COPING MECHANISMS
Coping mechanisms are the strategies
people often use in the face of stress and/or
trauma to help manage painful or difficult
emotions. Coping mechanisms can help
people adjust to stressful events while
helping them maintain their emotional
well-being.
Coping styles can be problem-focused—also
called instrumental—or emotion-focused.
Problem-focused coping strategies are typically
associated with methods of dealing with the
problem in order to reduce stress, while
emotion-focused mechanisms can help people
handle any feelings of distress that result from
the problem.
MALADAPTIVE COPING MECHANISM are
ineffective coping mechanisms, which can
often be counterproductive or have unintended
negative consequences. ADAPTIVE COPING
MECHANISMS are those generally considered
to be healthy and effective ways of managing
stressful situations.
commonly used adaptive coping mechanisms are:
Support:Talking about a stressful event with a supportive person
can be an effective way to manage stress. Seeking external support
instead of self-isolating and internalizing the effects of stress can
greatly reduce the negative effects of a difficult situation.
Relaxation: Any number of relaxing activities can help people
cope with stress. Relaxing activities may include practicing
meditation, progressive muscle relaxation or other calming
techniques, sitting in nature, or listening to soft music.
Problem-solving: This coping mechanism involves identifying a
problem that is causing stress and then developing and putting into
action some potential solutions for effectively managing it.
Humor: Making light of a stressful situation may help people
maintain perspective and prevent the situation from becoming
overwhelming.
Physical activity: Exercise can serve as a natural and healthy form
of stress relief. Running, yoga, swimming, walking, dance, team
sports, and many other types of physical activity can help people
cope with stress and the aftereffects of traumatic events.
common maladaptive coping mechanisms includes:
Escape: To cope with anxiety or stress, some people may withdraw
from friends and become socially isolated. They may absorb
themselves in a solitary activity such as watching television, reading,
or spending time online.
Unhealthy self-soothing: Some self-soothing behaviors are healthy in
moderation but may turn into an unhealthy addiction if it becomes a
habit to use them to self-soothe. Some examples of unhealthy
self-soothing could include overeating, binge drinking, or excessive
use of internet or video games.
Numbing: Some self-soothing behaviors may become numbing
behaviors. When a person engages in numbing behavior, they are often
aware of what they are doing and may seek out an activity that will help
them drown out or override their distress. People may seek to numb
their stress by eating junk food, excessive alcohol use, or using drugs.
Compulsions and risk-taking: Stress can cause some people to seek an
adrenaline rush through compulsive or risk-taking behaviors such as
gambling, unsafe sex, experimenting with drugs, theft, or reckless
driving.
Self-harm: People may engage in self-harming behaviors to cope with
extreme stress or trauma.
DEFENSE MECHANISM
Defense mechanisms are behaviors people
use to separate themselves from
unpleasant events, actions, or thoughts.
These psychological strategies may help
people put distance between themselves
and threats or unwanted feelings, such as
guilt or shame.
First proposed by Sigmund Freud, this
theory has evolved over time and contends
that behaviors, like defense mechanisms,
are not under a person’s conscious control.
In fact, most people do them without
realizing the strategy they’re using.
1. Denial
Denial is one of the most common defense mechanisms. It
occurs when you refuse to accept reality or facts. You block
external events or circumstances from your mind so that you
don’t have to deal with the emotional impact. In other words,
you avoid the painful feelings or events.
This defense mechanism is one of the most widely known, too.
The phrase, “They’re in denial” is commonly understood to
mean a person is avoiding reality despite what may be obvious
to people around them.
2. Repression
Unsavory thoughts, painful memories, or irrational beliefs
can upset you. Instead of facing them, you may
unconsciously choose to hide them in hopes of forgetting
about them entirely.
That does not mean, however, that the memories disappear
entirely. They may influence behaviors, and they may impact
future relationships. You just may not realize the impact this
defense mechanism is having
3. Projection
Some thoughts or feelings you have about another
person may make you uncomfortable. If you project
those feelings, you’re misattributing them to the other
person.
For example, you may dislike your new co-worker, but
instead of accepting that, you choose to tell yourself
that they dislike you. You see in their actions the things
you wish you could do or say.
4. Displacement
You direct strong emotions and frustrations toward a person or
object that doesn’t feel threatening. This allows you to satisfy
an impulse to react, but you don’t risk significant
consequences.
A good example of this defense mechanism is getting angry at
your child or spouse because you had a bad day at work.
Neither of these people is the target of your strong emotions,
but reacting to them is likely less problematic than reacting to
your boss.
5. Regression
Some people who feel threatened or anxious may unconsciously “escape” to
an earlier stage of development.
This type of defense mechanism may be most obvious in young children. If
they experience trauma or loss, they may suddenly act as if they’re younger
again. They may even begin wetting the bed or sucking their thumb.
Adults can regress, too. Adults who are struggling to cope with events or
behaviors may return to sleeping with a cherished stuffed animal, overeat
foods they find comforting, or begin chain smoking or chewing on pencils
or pens. They may also avoid everyday activities because they feel
overwhelming.
6. Rationalization
Some people may attempt to explain undesirable behaviors
with their own set of “facts.” This allows you to feel
comfortable with the choice you made, even if you know on
another level it’s not right.
For example, people who might be angry at co-workers for not
completing work on time could be ignoring the fact that
they’re typically late, too.
7. Sublimation
This type of defense mechanism is considered a positive
strategy. That’s because people who rely on it choose to
redirect strong emotions or feelings into an object or
activity that is appropriate and safe.
For example, instead of lashing out at your employees, you
choose to channel your frustration into kickboxing or
exercise. You could also funnel or redirect the feelings into
music, art, or sports.
8. Reaction formation
People who use this defense mechanism recognize how
they feel, but they choose to behave in the opposite
manner of their instincts.
A person who reacts this way, for example, may feel
they should not express negative emotions, such as
anger or frustration. They choose to instead react in an
overly positive way.
9. Compartmentalization
Separating your life into independent sectors may feel
like a way to protect many elements of it.
For example, when you choose to not discuss personal
life issues at work, you block off, or compartmentalize,
that element of your life. This allows you to carry on
without facing the anxieties or challenges while you’re
in that setting or mindset.
10. Intellectualization
When you’re hit with a trying situation, you may
choose to remove all emotion from your responses
and instead focus on quantitative facts. You may see
this strategy in use when a person who is let go from
a job choose to spend their days creating spreadsheets
of job opportunities and leads.