{"id":13335,"date":"2015-10-20T11:00:11","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T10:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=13335"},"modified":"2020-08-08T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-08-08T11:00:00","slug":"what-is-impulsivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm","title":{"rendered":"Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can&#8217;t Stop Yourself And It&#8217;s Ruining Everything"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_13340\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13340\" class=\" wp-image-13340\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-400x256.jpg\" alt=\"what is impulsivity\" width=\"450\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-400x256.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-13340\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/deptfordjon\/6158611216\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">DeptfordJon<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n<p>We all know children who seem to lack the ability to think before they act.<\/p>\n<p>But adults can suffer from impulsivity too. It might be hidden behind your good social skills or even closed doors.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>But if you have a tendency to be too impulsive, it can sabotage your relationships, affect your career, and even endanger your physical health.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>What is impulsivity?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>In psychology, impulsivity refers to a personality trait that leaves you prone to acting on your impulses, over thinking things through and considering the consequences. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This means you have a tendency to make rash decisions, and say things you wish you hadn&#8217;t. You might also indulge in risky behaviours.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">You don&#8217;t have to come across as wild and thoughtless to have a problem with impulsivity.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong> Often those with impulsivity problems can seem fine in many areas of life,<\/strong> and holding down a job while having many friends.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Their capacity to make quick choices, if the results end up okay, can even make them appear to be bold, exciting, and unconventional.<\/strong> Or in some cases very successful.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But their impulsive nature will be wreaking havoc in some part of their life, even if it is behind closed doors. <\/strong>This could be their intimate relationships, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/lwren-scott-debt-depression.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">finances<\/a><\/span>, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/drinking-too-much-alcohol.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">substance habits<\/a><\/span>, including<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/truth-about-overeating-case-study.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> overeating<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2>Not sure if you suffer from impulsivity?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_13341\" style=\"width: 329px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/255650797_86af0e3aa4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13341\" class=\" wp-image-13341\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/255650797_86af0e3aa4-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"impulsive behaviour\" width=\"319\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/255650797_86af0e3aa4-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/255650797_86af0e3aa4.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 319px) 100vw, 319px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-13341\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/artcomments\/255650797\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Art Comments<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>There are several different tests psychologists and mental health professionals can use to diagnose impulsivity. The tests vary slightly, but in general they look at things like looking at:<\/p>\n<h3>Your habits of attention.<\/h3>\n<p>Do you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>move from one thing to the next, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/why-am-i-so-distracted.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">easily distracted<\/a><\/span>?<\/li>\n<li>find yourself squirming in things like lectures or performances?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Your ways of taking action.<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Are you a &#8216;spur of the moment&#8217; sort?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Your planning skills.<\/h3>\n<p>Do you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>plan things like holidays and nights out in advance or &#8216;wing it&#8217;?<\/li>\n<li>map out your work day or are you ad hoc?<\/li>\n<li>save money or <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/10-ways-help-debt-problems.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">spend without thinking<\/a><\/span> too much?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Your self-control.<\/h3>\n<p>Do you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/why-we-hurt-the-ones-we-love.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">say things you don&#8217;t mean<\/a><\/span>?<\/li>\n<li>do things like rush across streets without being sure it&#8217;s safe?<\/li>\n<li>have difficulty controlling eating and drinking habits?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Your ability to be consistent.<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>can you finish projects?<\/li>\n<li>do you stick out things like relationships and study courses?<\/li>\n<li>do you tend to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/moving-abroad-cause-depression.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> move house<\/span> <\/a>or change jobs often?<\/li>\n<li>are you starting new hobbies all the time?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The way your brain thinks.<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>do your thoughts race about from one thing to the next?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Your ways of rationalising and making decisions.<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>do you make decisions really quickly?<\/li>\n<li>do you throw in the towel out of the blue?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why am I so impulsive?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Genetics are being looked at<\/strong> <strong>as one of the causes.<\/strong> Neurobiologists are finding that the trait of impulsivity is connected to exact regions of the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13337\" style=\"width: 394px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/13215223263_ae75afaea5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13337\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13337\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/13215223263_ae75afaea5-384x400.jpg\" alt=\"can't stay in control\" width=\"384\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/13215223263_ae75afaea5-384x400.jpg 384w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/13215223263_ae75afaea5-20x20.jpg 20w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/13215223263_ae75afaea5.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-13337\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/drainrat\/13215223263\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">darkday<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>But there is a strong environmental factor when it comes to impulsivity.<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-childhood-trauma.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Childhood trauma<\/a><\/span> is now realised to affect the growth of the brain. And many people who experienced trauma suffer from impulsivity as adults.