Procrastination: Bad habit or Psychological Disorder

Have you ever put something off until it was too late? If so your not alone, but some people find themselves in a perpetual never ending cycle of postponing and avoidance. So when does procrastination cross the line from bad habit to possible psychological disorder? Well its not a disorder however, it could be the symptom or the link to other psychological disorders.

Procrastination can be broken down into several groups. According to a research paper by Jenny Maryasis "the complexity of procrastination has forced researchers to divide it into different types the most pertinent in my opinion- behavioral and decisional." It is debatable what cause procrastination but it could be linked to issues related to anxiety, low self worth, and self defeating mentality. Research suggest that there is a stronger correlation between procrastination and impulsiveness.

Are you a nail bitter? Do you habitually bite your nails down to the numbs? In the moment, do you even realize you're doing it? If you answer is yes to any of these questions you might have an impulse control disorder. Impulse control disorder is a term that is used to group psychological disorders in which the ability to control one's impulses is hindered. These disorders are :

• Intermittent Explosive disorder- violent angry outburst
• Kleptomania- Shopping lifting and stealing
• Compulsive Gambling
• Pyromania- Lighting things on fire
• Trichotillomania- hair pulling

What separates these from other disorders is that the primary problem is controlling the impulse. Usually there is a feeling or relief or satisfaction that the action gives but often times this is followed by guilt and regret. Those who suffer from this sometimes feel helpless because of their inability to control the impulse.

How does this relate to procrastination? Well to keep it short, the relation is both psychological and physiological. The easier of the two to understand is the physiological connection. The prefrontal cortex is where procrastination stems from. This is the area of the brain that is responsible for helping us pay attention, make decisions and impulse control. Hence the connection between Impulse Control Disorders and procrastination. On the psychological side of it, the connection is that people who tend to be impulsive are easily distracted resulting in delays. Although impulsiveness might seem more of a personality trait(and to some extent its), for those who have an impulse control disorder distractions can easily get side tracked( I should know I procrastinated writing this hub).

So it is safe to say that procrastination is not a psychological disorder however, for some of us it is a sign or symptom of deeper psychological issues. Yet, I wouldn't conclude that procrastination is a bad habit or form of laziness but rather a psychological response to things we put off. Why we put them off is unique to each person and situation.