The Negative Effects of Coping Mechanisms

Coping mechanisms help us to move beyond stressful situations. We learn different types of behavior to distract us from the difficulties of everyday life, both through trial and error and from the people who surround us. These can be healthy or unhealthy behaviors. The beneficial ones help us relax and resolve negative effects of stress on our lives. Negative behaviors only conceal our problems and ultimately worsen them.

Aggressive and Manipulative Behavioral Coping Mechanisms

• High levels of stress and traumatic experiences make some people engage in violent and abusive behavior. This may express itself in everything from lies, putting blame for bad circumstances on others, and manipulating and controlling people to verbal and physical attacks. Those actions can be classified as aggressive coping mechanisms. They often lead to negative relationships with family and friends, isolation and even criminal offenses resulting in jail time. The person may be looked at as a threat to society.

Passive, Mental Avoidance and Withdrawal Coping Mechanisms

• There are more passive coping mechanisms, such as making excuses, putting up a victim mentality, pretending that things are not a big deal when in reality they are, or living in denial of a problem actually existing. These can be accompanied by excessive forgetfulness of problems that need to be resolved, helping others to such an extent that the person neglects to help himself, and resolving his own difficulties and creating an alternate happy personality that lives in a fantasy world where real life difficulties won't affect him. These patterns are a sign of withdrawal and mental avoidance. They can result in problems remaining unresolved or worsening, and isolation from those people who could help.

Compulsive Obsessive Behavioral Coping Mechanisms

• Alcohol dependency is one of the most common negative coping mechanisms.

  Some people will engage in compulsive obsessive behavior like excessive consumption of food, alcohol abuse, gambling and working unreasonable amounts of hours to avoid having to deal with problems and emotions. Most often, this will lead to more mental and physical stress, overexertion and bad health. This behavior also isolates the stressed person from other people. An overweight person may withdraw from friends for fear of embarrassment. An alcoholic may bother other people and push them away. A gambler may lose money and cause financial worries to friends and family. A father staying in the office all the time may neglect his wife and children.

Self-Destructive Coping Mechanisms

• The most negative coping mechanisms are hazardous, and some are fatal. Some people get addicted to drugs, become dependent on alcoholic beverages or pharmaceuticals, and engage in high-risk ventures while trying to alleviate their worries. Some individuals feel that hurting themselves physically will relieve emotional pain. They may even attempt suicide, hoping to eliminate their problems completely. Addictions lead to isolation from loved ones and friends, and cause worse issues than the initial struggle with which the person is dealing. If someone hurts herself or commits suicide, the result could be death.