Immediate gratification?

Question:

ok i have a question, id like some advice on how to break the habit of immediate gratification, i have habits that are self defeating, (this heres one of them, the computer haha) tonight theres no problem with being online no work tomarro but somenights i need to get to bed and know i need to but ill find one thing after another id rather do, ill read or be online or make something to eat even GO OUT! when i have to be up at 5 am the next day, i have alot of freedom at work so i can be late and not get fired but its hurting me on the paycheck, it bothers me that i see that the things im doing that make me feel content for the moment ar causing me to lose money but then at the time im doing them i dont care because its making me happy RIGHT then, i think i would be more satisfyied with my life if i had better self control.im not irresponsable i do well in life but i could do better, does anyone know how to break this habit? and does anyone have any ideas as to why i might be doing this?

Answers:
As a psychologist, I often encounter similar problems with my patients in a clinical setting. Some choose to sleep late, others choose to eat less, others exhibit an array of activities, such as in your case. My personal belief is that this type of behavior is directly linked to a sort of hyperactivity. This could be ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactiity Disorder) or a number of other diagnosis; in which hyperactivity and a deficit in concentration and organization is present. My reccomendation to you is to try the following steps. These are things that I have used with the patients that I treat, and I feel as though they work well in general. You may need to tweak these a bit, depending on what works best for you. First, i reccomend setting expectations for yourself. Make a list of what it is you need to do on that particular night, and stick to it (ex. computer from 7-9 pm---lights off at 9:30). Next, you need to condition yourself (classical conditioning, a theory of B.F. Skinner, is defined as "a process of behavior modification by which a subject comes to respond in a desired manner") Basically, you can go about this in several ways. I reccomend getting an egg timer. Set it to the desired time in which you allow yourself to participate in a certain activity. When the timer goes off, STOP IMMEDIATELY what you are doing, and continue on to the next activity listed (i.e. relaxing, sleeping, etc.). A more drastic, but certainly not one in which should be overlooked is the use of sedatives to help you sleep better. You may want to try Melatonin to begin with. The reason why I recommend thais is because it is the LEAST habit forming of sedatives, and is approved by the FDA for long term use. ALL major pharmacies (CVS,BROOKS, WALGREENS, etc) carry this. If this does not work, I would talk to your doctor. He or she may give you a prescription (probably for Seroquel, Trazadone, or other somewhat mild sedative). Take the sedative 30 minutes to 1 hour before you know you need to be asleep. This ensures that you get to sleep at a decent hour.Also, when you try to relax, take the following steps in which my patients and myself find ery helpful: light exersize 2 hours before bed time, a small snack such as crackers or an apple 1 hour before bedtime, sleep in a dark room in which is relatively cool, count to 100 in the same pattern as your breathing (breathe in-----breathe out---1----breathe in----breathe out-----2---and so on and so forth), try picking up a relaxing CD with sounds of the ocean or rain---this helps to relax you physically and emotionally. I hope that this helps you. I understand that it is a difficult situation that you are in. Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions or concerns that you may have. My personal e-mail address is --littlegirlsexxy@yahoo.com-- GOOD LUCK!!

Other Answers:
Lots and lots of therapy.

That, or realize that you have a problem with impulsiveness and try to curb it.
... which, in my experience, is damn near impossible without lots and lots of therapy.

Good luck. You'll need it.

I do know how you feel when your all alone and you have no one to make you stop it's hard. If you have anyone around just say hey make sure I'm off the computer before a certain time. If you don't have some one the when it's getting close to the time you have to get off just remember once you leave the page that's it. I know it's hard. You also might have a restless mind as i do and any excuse will stop you from sleeping you cant be on the computer, TV, phone, or just staring at the wall. but once your asleep your out! That's me. Take some over the counter sleeping pills 1 hour before bed time and adjust dose and time to fit your schedule! Hope that helps!

Holy Sh*t.... I will keep a look out for solutions to this problem cause I have the same problem. I know where your coming from. Sometimes when I cannot get off this thing I had only gotten acouple of hours sleep before work and have even stayed up and went to work, late as usual. Your question blows my mind cause it is me, feels like.

Everyone wants instant gratification. If this is a lifestyle you have been living for a long time, you won't be able to change right away. Try to start slow... Maybe if you have the urge to go out on a work night, just go out for an hour... Then less the next time, and so on.. Good luck!!

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Immediate gratification?

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