Whenever people experience turbulent emotions and feel distressed, they resort to coping mechanisms, such as oversleeping or scrolling, as a way to avoid or escape uncomfortable feelings. In lay terms, these can serve as distractions. But coping with emotional distress in these ways does not necessarily mean they will feel better; in fact, if left untreated, they worsen.
But when observing these behaviours, you also need to be mindful of the context to avoid mislabelling or misidentifying them. Describing how circumstances can differ, the psychiatrist added, “Long working hours may reflect financial pressure or unreasonable demands. Increased sleep can reflect depression, medication effects or a sleep disorder. A persistent change in sleep, or sleepiness that disrupts daily life, deserves medical assessment. We need to understand what is driving the behaviour before labelling it avoidance. The expert concluded by stressing the importance of seeking professional help if distress persists or worsens, the habit feels difficult to control, or your health, relationships and everyday responsibilities are suffering. Low mood or loss of interest on most days for around two weeks is a clear reason to arrange an assessment.
In simple terms, avoidant coping is a way to distract yourself from uncomfortable thoughts or feelings. If you are hurt, you may brood over something and feel worse. Turning to a habit creates temporary relief, and you are more likely to repeat it. How do you stay vigilant? You do so by monitoring your behaviour, looking for patterns and noticing how difficult it is to cut back on the habit.
“Warning signs include repeatedly intending to stop scrolling but continuing late into the night, spending more time in bed while withdrawing from people, or feeling unable to stop working even when sleep and relationships are suffering,” he mentioned some warning signs.