<\/p>\n<p>One <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/2929750\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study on borderline personality disorder<\/a>, which has impulsivity as one of its main symptoms,<strong> found that 81%of subjects had experienced a trauma. <\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a071% reported physical abuse, 68% reported sexual abuse, and 62% reporting witnessing serious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/myths-about-domestic-violence.htm\">domestic violence<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>It&#8217;s also possible to develop impulsivity after a brain injury, <\/strong>or damage to your brain from something like a neurodegenerative illness.<\/p>\n<h2>Impulsivity and relationships<\/h2>\n<p>Impulsivity can be highly damaging to your personal relationships.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">It can trigger you to say things without thinking, hurting and pushing away the ones you love who might find your behaviour baffling and hard to accept. This can leave you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/7-surprising-reasons-feeling-lonely.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">very lonely,<\/span><\/a> and suffering from feelings of l<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/self-esteem-help-guide.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ow self-worth<\/a><\/span> and shame.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>A pattern of pushing and pulling<\/strong> is often acted out by sufferers of impulsivity, especially if they suffer from borderline personality disorder. Your impulsive behaviours can cause you enough shame you run away, then are left to fight to gain back the attention of the person you love.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Impulsivity might even be behind making poor choices in partners. You&#8217;ll choose those who you feel will &#8216;put up with you&#8217; over those who you actually feel a connection with.<\/strong> And this can in the long term lead to more<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-overcome-loneliness.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> loneliness<\/span> <\/a>as well as <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/depression-help-guide.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">depression.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Impulsivity in the work place<\/h2>\n<p><strong>At work impulsivity can cause tensions with colleagues,<\/strong> after you say the wrong thing yet again and &#8216;ruffle feathers&#8217;. Over time this can lead to being unpopular and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/nobody-understands-me.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feeling misunderstood.<\/a><\/span>\u00a0This in turn can lead to dreading work and suffering<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/stress-vs-anxiety.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> stress and anxiety<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For some with impulsivity issues there are far bigger problems at work.<\/strong> You might find yourself suddenly quitting a big job over one rude email, only to later regret it. Or even being fired if your impulsivity has you go against company protocol or upsetting valued clients. In the long-term this can mean you are either often <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/unemployment-improving-self-esteem.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">unemployed<\/a>,<\/span> or left in positions that are beneath your potential but involve less interaction with others.<\/p>\n<h2>Related mental health conditions<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_13339\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5295516326_a974605eb1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13339\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5295516326_a974605eb1-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"impulse behaviour\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5295516326_a974605eb1-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5295516326_a974605eb1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5295516326_a974605eb1-180x120.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-13339\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/derekgavey\/5295516326\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Derek Gavey<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Related mental health conditions that have impulsivity as a symptom include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/adult-adhd.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adult ADHD<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li>borderline personality disorder<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/eating-disorders-help-guide.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Overeating<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/alcohol-dependency.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Substance abuse<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/gambling-addiction-counselling.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gambling addiction<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/sex-addiction-counselling.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sex addiction<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-antisocial-personality-disorder.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Antisocial personality disorder<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/bipolar-disorder.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bipolar disorder<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/internet-addiction-disorder.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Internet addiction<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li>Shopping addiction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What should I do if I suffer from impulsivity?<\/h2>\n<p>The very nature of impulsivity, lack of control and thought, means just &#8216;deciding&#8217; to change would be unlikely to be effective.<\/p>\n<p><strong>To get your impulsivity under control and stop sabotaging good things <\/strong>it&#8217;s recommended to find support, such as<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/therapists.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> the help of a professional psychotherapist<\/a><\/span>. Several treatments psychotherapeutic treatments have been found to be effective for impulsivity.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-london.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)<\/span><\/a> helps train your mind to think in less dramatic ways, which helps you to be less overreactive and make better choices for yourself.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/mindfulness-and-therapy.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Mindfulness<\/span><\/a> is a practise of learning to notice how you are feeling and thinking as it happens. It has been found to be very helpful in impulsivity related to borderline personality disorder. <a href=\"https:\/\/sw.oxfordjournals.org\/content\/59\/4\/297\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">One study<\/span> <\/a>found that participants no longer matched a diagnosis of the disorder after being treated with mindfulness.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/dialectical-behaviour-therapy-london.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)<\/span><\/a> combines both cognitive therapy, mindfulness, and other things like metaphorical thinking. It was designed especially to help with impulsivity.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Do you have a question about your impulsiveness we didn&#8217;t answer? Ask below.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-117271 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-397x400.png\" alt=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" width=\"115\" height=\"116\" \/>Andrea M. Darcy<\/strong> is the founding editor of this site. A popular mental health writer, she also coaches people on how to find a therapist. Diagnosed with ADHD when young, she knows a thing or two about impulsivity!