All those acts that harm ourselves, of which we are sometimes aware and sometimes not, are called in psychology self-destructive behaviors, which can take many different forms: overeating, smoking a large number of cigarettes, taking large amounts of amounts of alcohol, taking drugs, gambling in a pathological way, establishing abusive or dependent relationships, and many others.
These behaviors tend to be rooted in low self-esteem, and are produced mainly by two reasons:
- The person who suffers them cannot cope with situations of a great level of stress in which he has to confront his fear of success because deep down he feels that he does not deserve success. In these cases, self-destructive behaviors act as a self-sabotage by which we keep ourselves in an unwanted but comfortable situation at the level of fear.
- When the subject thinks or feels something that he thinks he does not deserve. its low self-esteem It makes him think, unconsciously, that he is unworthy of these wishes to prosper, and with self-destructive behavior he remains in this situation. In these cases, low self-esteem is joined by a hatred towards oneself that is manifested in said behaviors
Most of the time these inner conflicts are unknown for the subject, and only notices that something is wrong, that no matter how much he wants to, he cannot stop said behavior because, deep down, this behavior brings him a certain relief.
To eliminate self-destructive behaviors, it is necessary to look within ourselves and find out what it is that leads us to such behavior. Once we discover why and understand the root of this behavior, we can change these negative behaviors for positive ones, and learn to care for and love ourselves to ourselves.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
