Excessive self-control can be harmful to mental health – 11/11/2023 – Balance

Having a lot of self-control is often seen as a good thing. Skill is considered the key to success in many aspects of life, whether it’s getting a promotion at work, following an exercise routine or resisting the temptation of sweets.

However, as suggested by a theory published by Professor Thomas Lynch in 2018, high self-control may not always be a good thing — and, for some, it may be linked to certain mental health problems.

According to Lynch’s theory, each of us leans more toward one of two personality styles: “undercontrol” or “overcontrol.” Each person’s side depends on many factors, including genetic profile, the approval or disapproval of others around them, our life experiences and the coping strategies we use in everyday life.

It is important to emphasize that being under-controlled or over-controlled is neither good nor bad. Although these poles indicate a behavioral profile, most of us are psychologically flexible and can adapt to different situations that arise. Therefore, regardless of whether we are over-controlled or under-controlled, this flexibility helps us deal with life’s challenges and setbacks in a constructive way.

Both undercontrol and overcontrol can become problematic. This usually happens when a combination of biological, social and personal factors makes us much less flexible.

Most of us are probably most familiar with the manifestations of so-called problematic undercontrol. Highly uncontrolled people may have few inhibitions and cannot control their emotions. This behavior can be unpredictable because it often depends on the mood they are in. This can negatively affect your relationships, education, work, finances and health.

There are many therapies that can help these people. In general, they help the patient learn to regulate emotions and increase self-control. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy aims to teach control over your thoughts, behavior, and emotions. Similarly, dialectical behavior therapy —designed for people who experience emotions very intensely—targets emotional dysregulation.

Problematic overcontrol

Unfortunately, people who are highly controlled are not often talked about too much. This happens because excessively similar traits — such as persistence, the ability to make plans and stick to them, the struggle for perfection and the maintenance of emotions — are highly valued in many societies. But when excess control becomes a problem, it can be harmful in many areas of life.

People who are highly in control may have difficulty adapting to change. They may be less open to new experiences and criticism from others and tend to be very opinionated. People with this condition may experience bitter feelings of envy toward others and have difficulty relaxing and having fun in social situations. They may also use fewer gestures, rarely smile or cry, and try to hide their emotions at any cost.

Together, these characteristics can make a person more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness. Ultimately, this can worsen your mental health.

Unfortunately, many of the psychological therapies available are not helpful in treating overcontrol problems. This is because the techniques focus on improving self-control and emotional regulation. But because people who are overly controlling and overregulating already do so, they need therapy that can help them learn that sometimes it’s okay to relax and just let things happen.

Along with his theory, Lynch also developed a therapy designed to treat issues of overcontrol — known as radically open dialectical behavior therapy.

Early studies have shown that the technique has a lot of potential to help overly controlled people. This is done by teaching them to let go of the need to always be in control, to be more open about their emotions, to communicate better with other people, and to be more flexible amidst changing situations.

It is important to emphasize that this therapy is transdiagnostic, meaning that it can be useful regardless of the mental health condition with which a person may have been diagnosed before. Research shows it can even be useful for people struggling with a range of mental health conditions — such as treatment-resistant depression, anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorders.

But to receive adequate help, a person must first be correctly identified as highly controlled.

The current assessment of overcontrol is quite long and complex. It involves some questionnaires and an assessment that must be conducted by a specially trained doctor. These factors can limit access to support and delay treatment.

I am working on developing a simplified assessment method that will help promptly identify problematic overcontrol. This will also make it easier for researchers to continue studying supercontrol.

Excessive control is often admired, and people like this are rarely open about their problems and internal struggles. This is why problematic overcontrol can go unnoticed for a long time. Continued work in this field is expected to make it easier for people to get the help they need.

It is important to emphasize that overcontrol and undercontrol are complex concepts and cannot be self-diagnosed. If you suspect that you may be over- or under-controlled — and especially if it is affecting your health and well-being — it’s important to contact a doctor or therapist.

* Alex Lambert is a PhD researcher at Nottingham Trent University, in the field of the Psychology of maladaptive overcontrol.

This article was originally published on the academic news website The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons license. Read the original English version here.