Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms Part 2

Healthy coping is proactively taking steps to address stressful emotions or experiences in a way that protects your well-being. Unhealthy coping involves thinking or doing things that have negative physical, psychological, or emotional consequences.

5. Overthinking Thinking is a necessary process to get clarity, understand, and make decisions for sorting out difficulties. Overthinking isn’t. Thinking too much is considered a defensive coping mechanism to protect against painful or upsetting thoughts or unpleasant situations. Overthinking interferes with sleep and threatens one’s mental health. Whether they beat themselves up over a mistake they made yesterday or fret about how they’re going to succeed tomorrow, overthinkeers are plagued by distressing thoughts. Some people just can’t ever seem to quiet the barrage of some thoughts. Their inner monologue includes two destructive though pattern- ruminating and worrying. Ruminating involves rehashing the past. I should have done this, or not do that. Worrying involves negative-often catastrophic-predictions about the future My spouse is going find someone better than I am. I’m going to end up divorced and alone. Studies show that overthinking leads to serious emotional distress. To escape that distress many overthinkers resort to unhealthy coping strategies, such as alcohol or food.

6. Over or under eating According to the American Psychological Association (APA), stress is a top reason why many people engage in unhealthy eating behaviors. Actually they state that about one-fourth of Americans rate their stress level as 8 or more on 10-point scale. Overeating is also called emotional eating. Eating more than is required for daily sustenance. For some individuals, it a quick and easy way to numb away pain and stress. There is much truth behind the phrase “stress eating.” Stress hormones are unleashed unleaded unleashes and high-fat, sugary “comfort foods” push people toward overeating. In the short term, stress can shut down appetite. The nervous system sends a message to the adrenal gland to release the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline). Epinephrine helps trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, a revved-up physiological state that temporarily puts eating on hold. But if stress persists, it’s a different story. The adrenal glands release another hormone called cortisol, and cortisol increases appetite and may also ramp up motivation in general, including the motivation to eat. Once a stressful episode is over, cortisol levels should fall, but if the stress doesn’t go away- or if a person’s stress response gets stuck in the “on” position-cortisol may stay elevated

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7. Over spending, also known as retail therapy, is buying more than is necessary to meet your personal needs and occasional indulgences. It’s often done impulsively to avoid dealing with stress. If guilty of going on shopping sprees, for weeks, to soothe negative emotions, you’re not alone. Many have “gone broke” as a result of this problem. However there is help for the stress causing these problems. That help can come from a doctor, or from a friend or peer. Not getting help the stress can and often will grow stronger.