Hi all its been probably years since I last posted here but I'm trying to do the ADHD thing without meds. I find my impulsiveness creating problems in my life.
1. I'm diabetic and not on any meds yet for it (thank goodness) but if I don't control my eating sugars and bad carbs my blood sugar won't go down.
I keep impulsively eating things then smacking my head going "what were you thinking?!"

2. I used to be a cutter in High School and suddenly 20 or so years later I'm starting it up again. I am on day 2 of not doing it and every time I feel this intense stress I look at this tack beside me...

3. I say things I shouldn't say. Some times its rude.

How do I teach myself to watch my impulses?

Hi Keppig,

I have impulse problems as well. For me it feels like the world will stop existing or I will implode something if I don't do whatever it is. Usually it involves saying something rude, buying something I should not, etc.

I have had mixed success (but seriously, that's better than none) with these two methods:

1) This one is really hard. Just try not doing whatever it is you feel compelled to do. While you're in that moment of wanting/NEEDING to do that thing so badly sit with yourself and allow yourself that feeling. For me, it feels like I will never be okay again unless I do whatever it is I want/"need" to do at the moment, but I decide to give hope a try and find out what actually happens if I don't do it. It helps if I breathe in and out very deeply and slowly a few times. Usually once I've taken myself out of the situation (left the store, turned off my cell phone and put it out of site, walked outside, shut the kitchen cabinet) the feeling subsides a bit, and eventually falls away. And (surprise!) life goes on.

This method is difficult, especially the first time you try. Once you have successfully not followed your impulse once, it gets easier the next time (for me, only if it is a similar impulse). If you give in after successfully fighting that impulse for a while, you have to start all over again.

2)This method is slightly easier for me to handle. Again, feel that feeling of impending impossibility that you may have before doing the impulsive thing. Only this time tell yourself not to do it, and that if you still want to do it in an hour/day/20 min, that you can re-evaluate your decision then. This technique helps me because I give myself the prospect of maybe getting to do that thing in the future. A lot of the time, by the time the hour/day/20 min is over, I no longer want to do it.

If you get to the re-evaluation time and you still want (or feel like you have) to do it, you can start over again and do either #1 or #2.

All this stuff I wrote is not anything anyone has told me, nor is it any kind of proven method, it's just something I worked out myself. As such, I don't know if it has any value to anyone else, but I hope it will help you. Let me know if it does:)


I would love any feedback from anyone and to hear how other people experience/deal with impulses.

Good luck!

1. I'm diabetic and not on any meds yet for it (thank goodness) but if I don't control my eating sugars and bad carbs my blood sugar won't go down.
I keep impulsively eating things then smacking my head going "what were you thinking?!"


Type two the most common form of diabetes means that you produce insulin however your cells do not absorb the insulin there fore you have mega insulin floating around in your blood stream. . .. in case no one told you before insulin triggers eating. . . this is why it is so difficult for type two diabetics to remain on diets.

Addition of exercise gives metabolism a boost. Even if it is walking when you feel the need to eat or become board

Knowing you are going to munch prepare to munch with food that contain lower calories and has the proper carbs. Starches will keep your sugar up a lot longer than simple sugars so keep the access of those to a minim depending upon your home situation.

Type two diabeties is caused by genetic traits designed to give the person the ability to survive during persiod of starvation. . . . if the access to food were suddenly cut off you would not have a desease or condition you would have an adapatation that allows you to survive longer.

Man kind has changed his enviroment faster than his body has been able to biologically adapt thus type two diabeties. My husband was relieved to find out that this condtion was a genetic adaptatin instead of some moral flaw. Thisis why I choose to share it with you also.

Cambridge (http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=F46938491BB0051EC834C5E 926A3EEEB.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=902748)

To date thrifty genes remain little more than a nebulous concept propagated by the intuitive logic that man has been selected to survive episodic famine and seasonal hungry periods. Under such conditions those individuals who could lay down extra energy stores and use them most efficiently would have a survival advantage. The search for candidate thrifty genes needs to cover every aspect of human energy balance from food-seeking behaviour to the coupling efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation ***End Quote

2. I used to be a cutter in High School and suddenly 20 or so years later I'm starting it up again. I am on day 2 of not doing it and every time I feel this intense stress I look at this tack beside me...

This is often caused by anxiety and exercise instead of cutting will help the diabetes and the stress. . ..exercising changes many thing for the better while killing two birds with one stone. When you are looking at the tack beside you it is time for a walk, a bike ride, ect. . . . .



3. I say things I shouldn't say. Some times its rude.

This is a biggie for me tooooo and I honestly have to take medication so I will know I am going to speak before the words come flying out of my mouth. If you hear the words in your head before {or at least know you are going to speak before doing so- not an option for me} you say them make your self insert the word think then spell the word out. . . .if you can delay the words for 7-10 seconds some time this is all that is needed to refrain from impulsive responses that sound rude. Often times it isn't what we say that is rude but how we say it, stopping the impulse may give us the few seconds we need to engage the re-word program in our heads.

Many want to stay medication free which is admirable how ever the benefits of this approach should carefully be measured against the problems that arise due to not having chemical control.

Some people do reasonably well by finding tricks and work around while others are unable to. We are all different, our symptoms are different, the severity is different and no matter what "condition" we have it interacts with our individual personally and temperament. We must each make choices that is right for us while respecting the fact that our answers may not be right for others. I do hope some of these suggestions are of use.