I'm JD McGibney, and today I'll be chatting with a guitar virtuoso. A true master of her craft, versatile in her style, proficient in her music theory, and even an airplane pilot on the side: The amazing and wonderful Gretchen Menn! Today we are going to be talking about Coping Mechanisms. For those who are not familiar with the term,Coping mechanisms are the strategies people often use in the face of stress and/or trauma to help manage painful or difficult emotions. Coping mechanisms can help people adjust to stressful events while helping them maintain their emotional well-being. It should be pointed out that Coping Mechanisms are different from Defense Mechanisms. Coping Mechanisms tend to be conscious efforts and actions individuals take in order to manage their emotional reaction to an external situation, whereas Defense Mechanisms tend to be unconscious "Knee Jerk" reactions. Healthy coping mechanisms can come in a variety of forms such as exercising, playing sports, using humor to de-escalate a situation, or even simply talking about a stressful event and your feelings with a supportive person.
