A maladaptive coping mechanism may include avoiding a person or a situation which causes you stress, becoming defensive or harming yourself in some way. While adaptive coping mechanisms are healthy and positive, maladaptive ones are negative and could harm your health in the long run.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking – These will soothe the pain temporarily, but when the effects wear off, the emotions will still be there. Constantly coping with these could lead to addiction. Binge Eating – Stress eating is very common but most are left with more painful feelings of regret and shame.
Other positive ways to cope include meditation, journaling, and exercising. A negative coping mechanism includes stress in which a person attacks others and makes them uncomfortable. Or, to avoid the person, place or thing that causes us stress. Some choose to become defensive or even find ways to harm themselves.
PTSD can be worsened due to the kind of trigger involved. A trigger reminds you of what happened, activating memories, emotions, and physical responses, leading to a severe reaction.
Unhealthy coping techniques—such as drinking or avoiding the problem—may offer some temporary relief, but they tend to make things worse in the long run. These unhealthy tactics can also lead to other problems that create more stress and make coping more difficult.
Withdrawing from friends or partners or, conversely jumping into a frenzied social life to avoid facing problems. Overeating or weight gain. Undereating or weight loss. Sleeping too much.
Inability to cope with problems and daily activities. Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits. Excessive complaints of physical ailments. Changes in ability to manage responsibilities - at home and/or at school.
Unhealthy Coping Strategies
Drinking too much alcohol or turning to drugs. Eating too much or not enough. Sleeping too much. Avoiding opportunities to be accountable.
Unhealthy coping strategies often provide instant gratification or relief, but have long-term negative consequences. In contrast, healthy coping strategies don't always feel good in the moment, but they contribute to long-lasting positive outcomes.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Being subjected to constant yelling and verbal abuse can cause symptoms of PTSD. Symptoms can include insomnia, feeling the need to be on guard, getting easily startled and displaying self-destructive behavior.
The UK Trauma Council defines complex trauma as traumatic experiences involving multiple events with interpersonal threats during childhood or adolescence. Such events may include abuse, neglect, interpersonal violence, community violence, racism, discrimination, and war.
When deciding which option to choose, it's helpful to think of the four A's: avoid, alter, adapt or accept. Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no “one size fits all” solution to managing it.
In times of deep pain, anger and stress, crying can be a healthy coping option. Though more often associated with negative emotions, crying is more than just a symptom of sadness. Research suggests crying is an emotional release mechanism useful to your mental health for a number of reasons.
These include: Reduced concentration or inability to focus. Feeling tired/lethargic/lacking motivation. Rapid weight changes - this can be up or down.
Evans distinguished productive and “unhealthy” escapism, outlining the following indicators of unhealthy escapism: procrastination, psychosis, denial (leading to rejection of social norms, rigid personal stance on life and isolation) and addiction (inability to control habits).
A nervous breakdown, also known as a mental health crisis or mental breakdown, describes a period of intense mental distress. A person having a nervous breakdown is temporarily not able to function in their everyday life.