Negative Coping Skills

Written By Salina Shelton

Maladaptive coping skills 

  • Harsh self judgment (guilt/shame)/Perfectionism

  • Risk Taking Behavior/Self Harm/Binge Eating/Substance Use/Numbing

  • Avoidance/Withdrawal/Escape; Dissociation/Daydreaming/Procrastination

  • Blame/Anger/Intrusive thoughts/Rumination

  • Safety Behaviors/obsessions, compulsions

  • Sensitization/Passive Aggressiveness

Navigating maladaptive coping strategies

  • Practice mindfulness/meditation, be an observer of thoughts/feelings

  • Thought challenge

  • Reframing thoughts/experiences

  • Write the story of how this pattern of thought influences self perception and awareness 

  • Art therapy on inner critic 

  • How did this behavior protect you during trauma

  • Increase awareness around self talk

  • Cognitive restructuring (fact vs opinion, find two facts)

  • Decatastrophizing

  • IFS

  • Coping statements (compassionate mantras for the self)

Salina Shelton
Previous

Road to Healing
Next

Window of Tolerance