4 Dangerous Coping Mechanisms That Damage Your Mental Health

Trying to manage your mental health is so tough. We all live very stressful lives and it takes a toll on our mental health. If you can’t find a way to manage that stress effectively, it can become more challenging on your mental health. While some things are in fact out of our control, it's good to learn strategies and new ways to help us in our state of mind. The most important thing to remember is that prevention is key and you need to find simple ways to keep on top of your mental health every day.

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Finding healthy ways to deal with your emotions and manage mental health properly is so important but it’s equally important that you avoid the dangerous coping mechanisms. It’s so easy to fall into bad habits which might seem like they’re helping but in the long term, they’re actually making things worse. 

If you’re struggling to stay on top of your mental health, these are some of the worst things that you can do.

Denial
So many people are reluctant to admit that they’re struggling. This is partly because there is a lot of stigma around mental health and they don’t want to be the person that admits that they have depression in case people around them judge them. It can also be very scary to admit that you have a mental health problem and that leads to a lot of people being in denial. But the thing is, you won’t be able to start making changes and get the help that you need to get better until you accept that there is an issue in the first place.

The stigma around mental health is lifting and it’s important that you know that nobody will judge you for having a mental health problem. As soon as you accept that you’re struggling, you can’t start making positive changes in your life and getting better.

Self Medicating
Self medicating with drugs and alcohol is very common amongst people with mental health problems. People with anxiety, for example, may have a drink to relax themselves and calm their nerves. However, that can quickly become a habit and they rely on alcohol to feel relaxed and at ease and this can lead to addiction. If things get that bad, you may end up needing treatment from a sober living organization if you can’t manage your drinking or drug intake properly. The other issue is that alcohol and drugs actually increase the symptoms of anxiety and depression so even if you don’t develop a problem with addiction, you are making the issue worse. That doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a drink every now and again, just make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons and not using it as a crutch to make yourself feel more relaxed.

Withdrawal
When you are feeling very low, the idea of socializing with people can be quite daunting and exhausting. People that struggle with anxiety also have a lot of trouble with social situations sometimes and so they avoid them. But being alone for long periods is not good for your mental health because you will let your thoughts run away with themselves and dig yourself further into that hole. Spending time with people that care about you and doing fun things is a good way to relax, reduce stress, and make yourself feel better.

If you’re not a particularly sociable person, that’s fine, not everybody is. But you should make an effort to spend time with loved ones sometimes because it will make you feel better.

Negative Behaviour
When people are feeling low, it is quite common for them to exhibit negative behaviour towards others. They often feel that putting other people down in some way will make them feel better about themselves, but it does not work. It will damage your relationships with the people around you and when you need support, those people won’t be there for you. It will also have a big negative impact on your mood because deep down, you will know that your behaviour is wrong. You will start to feel guilty and that will make you feel worse, but then you may continue to act negatively toward people because you feel bad and then it becomes a vicious cycle.

It’s so important that you don’t let your own negative feelings spill out and impact others. Even if you are feeling low and you are frustrated with people around them, acting out and being negative toward them won’t help you. 

It’s so easy to fall into these bad habits when you are struggling with mental health issues but staying clear of these bad habits will help you in your journey. Remember, you are not alone.

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By Iconic Chica Mag Contributors