I was wondering why so many of us end up engaging in self-damaging behaviors. We've all done it. Drinking too much, smoking, dating a bad guy, gorging on a whole pizza when you only needed a slice or two...the list goes on. Why do we do things that we know will harm us? Is it because of a rebellious attitude, a feeling of invincibility? Or maybe we think we deserve the pain it will inevitably cause, a form of self punishment. Or you justify it to yourself, I deserve this as a reward for (fill in the blank). I personally think it may be that we're given such unattainable goals as women in society. We're supposed to be thin, "a lady on the street but a freak in the bed", smart but not too smart, career minded yet family oriented as well. We're supposed to have perfect little lives, with college degrees, white teeth, blond hair, and Manolos. Some of us have families that are not lacking in the judgment department, and let us know the second we've put on weight, or that our haircut looks horrible, or that we should be married by now. I think this passive aggressive self sabotage is what happens when all of these daily pressures rear their ugly head. After dealing with all of that pressure, telling yourself a bottle of wine and later a whole bag of potato chips is just what you need to feel better for a bit. And then the next day you vow to diet and feel incredibly ugly, guilty, and fat. This vicious cycle goes on...

So I was wondering. How do you get over the pressures of being a woman in current society? Why do you think we self sabotage? How can we make peace with all of these mixed messages from the media, church, family, friends, coworkers?