Control
Some people regain their sense of control by abstinence (some examples being anorexia nervosa and some brands of religious fanaticism). Personally, I regain control through doing. I cut and imbibe alcohol how I want and when I want, and both acts have an infinite amount of degree about which I feel masterful. If I were to have an eating disorder, I'm sure I would be bulimic, fulfilling my need for sustenance and then defying the whole process by vomiting.
The problem in my special activism is when I'm faced with an impulse that can only be fulfilled with the cooperation of another person. The biggest examples of this are sexual encounters and petty theft. At the times when I want sexual or material gratification, I must find a willing partner or a blind merchant, respectively. In this respect, there's a certain situational irony in sex: the person whom I need to regain my sense of control is often the person whose actions led to my loss of control.
The problem in my special activism is when I'm faced with an impulse that can only be fulfilled with the cooperation of another person. The biggest examples of this are sexual encounters and petty theft. At the times when I want sexual or material gratification, I must find a willing partner or a blind merchant, respectively. In this respect, there's a certain situational irony in sex: the person whom I need to regain my sense of control is often the person whose actions led to my loss of control.