Impulse Control Problems

So, occasionally, I act without thinking. Sometimes it pays off. For example, when I'm at work, as a mental health therapist, and I follow my gut, or act without really thinking, it usually leads to a good decision or me taking a good risk with a client. But, sometimes, acting without thinking is a problem.

For example, I decided that after my half day at school I deserved a pizza. I had a little extra money and pizza sounded really good. So, I planned on buying a medium, two topping pizza (the God of pizzas). But my favorite pizza place near my home recently stopped selling the medium size pizza. So I had to get a small or a large. Without thinking, I picked the large. The small just seemed like the wimpy size I guess. So I took the pizza home, devoured it like one should obviously do with a pizza, and now I feel awful. That was a terrible decision on my part. My body is no longer designed for eating large-sized pizzas and now I'm paying for it.

So, tell me a story. When did your inability to control your impulses lead to terrible consequences?

I'm the opposite: I should probably listen to my gut more and do less thinking. I take a long, long time to make most decisions, but I do approach the choice from every angle before I do so. 
 
In other words, I'm not very spontaneous at all. Ask me a question I have to think about and I'll get back to you on that. Give me a fork in the road and wait while I consult my map and sextant. Show me a hot naked chick and...well, there are a few exceptions, I suppose.

I think I've made that same mistake at a pizza place once, ate the whole thing and felt horrible till I passed out...then woke up in the middle of the night and drank seriously a gallon of fucking water. Then spent the next few hours crying on the toilet, man it sucks not being an indestructible teenager anymore.

Oh man the things I would do for a large pizza right now...

@coakroach said:

Oh man the things I would do for a large pizza right now...

How old are you? If you're over 22, just skip it. Trust me, learn from my mistakes.

I ordered a pizza last week on the thought that I could have some for breakfast the next day, but then I only left myself one slice. I was a sad panda the next afternoon once I finally woke up.

i've been diagnosed with an ICD. it hasn't done me any good. it's one of those terrible ones. i was diagnosed by a psychiatrist in the USAF after i had an episode. the very day of that episode was a giant turning point in my life. it happened a few months before 9/11, by the way.

Why not just get self control and not eat the entire pizza? I always get the largest size pizza and leave some for breakfast or lunch the next day.

I impulse buy so much shit I never end up using.

Pff, this sounds like a sneaky therapy session ;)

I'm more of the pondering sort of person who thinks too much and then doesn't do something. Also terrible consequences!

I don't think I have impulse control issues. It's more the exact opposite: I live a rather boring life because I never make snap decisions or take risks. Well, except in regards to Steam sales. Why do I have a copy of Shadow of Chernobyl? I know I'll never ever play it...but why is it in my library? I just want to know the truth!

I sometimes impulse buy things and act impulsive in general. I do like to think things through as well, so guess it's a 50-50.

@Swoxx said:

I impulse buy so much shit I never end up using.

Same here. I've got stacks of games on my shelf I'm not sure I'll ever get around to playing.

You should write sitcoms.

i usually don't have impulse buys. i am good with my money. i just bought whey protein powder. i guess it was a good buy. it was a little expensive for this kind of big container.

@Hailinel said:

@Swoxx said:

I impulse buy so much shit I never end up using.

Same here. I've got stacks of games on my shelf I'm not sure I'll ever get around to playing.

For a moment I thought this might've been a discussion on impulse engines for galaxy-class starships.

I'm notoriously awful with costly impulse buys. Often I'll see something and immediately perform some kind of flawed mental math which ends up benefitting my consumer lust in the short-time, but leaving me in the red financially for a few months afterward. I like to think I've grown better about this - auto-pay bills help keep me aware of how far I can stretch (I look at that $250 in checking and think how much I could use a 360 Slim, but thankfully that cash is earmarked).

I say this, but I still love to window-shop: even this morning I spent an hour toying around with an iPhone 4S in my cart, figuring how a little financial maneuvering here and there could make it all work out. I was strong though. Gonna wait six months.

@Fajita_Jim: No exception here.

Wait while I contemplate the positives and negatives :D

I rarely act on impulse and carefully calculate everything, mostly because the few times I do act on impulse rarely work to my favor.

one time I put 500 dollars down on a smartphone (pre iphone days). Kept it for a few days... realized that I had no need for something that would be only useful for businesspeople. What a dump purchase.

