Behavioural Problems Stemming From Our Thought Life

Behavioural Problems Stemming From Our Thought Life

Dr. Paul Meier looks at how behavioural problems often means the person has a lot more going on within. He believes that our unresolved hurts can affect our thought life, disrupting our development and growth to cause behavioural problems such as addictions and obesity.

According to Vocabulary.com/dictionary/psyche, “the Psyche is psyche. Another word for the place where your thoughts come from is your psyche. Not your actual brain, but whatever it is that generates all of your thoughts and emotions. Psyche comes from the Greek psykhe, which means “the soul, mind, spirit, or invisible animating entity which occupies the physical body.”

Quite often behavioural problems and addictions can sprout up from issues that haven’t been properly dealt with in our past. When people internalise hurts or abuse and other problems that are too great for them to deal with at the time, behavioural patterns can develop as a way for them to cope.

But are they really coping?

As a result of internalised pain what we see on the surface isn’t the actual or original problem the person has.

There’s a whole range of mental health problems that can arise as a result of not dealing with past hurts.  Some of these might be:

• Addictions
• Co-Dependence
• Obesity
• Depression
• Anxiety and more.

In an excerpt from Dr Paul Meier’s article Love Hunger – What’s Eating You? He provides to different cases where people have not dealt with their hurts but are now behaving in certain ways.

TOM – Thinks he has bad luck with women

“For instance, Tom marries five women in a row who are totally controlling and verbally abusive, and believes he just had bad luck with women.  He finds out in therapy, however, that he still craves the approval of his controlling, verbally-abusive mother; this is his root problem. “

SALLY – Thinks she has a low metabolism

“Sally has been 100 pounds overweight all her life and blames it on a low metabolism. She discovers in therapy that she never felt loved by either parent, and actually put the weight on quite soon after being sexually molested by her best friend’s dad when she was eight years old. The extra 100 pounds is a protective wall against being controlled and abused by other males, but it is unconscious. She binge eats when, in reality, she is feeding her “love hunger.” The counselling helps her to figure out that her weight problem isn’t stemming from a low metabolism.”

Clearly the problem on the surface is only a symptom of what’s happening deep inside these people on a subconscious level.

“Mark Twain once rightfully said, “It’s not what you eat that gives you indigestion, it’s what’s eating you.” The Meier Clinics, for nearly thirty years now, are world renowned for being “insight-oriented;” a psychological term that means we try to dig out Everyone’s root problems.”

Sources:

Permission attained – Dr Paul Meier – The Meier Clinics –  Love Hunger – What’s Eating You?

To every behaviour there’s motive, but motives can be driven by hurts. There’s often a lot more going on within a person than meets the eye. That’s why counselling and mental health services are much needed within our communities to support others.

Sandra Ciminelli
Cred.Dip.Couns.(Christian)

Study the CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling at aifc.