Difficulties in effectively managing impulsive behaviours may turn into a lifelong debilitating condition in both clinical and nonclinical populations. Impulsivity is a prominent feature of many psychiatric and developmental disorders: personality disorders (such as Borderline Personality Disorder) eating disorders (such as bulimia), mood disorders (such as bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders (such as OCD), and substance use disorders (such as alcohol or cocaine use disorder). Impulsivity, is associated with deliberate self- harm and suicide attempts, making it a component of a particularly high-risk clinical profile. In less acute clinical presentations, impulsivity can include problematic use of the internet, pornography use, overspending, gambling, sexual behaviors, and problematic anger outbursts. Thus, treatments focused on improving impulse control have broad implications in the treatment of a variety of common issues people seek psychological help for.

Dr. Sirous Mobini, Clinical Psychologist and Neuropsychologist, and I have developed an online program which addresses common impulse-control issues, including: – impulsive binge eating, anger and rage management, binge drinking. This evidence-based program was developed as part of a research study and awarded funding by the University of Newcastle. It combines Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and mindfulness strategies to help provide strategies for managing impulses and improving effective decision making.

According to the AIHW, 2017, 69% of people in rural communities are obese or overweight, 23% of people exceed the healthy guidelines for alcohol consumption, while suicide rates are 1.7% higher in remote areas as compared to metropolitan areas. One of the main factors preventing people in rural and remote Australia from making healthier lifestyle choices is access to affordable health care.

Some of the program we offer:
•Binge Eating – helping clients overcome impulsive overeating habits;
•Explosive Anger and Rage Management – helping clients learn healthy anger expression and improve their emotional regulations and impulse management;
•Binge Drinking – assisting clients overcome binge drinking habits;

Key Learnings:
1. Impulsivity/impulse control as a basis for the development and maintenance of unhealthy habits and addictive behaviours.
2. Addressing impulsivity in impulsive overeating and binge eating, explosive anger management, impulsive overspending, binge drinking and risky sexual behaviours.
3. Using online programs to help your clients in addressing dysfunctional impulsivity.