Control and Impulse Control

Teens are spending so much time watching TV and playing with their computer and video games that the Kaiser Family Foundation has dubbed this generation "The Media Generation." The study found that children aged 8-18 were watching TV, playing video games, on their computers, and listening to music for a total of 6 hours and 23 minutes EVERY DAY!

"The abstinence violation effect is a form of black-and-white thinking," says Marlatt. Those factors — whether they are, as in Winfrey's case, a thyroid condition that causes weight gain, or the belief that addiction is a disease that robs you of any free will — are what derail thousands of quitters and abstainers from their New Year's resolutions every year.

Developing money discipline may help you to achieve other greater goals. Psychologists who specialize in brain research explain how the brain has a limited capacity of self-regulation, but by practicing willpower in simply one area, your willpower capacity can actually increase overall.

"The four essential goals that I suggest should act as guideposts for moving from unhealthy habits to developing healthy habits are: Strive toward giving up dependent thinking and inaction. Always strive toward reducing the harm caused by your habit. Aim toward becoming comfortable with change and uncomfortable feelings. Establish a new lifestyle that is more rewarding than the old." Marc F. Kern, PhD

Well, September is half over, and I've managed NOT to eat any of my beloved Tasti D-Lite. And it hasn't even been that hard to give it up. How did I go from 2-3 stops a day, to zero? Here are the strategies I used to kick my bad habit.

Brain imaging research is revealing that the signals, or cues, that may spark an addicted person's desire to take drugs can be incredibly subtle or quick.

Self-control is the foundation for healthy coping and contributes to your accepting personal responsibility for your life.

Internet addiction is defined as any online-related, compulsive behavior which interferes with normal living and causes severe stress on family, friends, loved ones, and one's work environment.

Examples of the negative consequences of perfectionism include: low self-esteem, feelings of being a "failure" or a "loser" with a lessening of self-confidence, feelings of self recrimination, and guilt.

Includes these topics:
Need to Control: Self-Assessment
Control Mechanisms: Self-Assessment
Emotional Response: Self-Assessment
What is locus of control? 
Myths and realities about control
Steps to handling the need to control