Coping: How People Cope With Stress

Dear Reader,

Coping is behavioral and cognitive responses used to deal with stressors. It involves efforts to change circumstances or our interpretation of them to make them more favorable and less threatening.

A stressor is something that causes a state of strain or tension.

Adaptive coping involves realistically evaluating a situation and determining what can be done to minimize the impact of the stressor.

There are two types:

(1) Problem focused coping: when you can control the stressor.
(2) Emotional focused coping: when you cannot control the stressor.

Problem-focused coping strategies include three different types:

(1) Confrontive Coping:
☆ Uses aggressive or risky tactics
☆ Ideal if direct and assertive but not hostile.
(2) Planful Problem-Solving
☆ Rationally analyze situation
☆ Identify solutions
☆ Implement solutions
(3) Problem-Focused Coping
☆ Aimed at managing or changing the stressor.
☆ Most effective when you can exercise control.

Here are the emotion-focused coping strategies:

Escape-avoidance: Try to escape stressor.
★ Examples: sleeping, drugs, fantasy, exercising, immersing self in work, hobbies, studies.
★ Associated with poor adjustment, depressive disorder, and anxiety.

Seeking social support

➢ Distancing: Minimize impact of stressor
★ Humor
★ Detached, intellectual, or depersonalized attitude.

➢ Denial: Refuse to acknowledge problem
★ Can compound the situation.

➢ Positive Reappraisal
★ Positive religious coping
★ Associated with lower stress, better health
 
➢ Negative Religious Coping
★ Anger, question beliefs, think they are being punished.
★ Can lead to poor health.

-- Ella Cinder 

Comments