After you’ve made that huge leap from an addiction to sobriety, many opportunities will show themselves to you—when you are ready. Now, could be the perfect time to take a look at your emotionally reactive behavior.
Are you an emotionally reactive person, the one who goes from A to Z in a second? Has your spouse ever said to you in frustration and alarm, I never know when you are going to blow up. You may want to control your reactions to things that irritate or bother you, but you have no impulse control. Because of this you have gotten yourself into unpleasant situations and awkward encounters. Take heart, there are ways to help remediate this behavior.
Take the example of a woman or a man working at an office with tight quarters. Everybody can hear them swear when something doesn’t go right. It wears on yours and your colleagues nerves, but the person isn’t going to know the far-reaching effects of their swearing or slamming down the phone unless someone confronts them. Who’s going to dare to say something?
If you are the person who reacts, as in this scenario, you may sense you are being disruptive to your colleagues. Something is amiss with you other than a poor night’s sleep. Begin to practice observing your feelings when a negative emotion rises as fast as a balloon in the sky. There I go again. Does what you’re reacting to merit the level of your response? No? Then, in order to gain control over your emotional reactions, you have to do some digging, preferably with a therapist. It make takes weeks or a few months to find the cause depending upon the level of trust you have with your therapist.
People react emotionally because something triggers them. My boss’s tone of voice sounds just like my alcoholic father’s. No wonder you have an emotionally charged reaction to your boss, but once you figure it out, and can make sense of it, you won’t have to tell him to take this job and shove it like the lyrics do in a country and western song.
Learning to observe before you react, takes practice. Practice observing your reactions to whomever or whatever the situation. Here comes my boss. He is going to say something negative, because that’s his personality. I don’t have to buy into it and react by turning my good mood into a sour one just because of him.
If you or a loved one struggles with addiction, get help now. Nexus Recovery Services specializes in addiction treatment and encompasses holistic therapy for the mind, body, and soul with a focus on staying active and connected to nature. Our mission is to provide tools and support for every client’s seamless transition into a meaningful and fulfilling life of sobriety. We offer a free and confidential consultation. Call us to get started:(310) 881-9151