What is your most effective and ineffective coping mechanism?

27 comments

1. Dark, dark humour. For both.

2. Effective: Journaling
   Ineffective: drugs (medium-long term)

3. Effective: dissociation/intellectualisation. Ineffective: overisolation.

   While the former may be pretty effective, I’m also aware it’s not necessarily healthy when it’s systematic and emotions get neglected. But in the right situations and amount, it has definitely helped me.

4. Effective: Listening to music

   Ineffective: Alcohol

5. Denial and wine.

   Mostly wine.

   And sleep!

6. Escapism and laughing through the pain are both effective in short-term and ineffective long-term.

7. Effective: prayers and stepping away from the situation.

   Ineffective: negative self talk. I tend to forget what I truly am capable to bring to the table.

8. Effective: Listening to music, sorting or organising things, journaling, taking a bath, reading, cleaning, crying, acceptance

   Ineffective: Drugs, smoking, craving others validation as a short term solution for long term problems

9. Effective- complaining to someone who cares. Ineffective – drinking.

10. Red wine – for both

11. Masterbating

12. Music, meditation, journaling and mindfulness.

13. Effective: cognitive behavioral therapy

    Least effective: drug use

14. Ineffective: seeking external validation. Drinking. Doom scrolling.
    Effective: meditation, yoga, journaling

15. Working out is one of my best relaxation methods. I suppose it depends on what’s stressing me out at the time.

16. self harm

17. Effective – talk it out with a close family member or friend or distract myself by being productive/exercising/doing something fun/drowning in horror films

    Ineffective – vodka

18. Cats!

19. Effective = exercise and meditation. Ineffective = alcohol and mindless scrolling.

20. Whiskey and Whiskey. 🥃

21. Most effective: So my therapist taught me this one technique to help me to calm down and my fiance has developed this little ritual involving it. He tells me “do you need to find a rainbow?” and then we go around my room finding things that have specific colors, often about 3 to 4 things with each color except for indigo because I basically have almost nothing that is indigo. Then I’m calmed down enough that I can talk through my feelings.

    Least effective: I’m a self-harmer.

22. Most effective: being vocal about it, journalling

    Least effective: overthink – it’s like peeling a wound that just healed, I keep ripping it till it doesn’t affect me anymore

23. effective: allowing myself to be vulnerable and cry if i need to, listening to music, talking to someone who deeply cares about my feelings, soft and innocent physical touch (hugs, handholding, etc), journaling/writing a monthly reflection (just started doing and i love it), taking a fat nap

    ineffective: negative self-talk, isolating myself from the world/people who want to reach out to me

24. effective: cleaning, journaling, talking to people you trust

    ineffective: self harm

25. Effective – long walks with a good audiobook on, writing thoughts out in a journal, minimising coffee and alcohol intake

    Ineffective – binge watching TV, doom scrolling the internet, drinking alcohol for no reason

    I realise these are pretty common. It’s kinda crazy that the advice you get from doctors actually works …

26. Bad: Intellectualization – logic before feelings
    Good: Turning my mindset in bad situations

27. Reddit.