At some point, you will encounter self-defeating behaviors throughout your life. Left to their own devices long enough, you could develop patterns of behavior that require professional treatment to remedy. These harmful behaviors are particularly difficult to cope with because, deep down inside, you may feel like they are entirely your responsibility because you are the one who created them. Life is difficult enough on its own, so you should not spend time finding ways to block your path to happiness by creating self-destructive patterns. Thankfully, there is hope.
Whose Side Are You On?
The word “defeated” is a pretty simple concept when describing an event. In sporting events, defeat is very apparent. Teams even wear different colors to make it easier to tell who won and who lost. Self-defeat is much more powerful because, in many cases, you “lose” because you have not taken the time to get to know your team. Who are you? What do you represent? Do you even have a mascot? If you do not know anything about who you are as a team, how can you expect to play?
With the help of a therapist (or coach), you can learn to set goals for yourself. If you do not have goals, guidance from those who care can help you figure out what you want your goals to be. If you do not know that yet, that is okay. Picking goals that make the world a better place is a good start. Proper treatment will enable you to put yourself in the game. With the right support, you can turn yourself into a team you recognize and plan to start winning.
Develop Strategies
Take a moment every single day to remind yourself why you need to win and why you are worth it. A trained therapist can help you figure out what your goals are in this life. Make a plan for those goals. If they are costly, give them a fighting chance by budgeting for them. Tell yourself every day that you will not give up. If your goals involve feeling healthier, make a list of habits that are unhealthy. If setting goals and developing strategies to meet them all feels too overwhelming, sign someone on to help.
Figuring out goals will not cure you of self-defeating behaviors, but it is a really good start. Plan for life to get in the way. Losses are going to come. Defeats will happen from time to time, but you can learn from those defeats and get stronger from them. You will learn how to help others when they suffer the same defeat as well.
Therapy and mindfulness can teach you that experiences converted into wisdom are priceless trophies, and sometimes a loss can provide you with much more than a win. With the right coaching, you can overcome any defeat—especially the ones that come from yourself.
Self-defeating behaviors can develop into addictions ranging from substance abuse to gambling. Even something as innocent as overspending or overeating regularly can lead to a deeper issue in the future. Oftentimes these behaviors are caused by a deeper issue that can be brought to light with the help of professional counseling and treatment. If you or a loved one suffer from self-defeating behaviors, The Guest House can help. With their highly trained staff and a wide variety of therapeutic approaches, they can provide a path toward a happier you. For more information, call (855) 483-7800.