| Work-arounds |
Website Links For Coping |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT COPING SKILL | |
| psychological adjustment | |
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When helping humans deal with specific problems, professional counselors have found that a focus of attention on coping skills (with or without remedial action) often helps individuals. The range of successful coping skills varies widely with the problems to be overcome. However, the learning and practice of coping skills are generally regarded as very helpful to most individuals. Even the ''sharing'' of learned coping skills with others is often beneficial. When coping methods are overused they may actually worsen one's condition. Alcohol , Cocaine and other Drug s may provide temporary Escape from one's problems, but, with excess use, ultimately result in greater problems. One group of coping skills are coping mechanisms, defined as the skills used to reduce Stress . In psychological terms, these are consciously used skills and defense mechanisms are their unconscious counterpart. Overuse of coping mechanisms (such as avoiding problems or working obsessively) and Defense Mechanism s (such as Denial and Projection ), may exacerbate one's problem rather than remedy it. COPING SKILLS There are two primary styles of coping with stress. Action-based coping Action-based coping involves actually dealing with a problem that is causing stress. Examples can include getting a second job in the face of financial difficulties, or studying to prepare for exams. Action-based coping is generally seen as superior to emotion-based coping, as it can directly reduce a source of stress. Emotion-based coping Emotion-based coping skills reduce the symptoms of stress without addressing the source of the stress. Consuming alcohol, sleeping or discussing the stress with a friend are all emotion-based coping strategies. Emotion-based coping can make an individual feel better about a problem, but ultimately will not solve it. However, emotion-based coping can be useful to reduce stress to a manageable level, enabling action-based coping, or when the source of stress can not be addressed directly.1 SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS FOOTNOTES |
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