How people fall into the loop of maladaptive coping?

Being conscious of one's maladaptive coping cycle and taking steps to lessen it is just as crucial as learning adaptive ones. Most people, however, fall into the loop of maladaptive coping, particularly those who have experienced childhood trauma or abuse, those who lack good role models during formative years; resulting in poor emotional regulation skills, those suffering from mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, and those living in a high-stress home or work environment. Dealing with these experiences can be overwhelming at times, and as a result, people may adopt maladaptive coping techniques. These strategies may give momentary comfort, but they are possibly hazardous and exacerbate the situation in the long run. These are harmful coping techniques destructive in nature. This is because they fail to address the underlying causes that create distress. Instead, they provide short comfort or escape from tough to digest feelings, which can exacerbate emotional distress and impede personal growth. This makes the person much more vulnerable and may possibly break them from inside. So, the question is, if there are no such beneficial impact, why do people use them? The answer is far more complex than one may expect.

• When people are anxious, they want to feel better. They hunt for items that offer quick relief or diversion. Maladaptive coping strategies are a 'quick fix'.

• Lack of proper knowledge is also a hurdle. Some people are not taught how to deal with pressures, so they are ignorant of alternate healthier options.

• Teenagers are often drawn to these harmful coping mechanisms when they are marketed as cool. Media and societal influence have a significant part in normalising things that should not be.

• Habituation is another issue. Maladaptive coping diverts people from directly dealing with the painful event while offering a stress-free environment at the time. As a result, they feel psychologically safe since they do not have to consider the threat. The threat here is that the outcome will be uncertain. And by employing maladaptive coping strategies, individuals feel a layer of safety from their anxiety, guilt, and uncertainties.

• Another explanation could be people who are hesitant to use adaptive coping methods are just doing what appears to be simple. This then becomes their comfort zone, and individuals prefer to stick around since it provides a sense of pleasure by satisfying one's instant desire. People oppose anything that disrupts their comfort.

Facing an unpleasant circumstance, avoiding it, and employing maladaptive coping- repeating this pattern again and over creates a loop that harms one's physical, emotional, social, and overall well-being. Therefore, modifying these maladaptive coping mechanisms is often the focus of psychological interventions.