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Andrea M. Darcy We all know children who seem to lack the ability to think before they act. But adults can suffer from impulsivity too. It might be hidden behind your good social skills or even closed doors. But if you have a tendency to be too impulsive, it can sabotage your relationships, affect [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":13340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[399,5313,223],"tags":[309,212],"class_list":["post-13335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adhd-and-autism","category-common-problems","category-personality-disorders","tag-adhd","tag-borderline-personality-disorder","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can&#039;t Stop Yourself And It&#039;s Ruining Everything - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Impulsivity. Do you always say things you regret? Can&#039;t stop making bad decisions? Are your relationships and career suffering from your impulsive choices?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can&#039;t Stop Yourself And It&#039;s Ruining Everything\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Impulsivity. Do you always say things you regret? Can&#039;t stop making bad decisions? Are your relationships and career suffering from your impulsive choices?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harleytherapy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-10-20T10:00:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-08-08T11:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"320\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/AndreaMDarcy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HarleyTherapy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm\",\"name\":\"Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can't Stop Yourself And It's Ruining Everything - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-10-20T10:00:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-08-08T11:00:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Impulsivity. Do you always say things you regret? Can't stop making bad decisions? Are your relationships and career suffering from your impulsive choices?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg\",\"width\":500,\"height\":320,\"caption\":\"By: DeptfordJon\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can&#8217;t Stop Yourself And It&#8217;s Ruining Everything\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog\",\"description\":\"Self-Help for Better Emotional Health\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Harley Therapy - Psychotherapy & Counselling\",\"alternateName\":\"Harley Therapy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/images\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/cropped-harleytherapypsychotherapycounsellinglogo.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Harley Therapy - Psychotherapy & Counselling\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harleytherapy\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/HarleyTherapy\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/harley-therapy\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/HarleyTherapyCoUk\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/harleytherapy\/\",\"https:\/\/uk.trustpilot.com\/review.harleytherapy.co.uk\",\"https:\/\/www.reviews.co.uk\/company-reviews\/store\/harleytherapy-co-uk\",\"https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/organization\/harley-therapy-psychotherapy-counselling\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can't Stop Yourself And It's Ruining Everything - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog","description":"Impulsivity. Do you always say things you regret? Can't stop making bad decisions? Are your relationships and career suffering from your impulsive choices?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can't Stop Yourself And It's Ruining Everything","og_description":"Impulsivity. Do you always say things you regret? Can't stop making bad decisions? Are your relationships and career suffering from your impulsive choices?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm","og_site_name":"Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harleytherapy","article_published_time":"2015-10-20T10:00:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-08-08T11:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":500,"height":320,"url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Andrea M. Darcy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/AndreaMDarcy","twitter_site":"@HarleyTherapy","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Andrea M. Darcy","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm","name":"Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can't Stop Yourself And It's Ruining Everything - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg","datePublished":"2015-10-20T10:00:11+00:00","dateModified":"2020-08-08T11:00:00+00:00","description":"Impulsivity. Do you always say things you regret? Can't stop making bad decisions? Are your relationships and career suffering from your impulsive choices?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg","width":500,"height":320,"caption":"By: DeptfordJon"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-impulsivity.htm#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Impulsivity \u2013 When You Just Can&#8217;t Stop Yourself And It&#8217;s Ruining Everything"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/","name":"Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog","description":"Self-Help for Better Emotional Health","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#organization","name":"Harley Therapy - Psychotherapy & Counselling","alternateName":"Harley Therapy","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/images\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/cropped-harleytherapypsychotherapycounsellinglogo.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Harley Therapy - Psychotherapy & Counselling"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harleytherapy","https:\/\/x.com\/HarleyTherapy","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/harley-therapy","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/HarleyTherapyCoUk","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/harleytherapy\/","https:\/\/uk.trustpilot.com\/review.harleytherapy.co.uk","https:\/\/www.reviews.co.uk\/company-reviews\/store\/harleytherapy-co-uk","https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/organization\/harley-therapy-psychotherapy-counselling"]}]}},"modified_by":"Louise","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg",500,320,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-400x256.jpg",400,256,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg",500,320,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-500x320.jpg",500,320,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg",500,320,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361.jpg",500,320,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-200x200.jpg",200,200,true],"featured":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-200x200.jpg",200,200,true],"related":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-180x120.jpg",180,120,true],"widgetthumb":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-50x50.jpg",50,50,true],"slider":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6158611216_d12935e361-500x200.jpg",500,200,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Andrea M. Darcy","author_link":"#"},"uagb_comment_info":28,"uagb_excerpt":"by Andrea M. Darcy We all know children who seem to lack the ability to think before they act. But adults can suffer from impulsivity too. It might be hidden behind your good social skills or even closed doors. But if you have a tendency to be too impulsive, it can sabotage your relationships, affect&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13335"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136839,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13335\/revisions\/136839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}