventions with support for treating dysregulated behaviors.

MMT addresses dysregulated behavior by helping clients:

1. Gain a greater understanding of themselves, their conditioned behaviors, and their values;
2. Gain the ability to experience and tolerate emotions and urges, without feeling compelled to engage in dysregulated behaviors that can interfere with their lives;
3. Use adaptive, values-consistent strategies to regulate emotions and behaviors; and
4. Move toward lives that feel more meaningful and fulfilling.

MMT includes guided-audio practices (including practices designed for people who “can’t do mindfulness”), as well as a variety of other skills that can be modified for specific client needs, values, and behaviors.

To learn more about Mindfulness and Modification Therapy (MMT) please see Dr. Wupperman’s book, Treating Impulsive, Addictive, and Self-Destructive Behaviors: Mindfulness and Modification Therapy.

Dysregulated behaviors can feel impossible to resist, and struggling with these behaviors does not mean you’re weak or flawed. AICT offers several therapies for dysregulated behavior, including MMT, DBT, CBT, and more. Call our office at (212) 308-2440 to determine whether you may benefit from one of these treatments