How we behave impacts everything in our lives, from the choices we make, to how we feel about ourselves. When we’re engaging in self-harming behaviors, for example, we tend to make very self-destructive choices. Self-harm leaves us self-hating, with an internal monologue that disparages and belittles ourselves. We often aren’t very mindful of our behaviors. Instead, we fall into patterns of thoughtless actions, without thinking about the potential repercussions. We don’t consider how our actions impact our emotions and our overall well-being. What do our behaviors have to do with our emotional health?
Interrelated, Cyclical Patterns
Our behavioral and emotional patterns are interlinked and cyclical. This means that our behaviors can impact our emotions and vice versa. We develop cyclical patterns of actions and emotional responses that feed into each other. When we behave in ways that are detrimental to our health, we tend to feel worse about ourselves afterward. Our addictive behaviors contribute to our feelings of shame, regret, insecurity, and self-rejection. We think of ourselves in self-deprecating ways, and the cycle continues.
Behavioral Coping Mechanisms for Our Emotions
Similarly, our emotions can drive our behaviors. Our problematic behaviors are fueled by troubling emotions. Addiction thrives on low self-esteem. We self-harm when we feel self-hating and insecure. Our drug of choice is our preferred antidote to sadness or loneliness. These addictive behaviors become coping mechanisms for our feelings of grief, fear, and shame. We use when we feel overwhelmed, confused, lost, and alone. Likewise, we use when we’re feeling disconnected from ourselves and others. How we think about ourselves fuels our addiction. These conceptions are contributing factors to our self-destructive behaviors.
Our behaviors have everything to do with our emotional health. Our reactions are both influenced by our emotions and a contributor to them. Getting well involves taking an inventory of both our behaviors and our feelings. By developing more mindfulness around both our behavioral health and our emotional health, we begin to see just how inextricably linked the two actually are. When we address them together, we can heal ourselves fully and holistically.
At The Guest House Ocala, we operate on the principle that each of our clients will benefit most from a highly personalized treatment plan.
We have helped countless people recover, and we’re here to help you too.
Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.
theguesthouseocala.com
3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488