In this week’s episode, I share the difference between a coping mechanism and a behavioral adaptation when it comes to trauma and how they can play out in your daily life.
Coping Mechanisms:
Coping mechanisms are things you do when you aren’t feeling well….or in a survival state of either sympathetic fight/flight or dorsal vagal shutdown…and you want to feel better now.
They can look like:
- drinking alcohol
- smoking marijuana
- having sex
- shopping
- overworking
- exercising
Behavioral adaptations:
Behavioral adaptations or trauma responses are things you might do in order to prevent yourself from going into survival state. They are maladaptive behaviors that you now do to that aren’t really serving you in your life but they keep you feeling safe and from getting hurt again.
Some include:
- Isolation
- Not committing to a long term relationship
- Overworking
- Perfectionism
- Procrastination
And so many more. :
what you will discover:
- How coping mechanisms make you feel better in the present moment.
- How behavioral adaptations help you to avoid pain.
listen to the full episode here:
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