Friday
Moderator
Starting using a coping mechanism to deal with increased stress? That’s probably all of us.I'm also wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience.
Started using an unhealthy coping mechanism, to deal with increased stress? That’s probably most of us.
Started using an unhealthy coping mechanism, that we dislike, to deal with increased stress? That’s probably a helluva lot of us.
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There are COUNTLESS coping mechanisms that people with PTSD can and will use in an attempt to self-regulate / deal with increased stress.
My own self, I have 4 broad categories of what I term “nuclear coping mechanisms” that saw me through some very dark times. (f*ck it. Fight it. Get f*cked up. Make it go Faster.) As well as a few score of other less SHAZAAM! coping mechanisms in a half a dozen or dozen different loose categories.
I have never, in my life, found any kind of direct substitution. IE Been able to replace 1 coping mechanism I don’t like with 1 coping mechanism I do. Which makes sense, as every single one of them? Does different things / hits different areas, in different ways, to different levels.
So, my experience is that if I ever want to switch out a single coping mechanism? I need to look at ALL of the areas it’s hitting (and how, why, to what degree) and look for subs that also hit those areas*.
Which is actually kind of cool… because it means I’m switching out 1 unhealthy &/or disliked thing for bringing something like FIVE fun/interesting/amazing/soothing/exciting things into my life. Even if on the front of it? It “feels” like a terrible sort of deal to have to find more than 1 kind of awesome?
<<< Definitely come to see that as a picture in the dictionary next to “Feelings aren’t Facts” 
* And if I’m still craving the unhealthy/unwanted thing? To look again. Because, clearly, I’ve missed something!
(Not clearly, to begin with. Just something I’ve learned over the years. Oh. It’s also doing THIS. And maybe even that?!? Didn’t even realize / would never have thunk it. Okay! Time to play around with things that also hit this’n’that!
So, my experience is that if I ever want to switch out a single coping mechanism? I need to look at ALL of the areas it’s hitting (and how, why, to what degree) and look for subs that also hit those areas*.
Which is actually kind of cool… because it means I’m switching out 1 unhealthy &/or disliked thing for bringing something like FIVE fun/interesting/amazing/soothing/exciting things into my life. Even if on the front of it? It “feels” like a terrible sort of deal to have to find more than 1 kind of awesome?


* And if I’m still craving the unhealthy/unwanted thing? To look again. Because, clearly, I’ve missed something!
(Not clearly, to begin with. Just something I’ve learned over the years. Oh. It’s also doing THIS. And maybe even that?!? Didn’t even realize / would never have thunk it. Okay! Time to play around with things that also hit this’n’that!