Self-destructive tendency: what it is and in what behaviors it is expressed.

A type of behavioral pattern associated with self-sabotage and unnecessary risk.

There are many ways in which people carry out acts that, either in the short or long term, and directly or indirectly, could be potentially dangerous to their integrity.

Self-destructive tendency refers to a whole series of behaviors that are considered harmful to the person who carries them out. for the person who carries them out. It is very often seen in mental disorders, as well as dysfunctional personality styles.

Let us see more in depth what is the exact definition of this construct of the personality, besides seeing its causes and associated disorders.

Self-destructive tendency what exactly are we referring to?

In a strict sense, self-destructive tendency refers to a series of behaviors that may involve physical, emotional or psychological harm to the person who carries them out. The behaviors of people with this type of tendency constitute a continuum, i.e. there are more serious and less serious behaviors, but all of them can carry a risk of harm, whether physical, emotional or psychological. all of them can entail a risk for the integrity of the individual..

Self-destructive tendency' should not be confused with 'self-injury' as if they were synonymous terms. They are not, but the latter could be encompassed within the former. Self-injury, in addition to suicide attempts, are considered to be behaviors of a person who tends toward self-destruction, given how clearly their physical integrity can be harmed.

However, within the label of 'self-destructive tendencies' we would refer to a whole set of behaviors that can be deliberate, planned, be the product of an impulse or be acquired as a habit and performed automatically.. That is, there are self-destructive behaviors that may be more subtle than others.

Be that as it may, this type of tendencies, although they can be shown by a person without any serious psychopathology, have been related to disorders such as schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder, in addition to having an altered mood, an altered state of mind, and a tendency to act in an unconscious way. an altered state of mind, such as depression, bipolar disorder or anxiety disorders..

These types of behaviors tend to be on the increase. Sometimes it could seem that the person controls them, or that it gives him the sensation that realizing them he has a greater control of his associated anxiety. Others might think that those who do it are only trying to attract attention, however, this may be an indication that they need help and that they are not being given adequate attention and importance.

• You might be interested in: "Thanatos: what is the death drive according to Sigmund Freud?"

Forms in which it manifests itself

Depending on how directly related they are to the person's danger of death, we speak of two types of self-destructive behaviors.

On the one hand we have the direct self-destructive behaviors, which would be given when the person who tends to this type of acts is performing actions that can end in tragedy, such as suicide attempts or self-injury.

On the other hand, we refer to indirect self-destructive behaviors when they contemplate death or the loss of physical or mental integrity as an undesired effect, even if it is consciously. Examples of this type of behavior would be Smoking or addictions to different substances, which lead the person to a slow death and are included in parasuicidal behaviors. The practice of high-risk sports would also be considered indirect self-destructive behavior.

This type of behavior is often carried out as a coping mechanism. as a coping mechanism to deal with the adversities of daily life, especially when the individual feels overwhelmed.especially when the individual feels overwhelmed by these adversities.

Self-destructive behaviors can manifest as a coping mechanism to keep people away. For example, if being in a couple is afraid of spoiling the relationship, to avoid being responsible for the end of the couple, the person with this type of tendency may carry out actions that encourage the other member of the relationship to leave it. Thus, instead of coping with the fear that the couple will break up, self-destructive individuals make the other person the first to ruin the relationship.

However, in most cases, this type of behavior does not occur in such a far-fetched way. In mental disorders such as eating disorders, i.e. anorexia, bulimia and food addiction, alcoholism, various addictions and borderline personality disorder, this type of behavior can be observed. Sex addiction is also considered a self-destructive tendency, especially when it involves risk-taking, such as not taking the appropriate prophylaxis. such as not taking appropriate prophylaxis against sexually transmitted diseases.

Possible causes behind this behavior

The possible causes behind the self-destructive tendency can be traced, in most cases, to unhealthy childhood and adolescence. The person who leads to this type of behavior, especially in the most severe cases such as self-injury and substance addictions, has often experienced sexual or physical abuse during childhood, which has crystallized in the form of trauma that appears in adulthood in the form of dysfunctional behaviors. This has crystallized in the form of trauma that appears in adulthood in the form of dysfunctional behavior..

This type of tendency can also be associated to personality characteristics, especially in those people who feel very insecure and have little confidence in their strengths, despite having them. This type of person feels insecure about many aspects of their life, such as their partner, wondering things like "how can he/she love someone like me?" or, when at work or school, wondering "how will I be able to do everything they are asking me to do if I am worthless?

The degree of ability or objective success that the person has in different areas of his or her life does not seem to influence the self-destructive tendency. That is, there are people who are very good at certain aspects, such as sports or study, who, believing that they do not deserve success or have low self-esteem, self-boycott themselves, believing that they do not deserve success or have low self-esteem, they self-boycott themselves..

A determining factor in having a personality style with a self-destructive tendency is not receiving adequate care from the closest environment, whether family or group of friends. There are people who perform self-destructive acts in an attempt to attract attention and, at the same time, as a symptom of the psychological problem behind this behavior. Tobacco use, especially among adolescents, could be interpreted as a search for help and attention from their parents.

Is it possible to change it?

As we were saying, there are a variety of behaviors that fall under the umbrella of "self-destructive tendency". Smoking is not the same as taking a knife and cutting deeply into one's arm. However, regardless of the severity of the self-destructive behavior the patient is engaging in, the most advisable thing to do in all cases is to go to psychological therapy..

Not all people who engage in this type of behavior are aware of their self-destructive tendency, and sometimes even play it down. Whatever their degree of awareness of the problem, it is advisable that the family environment and close loved ones encourage them to go to a professional, whether psychologist, psychiatrist or doctor, to deepen the problem and see what is the risk to their life.

Many of these behaviors are due to a psychological problem behind, which causes discomfort and a high degree of dysfunctionality in the life of the person. It is convenient to make the person see what is the cause of the situation in which he/she finds him/herself, how it is possible to improve and, through perseverance, begin to see results in the form of improvement.