Self-destructive people share these 15 traits.

Fifteen habits and behaviors that people who hate themselves have in common.

Do you know any person with a tendency towards self-destruction?

From clinical psychology, individuals with a self-destructive personality share a number of characteristics in their behavior. They are behaviors that go against their interests, are counterproductive to their well-being and cause physical and psychological harm to themselves.

Who suffers from this type of self-destructive personality?

Personality traits of self-destructive individuals usually appear in adulthood, when they usually appear in adulthood, and may be the effect of a wide variety of contextual, psychological and Biological factors..

These people tend to shy away from all the positive and pleasurable experiences that life has to offer. This leads them to generate chaotic situations and interpersonal relationships in which there is often suffering. In addition, they tend to be closed and do not accept help from those close to them.

Diagnosis (warning signs and symptoms)

Several diagnostic manuals point out the main characteristics shared by people who tend towards self-destructive behaviors and habits.

If the person presents at least of the five diagnostic criteriaIf the person presents at least one of the five diagnostic criteria, we can speak of a person with a tendency towards self-destruction.

• He tends to relate to people and to develop in contexts in which disappointments and disappointments are likely to occur. and disappointments are likely to occur. He may even have a tendency to suffer mistreatment from other people, even though he may choose to relate in healthier environments.
• Does not let other people help or advise him/her..
• If they achieve any major improvement in their life (e.g. a good job or any other positive achievement) they react with depression, feelings of guilt or self-injurious behaviors.
• They provoke others until they get angry with them and then feel humiliated and offended. and then feels humiliated and offended.
• Does not agree to engage in pleasurable activitiesIf he does so, he does not like to acknowledge that he is having a good time (even if he has sufficient social skills).
• He does not manage to carry out the tasks and commitments necessary to achieve his academic or professional goals, even if he has the ability to do so.even if he/she has the ability to do so. Can help others to improve, but are unable to apply the necessary knowledge and attitude to their own life.
• Does not accept that others are interested in their well-being..
• Is too prone to self-sacrifice to help others. other people.
• Endures and does not rebel against psychological, physical or sexual abuse inflicted by others.
• The behaviors described do not only occur when the individual is depressed or in particularly difficult circumstances.

Understanding the behavior of these people

It is difficult to understand why self-destructive people do not let other people help them out of their situation. How can we explain that they have very undesirable habits that sooner or later will cause them problems?

In general, we all seek to make our lives better. We seek to feel comfortable and loved, we are motivated to seek greater well-being and positive experiences for our lives. However, self-destructive behavior breaks with this general tendency, and this is something that worries mental health professionals..

The genesis: low self-esteem

Self-destructive behaviors are often manifestations of various emotional conflicts and underlying disorders. Low self-esteem is the most commonly cited cause, in addition to resentment towards oneself.

The community of mental health professionals tends to agree in pointing out that this type of self-injurious behaviors may be adaptive mechanisms in situations and contexts of high cognitive and emotional demand.. For example, stress, anxiety, work pressure and other factors could be the necessary (but not sufficient) basis for a person to react in a self-destructive manner.

However, other professionals point out that people with this type of behavior may be prisoners of their comfort zone, due to low self-esteem, stigmas of unworthiness or poor self-confidence.

Typical habits and behaviors in self-destructive people

Self-destructive behavior can take on different manifestations, some more severe, others less worrisome.

In total, we can list up to 15 common behaviors and habits.

Negative thoughts

Recurring negative thoughts can be the foundation of self-destructive behavior. When these people focus on the bad things that could happen, they become obsessed and are much more likely to see these fatalities materialize in reality. Examples of these thoughts are: "I'm sure I'm going to fail", "I'm not going to make it through this", and so on.

2. Inability to cope with the problem

This is a passive manifestation, but it is one of the keys to understanding a self-destructive person. Psychologically balanced people are capable of taking action when they are experiencing a negative situation. On the other hand, individuals with this problem do not take action when they are experiencing a negative situation.Individuals with this problem do nothing to avoid the pain.They feel more and more useless and immersed in a spiral of inaction.

3. Eating disorders

Overeating can be a self-destructive behavior with terrible medium- and long-term effects.. It can also be the opposite: eating too little, which is also associated with a poor self-image.

4. Constant problems with other people

They tend to have frequent conflicts with other people. As can be expected, these conflicts end up turning against them. This can cause them to be rejected, isolated, and to suffer humiliation and other problems related to the absence of social relationships.

5. Low confidence in their abilities

These people perceive themselves as unintelligent and do not believe in their ability to achieve important things.. This low perception of one's own abilities can be the prelude to inactivity, and can bury any work or academic project.

6. Self-injury

Infringing physical harm is a sign that the person has major problems and is clearly a self-destructive behavior. It is one of the most dangerous and its ultimate and irreversible expression is suicide.

7. Self-indulgence: "everything goes wrong".

Another characteristic trait is self-pity.. It provides them with a certain unconscious comfort because self-pitying thoughts help them to remain immobile, recreating themselves in their misfortunes. This prevents them from taking control of their lives and getting out of the negative spiral.

8. Drug addiction

Another classic trait is the abuse of toxic substances, such as alcohol or other drugs. It is a behavior that not only affects the physical and mental health of the affected person, but also breaks the relationship with family and friends.

9. Isolation (deliberate)

Deliberately (although sometimes not entirely consciously), self-destructive people withdraw from their friends and colleagues.. They do this through a series of annoying and antisocial behaviors that irritate those close to them, to the point that they are excluded from social groups.

10. They do not express their emotions

They tend to hide their feelings. This tendency to repress negative and even positive emotions can lead to various manifestations of mental and emotional problems, as well as psychosomatic disorders.

11. They refuse to be helped

These are people who do not allow themselves to be helped by relatives, friends or professionals.They are people who do not allow themselves to be helped by family, friends or mental health professionals.

12. They are exaggeratedly self-sacrificing

Have you heard of Wendy syndrome? It is a set of symptoms common among people who focus too much on satisfying the needs of other individuals, neglecting their own well-being. It is a self-destructive behavior because, under the label of altruistic behavior, they are capable of denying their own freedom and losing their way to happiness.

13. Uncontrolled spending

Slot machines, addiction to shopping or gambling can lead to uncontrolled spending, which indicates that a person is not emotionally or psychologically balanced. It is a quite frequent self-destructive behavior.

14. Lack of physical and mental care

They may spend long periods of time abandoning themselves physically and mentally.They sleep little, eat negligently, do not practice physical activity, hardly take a shower... these are very typical signs among people with a tendency to self-destruction. They also do not pay attention to certain psychological problems they may be suffering from.

15. Jealous, possessive...

They are not able to take care of their sentimental relationships properly.. They present behaviors of jealousy, possessiveness, emotional blackmail, and even violence. Obviously, the partners end up leaving them.

Concluding

Self-destructive people express different behaviors that, consciously or unconsciously, destroy their physical and emotional health. Their path to happiness and success is truncated by these types of attitudes.

Fortunately, these types of psychological conditions can be treated by mental health professionals, who can promote therapies and actions that can be taken to improve their physical and emotional health.They can promote therapies and actions aimed at improving your quality of life and solving this type of internal conflicts.