Do You Use A Healthy, Effective Coping Style?
April 1, 2008 10:20 pm CopingÂ
Here in Mental Health Hints, we have been talking some about coping with stress in our lives. As you may remember coping mechanisms are specific techniques everyone uses to deal with stress. They are also called “defense mechanisms”.
 Today I want to say a little more about styles of coping. A style is a particular way something is expressed or said or done. Each one of the defense mechanisms we have discussed (and will discuss) fit best with a certain style of coping. We all tend to have a  most  comfortable  coping style, the one we use most often. This is especially true in very stressful situations or crisis.
 Certain styles of coping go with certain types of personalities. There are four basic coping styles. Which style sounds most like you?
 Aggressive Coping Style:
 Persons with an aggressive style are the ones who run into a problem or stressor and immediately set out to deal with it. They have the “Ill fix it!” mentality. They usually start out by trying to find out more about the problem. They hit it head on, do research on it and often build up some expertise in the area.  Then they make a plan about how to deal with it. Most often, if possible, these plans are carried out.
 Regressive Coping Style:
 This is the person who may feel unable to deal with the stressor or crisis. They look for someone to take care of it for them. They may become more dependent on others and regress into an almost childlike stance. Their basic thinking is “I am not able to fix this” and “Help me I can’t do it alone!”
 Withdrawal Coping Style:
This is someone who actually withdraws from the situation. They may remove himself or herself physically or mentally from the problem or stressor. They may actually skip town, Â or just go to great lengths to avoid the situation all together.
 Repressive Coping Style:Â
 When using a repressive style the person pushes the problem out of their mind so they don’t need to deal with it. This is the “If I don’t think about it will go away” style. This can be done on a conscious or unconscious level. ( Scarlet O’Hara’s use of  suppression  is an example of a conscious coping mechanism of the repressive style.)
 As you read about these styles do some questions come to mind?
- Is one style more effective then another?
- Is one more “mature” then another?
- Is one style more prevalent in certain people, populations, why?
- Is one style the most mentally healthy?
 Give it some thought, perhaps post a comment with your ideas, and I will get back to the topic soon.
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