Are you good at doing things “right,” following the rules, and controlling your emotions? Maybe a little too good? If so, you might have an Overcontrolled style of coping. This is a temperamentally-based trait that means you are highly detail-focused, attuned to threat, and high in something called inhibitory control. Inhibitory control is the ability to inhibit one’s impulses and behaviors.
Having some degree of self-control, emotional regulation, and willpower can be useful in a lot of ways! If you are looking for an accountant, surgeon, or contract lawyer, you probably want them to have an over-controlled style. People with this style tend to be organized, detail-oriented, and on top of things.
But having too much self-control has some downsides. Many people who have an Overcontrolled style of coping look like they have it all together on the outside, but in reality they don't feel like they do, and their suffering often goes unnoticed. Focusing too much on doing everything “right” can lead to rigidity, perfectionism, and loneliness, making it hard to connect with others and enjoy life.
If you are struggling with problems related to Overcontrol, there’s help for you! Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO DBT), is a new, evidence-based therapy approach aimed at helping people with an overcontrolled style of coping in the service of loosening up a bit, more fulfilling relationships, and gaining the capacity to just chill.
Friend of ImpACT Psychology Hope Arnold is a therapist in private practice in Denver and founder of RO DBT Denver. Hope specializes in RO DBT for disorders of overcontrol. She’s also a trainer and senior clinician in RO-DBT. What a great resource for us in Colorado!
Response Style Quiz: If you aren’t sure whether you “lean” under- or over-controlled, you can take a Quiz here: http://www.sanantoniodbtcbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/OC-Trait-Rating-Scale.pdf Just be warned that some people who are over controlled have trouble filling out the answers to this one, and a thorough clinical assessment of over-control involves more than this quiz.
To learn more, check out Debbie’s podcast interviews with Hope here:
Part One on Overcontrol: https://www.offtheclockpsych.com/podcast/overcontrol-with-hope-arnold-part-1
Part Two on RO-DBT: https://www.offtheclockpsych.com/podcast/overcontrol-with-hope-arnold-part-2
