When are bad habits a sign that we are facing a psychological problem? Discover the main signs that indicate that bad habits are part of a disorder.
Everyone has attitudes or behaviors that could be considered bad habits But, when these lifestyle habits are too present in our daily lives, this could be a sign that we are facing a psychological disorder. So, how do we know if our harmful habits can be part of a disorder? How to end these types of habits?
What are bad habits?
Habits can be considered problematic when they interfere with our ability to complete simple or rudimentary tasks regularly. These unhealthy habits They can end up being the sign of a mental health disorder when the worry is so intense that you end up stopping doing things you enjoy or start compromising your own personal self-care.
Signs that your bad habits are harmful to your mental health
There are some signs that can help you detect if your bad habits They are part of a psychological problem that you should solve. Among the most common, it is important that you become aware of the following:
- The frequency of these harmful habits has increased: Normally, when people realize they have bad habits They usually try to kill them. On the other hand, if the frequency of these types of habits has increased too much, it is possible that there is a psychological disorder behind it.
- Interferes with your quality of sleep: When bad habits interfere negatively in our lives, it is very possible that we are facing a sign of a psychological disorder. Above all, if these end up taking their toll on our rest and quality of sleep.
- You are distressed: A telltale sign that harmful habits They may be part of a psychological disorder because they cause you to experience constant anguish. When a person feels distress, they usually suffer from different symptoms that are painful or annoying to such intensity and consistency that they end up affecting their daily life. This anguish also causes deterioration, which means that the person has difficulties functioning in different areas important to their life, whether in their relationships or at work.
- You are too selective in your diet: Healthy eating is considered one of the life habits more positive but when people develop an obsession around it, this can actually signal a psychological disorder.
- You experience laziness or excessive tiredness: If you reach a point where fatigue or laziness has taken control of your life more than it should, this is a sign that you are facing a possible psychological disorder. Being tired frequently, as well as experiencing many difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep, losing motivation for things or feeling less pleasure, happiness or joy, may be signs that you are facing depression. On the other hand, if you experience exhaustion, as well as a lot of difficulty feeling motivated or are stressed most of the time, it is very possible that you have an adjustment disorder.
- Your relationships are unstable or destructive: Some people may have bad habits related to the links they have with others. Although no one wants to have unhealthy or toxic relationships, the truth is that many people end up experiencing these types of bonds at least once in their lives. However, when many of your relationships are like this, this can be a clear sign that you are facing a psychological disorder.
- You are hyperconnected: Having the need to be busy all the time, focusing too much on results or working seven days a week is not a sign of being highly motivated but rather that bad habits related to anxiety have completely dominated us. In addition, these types of unhealthy habits can also be a sign that we are struggling with problems related to self-esteem or those that accompany disorders such as anxiety and depression.
- You forget too much about things: We can all forget certain things, but when this has become a routine in your daily life, it may be that these bad habits involve something else. When a person habitually forgets many of their most precious objects, it may be that we have attention deficit disorder.
- Excessive perfectionism: People who spend too much time being the ‘picture perfect’ at any given moment may be dealing with an anxiety disorder or low self-esteem. In fact, although they seem healthy lifestyle habits In reality, excess perfectionism can end up being harmful to the mental health of those who have this type of behavior.
- You think too much: Did you know that overthinking can be a serious problem? Thinking too much, especially when these thoughts have a negative tendency, is usually a sign of not only being faced with a bad habit but rather a psychological disorder that can end up harming our mental health.
These are the main signs that can help you identify if your bad habits They are harmful to your mental health. If you feel identified with many of these signs, it is important that you go to a professional psychologist.
How to end habits that are harmful to our health?
In addition to seeing a mental health professional when bad habits interfere with our lives, we can also follow the following advice:
- Think about the rewards: Before going to the different types of habits that you have in your daily life, try to think about the rewards for doing it. When it comes to bad habits the reward is usually negative.
- Focus on the trade-offs: Take a look at the compensations of letting go of bad habits. Try replacing these bad habits for other habits that are more beneficial for your mental and physical health. To do this, you can make a list of healthy habits and focus on doing those that you think can replace these bad habits.
- Discover the triggers: The first step to end the bad habits is to discover what the triggering factors are. Once you focus on these factors, try to identify the behaviors that are involved in these habits and create a plan to alleviate them.
Wipe out many of our bad habits It can mean a radical change for our lives, especially if they are related to a psychological disorder.