When it comes to dealing with distressing or overwhelming situations, we all turn to our coping mechanisms. Be it eating, sleeping, or completely disassociating, a coping mechanism is a strategy we use when confronted by certain triggers to help us manage difficult situations or emotions.

Often, coping mechanisms can be separated as either healthy or unhealthy strategies when faced with psychological stress. How can we really tell the difference between them? It’s simple: a healthy coping mechanism is one where the coping behaviour leads to the issue being resolved or dealt with, while an unhealthy coping mechanism does not lead to any issues being resolved or handled by the person. Here are some examples of unhealthy coping mechanisms:

Alcohol or drug abuse – Consumption of such substances habitually and out of limits that are socially or legally acceptable can lead to very drastic negative effects on one’s own wellbeing and day-to-day life. 

Impulse spending – ‘Retail therapy’ is what they call it. While it can be a quick dopamine fix to impulsively purchase an item, this behaviour becoming a constant stress-relieving tactic can lead to severe financial problems that can affect one in the long run. 

Avoiding problems – Something a lot of us are guilty of; denial is bliss. To avoid stressful situations in our lives, we often engage in excessive work or other distractions like oversleeping, constant partying, or procrastination that bury our emotions and only allow them to build up inside until we burst. This can greatly affect our personal life and our relationships.

Catastrophising – Figuring out the worst potential outcomes of a situation so one could avoid feeling hurt in the end is also a very common coping mechanism. This is cognitive distortion where one would be unable to make fully informed decisions that could greatly affect their life. 

All these coping mechanisms have horrible impacts on an individual’s life, whether it is in the long run or the immediate future. It is important to understand when to stop ourselves from depending on these coping mechanisms, just so they wouldn’t lead to us harming ourselves while ironically trying to shield ourselves from stressful situations. 

It is advised you read up on unhealthy coping mechanisms more often and detect whether you have any. If you are concerned you have one or more of these unhealthy coping mechanisms, you are advised to contact a local mental health professional or reach out to someone you trust. Stop trying to avoid the negative and get some help to face it, and stop comparing yourself to others or your own expectations; there is no ‘right way’ to react to stressful situations, but there are definitely healthier routes. With the right support, especially from yourself, you can overcome these unhealthy strategies – one baby step at a time.