@JasonR86: This doesn't sound like poor impulse control. I work in a secure acute psychiatric ward and see dangerously impulsive behaviour everyday which individuals have no choice over because of pathological reasons. These people consistantly respond to impulses with a negative response. Your decision to buy a large pizza was based on the unavailability of your first choice and (I imagine) you over ate because you were enjoying it. Both responses were reasonable and thought through and therefore suggest that some form of mind control or thought insertion by aliens/CIA is responsible.

@wonkykong said:

@JasonR86: This doesn't sound like poor impulse control. I work in a secure acute psychiatric ward and see dangerously impulsive behaviour everyday which individuals have no choice over because of pathological reasons. These people consistantly respond to impulses with a negative response. Your decision to buy a large pizza was based on the unavailability of your first choice and (I imagine) you over ate because you were enjoying it. Both responses were reasonable and thought through and therefore suggest that some form of mind control or thought insertion by aliens/CIA is responsible.

I work in the mental health field as well and I wasn't actually being serious about it being a real, serious impulse control problem. That was just my dumb way of putting it.

@TheDudeOfGaming said:

@JasonR86: That's f***ing it? You ate a large pizza? As for myself i too can be very impulsive, not in a big way but still. I skip classes almost every day without even thinking of the consequences. I get one thought like:"Fallout (any), fuck this, I'm outta here!" or "Witcher?" and that's usually it. Without regard to any possible consequence, which explains my bad grades.

...it was a really big pizza.

@coakroach said:

Oh man the things I would do for a large pizza right now...

How old are you? If you're over 22, just skip it. Trust me, learn from my mistakes.

@TooWalrus said:

@JasonR86 said:

@coakroach said:

Oh man the things I would do for a large pizza right now...

How old are you? If you're over 22, just skip it. Trust me, learn from my mistakes.

I'm 21... oh god, what's going to happen to me!?

All of the sudden your stomach will age rapidly.

@JasonR86 said:

@wonkykong said:

@JasonR86: This doesn't sound like poor impulse control. I work in a secure acute psychiatric ward and see dangerously impulsive behaviour everyday which individuals have no choice over because of pathological reasons. These people consistantly respond to impulses with a negative response. Your decision to buy a large pizza was based on the unavailability of your first choice and (I imagine) you over ate because you were enjoying it. Both responses were reasonable and thought through and therefore suggest that some form of mind control or thought insertion by aliens/CIA is responsible.

I work in the mental health field as well and I wasn't actually being serious about it being a real, serious impulse control problem. That was just my dumb way of putting it.

I guessed as much. Just poking fun:)

I ate two scoops of chocolate ice cream. It looked too good to pass up! I am lactose intolerant (apparently)...and I think we all know how this ends :P

Same thing happened when I decided to eat a scoop of ice cream a few days ago too :/

You'd think I would've learned my lesson lol.

@Hailinel said:

@Swoxx said:

I impulse buy so much shit I never end up using.

Same here. I've got stacks of games on my shelf I'm not sure I'll ever get around to playing.

And same here. The shit I have lying around because "it was on sale" or because "I'm going to play/use/read it eventually" is sad.

"It's 10 PM. I'd usually be high by now, but I have this damn paper to write about the electoral college!"

*Knock knock knock*

"What's that noise? It seems to be coming from my desk drawer!"

*Hey there buddy! You sound awful bored sitting at that computer, how about a nice bowl of me!?*

"Gee, that sounds absolutely swell Mr. Weed, but I have this paper to write!"

*(Gasps) Paper?! You mean like the kind you roll me up in?*

(Laughtrack followed by my "What are we going to do with you!?" Face)

"No, Mr. Weed, I have to write about the electoral college!"

*No biggie bro, I increase your creative output! If you smoke a bowl of me, you'll be like the Jim Morrison of writing papers or something!*

"Hmmm....I guess I could do that!"

*Yay! (Smokes bowl)*

"Mr. Weed! You tricked me! I don't want to write this paper, I wanna eat Cheez-Its and listen to Ellie Goulding!"

*Troll face*

Oh man, I miss being able to eat a large pizza without (immediate) consequence. I didn't even get fat from it, despite doing it numerous times, and not exactly eating healthy in between. Now I try it and spend the rest of the night hating the world. I still have the metabolism of a hyperactive child, but also the heartburn and indigestion of someone twice my age. Bleh.

@TooWalrus said:

@JasonR86: Nonsense. I'm invincible.

That's what they all say until that one fateful pizza binge.

ehehe mine impulse problems are generally connected either with thinking or working too hard. When I do it, I just get so tired that anything that comes after it for a little while, is just left behind.