Coping skills are tools you use to manage difficult emotions, decrease stress, and create a sense of internal order. They may be used to help you deal with anxiety, depression, trauma, or even everyday life events. In addiction treatment, coping skills are a key component to addressing the underlying issues that contributed to substance abuse in the first place.
The good news is that there are many healthy ways to cope with stressful, uncomfortable situations. Everyone has their own personal coping style. Some people find comfort in activities like meditation, writing, or exercise. Others might find solace in spending time with loved ones or pets, watching a funny movie, or engaging in a favorite hobby. The key is to experiment with different coping strategies until you find one that works for you.
There are two basic types of coping: problem-focused and emotion-focused. Problem-focused coping strategies aim to change the situation that’s causing your stress, such as learning relaxation techniques or talking to your boss about the workplace tension you’re experiencing. Emotion-focused coping techniques focus on changing how you feel about the situation, such as using self-talk to reassure yourself that your feelings of panic are normal and you’re safe.
Having healthy and effective coping skills allows you to effectively respond to difficult situations, and helps you develop resilience and a strong sense of well-being. By developing a variety of coping strategies, you can choose the best one for any given situation, whether it’s an anxiety attack, difficult relationship, or traumatic event. It’s also important to remember that it takes practice to learn new coping techniques, so don’t be discouraged if you’re not successful at first.
It’s important to recognize what coping mechanisms are unhealthy or ineffective, as these can lead to negative consequences such as poor health and strained relationships. It’s helpful to write down a list of your unhealthy coping mechanisms so that you can replace them with more productive, healthy ones. For example, if you tend to avoid your feelings by distracting yourself, trying to “forget” about them with drugs or alcohol, or engaging in passive-aggressive behaviors, these are all considered unhelpful coping mechanisms that may cause more harm than good.
At AMR MentalHealth Therapy, we teach a variety of coping skills that can help you effectively deal with negative emotions, stressors, peer-pressured relationships, or past traumatic experiences. We will review both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping techniques that can be applied to any type of situation, so you can build resilience and overcome the obstacles in your recovery journey.
