Taking risks

Regularly making risky or dangerous choices - such as getting into fights, drink driving or unsafe sex - can indicate an underlying problem that should be addressed. If you are worried about your risky behaviour, or that of a loved one, help is available.

About taking risks

Risk taking is when we do things that might be harmful or dangerous, but at the same time are exciting and give us a 'buzz'.

Risk taking becomes a problem when it's done without thinking about consequences, even if they include serious injury or death.

If you are worried about your level of risk taking

Are your decisions dangerous? Ask yourself:

• Are the risks you take potentially life threatening, such as driving too fast or getting into physical fights with people?

• Do you think you take more risks than other people?

• Do you often look back on something you did and think you could have died or been seriously injured?

• Do you often get into trouble for doing things without thinking about the consequences?

• Have you been injured or become sick because of your risky behaviour?

• Do you take party drugs without worrying about what they are or where they came from?

• Do you have unsafe sex or indulge in other risky sexual behaviours?

If so, you might want to do something about it.

You don’t have to give up having fun, but it is important to stay safe. Risk taking is not necessarily wrong or bad for you, but you should make decisions with regard to consequences - especially if they might kill you.

Risk-taking behaviour may indicate an underlying issue such as posttraumatic stress. Seek professional help to learn if there is a link between your behaviour and PTSD.

If your risk taking is related to drinking or drug use, think about addressing those issues specifically.

Do you take risks when you feel angry? Are there times when you don’t care if you get hurt or even deliberately self-harm? All of these are common in people who take excessive risks. Dealing with these underlying problems will reduce the need for you to take lots of risks.

If you don’t want to stop taking risks

Lots of sports – like sky diving, rock climbing or white water rafting – can provide the kind of adrenalin rush that risk taking provides. For some people, other risks like performing on stage in front of a crowd can be a huge buzz. If they are done with some thought, all of these activities can be safe as well as fun.

When you start thinking about risky behaviours, think about the consequences and what could happen if something goes wrong:

• Assess the risk – think before you act. Just stop for a minute and think through the possible risks and dangers. Ask yourself:
  • Are the risks too great?
  • Is it worth it?
  • What can I do to reduce the risk and make it safer? For example, if I’m about to have sex with someone new, I’ll make sure we use a condom. If I want to take drugs, I’ll make sure I know exactly what I’m taking and ask someone to check up on me from time to time. If I’m planning a heavy session of drinking, I won’t drive.
• Work out some ground rules for yourself and stick to them so you know before you get into a situation whether or not it is a reasonable risk. Your 'rules' might be to never be in a car with a drunk driver ... never to have unprotected sex ... never start a dangerous activity without checking the equipment.
• Work out what’s important to you and judge the risks accordingly. If sport and other physical activities are important to you, don’t do things with a high risk of physical injury. If you value your relationship with a loved one, don’t do things that will damage it.
• Find people whose judgement you trust, spend time with them, and use them as "sounding boards". If everyone else thinks something is too dangerous to do, it probably is.

Having fun is a vital part of life and sometimes taking risks keeps us feeling alive. But taking risks without first considering the danger involved or how you can keep yourself safe can be a sign that something else is wrong.

If so, it’s worth sorting out those other problems before you do yourself serious damage. And if you are going to keep taking risks, just make sure they are calculated risks that you have thought through.