'Standard' Coping Mechanisms For Mental Health That Don't Work For Me

Mental health issues are like a sea—vast, unfathomable depth with constant upheaval through tides. I am one of them, trying to save myself from drowning. The vastness of the mental health issue resides in the various ways it affects people. Considering these factors, it can easily be concluded that different people have different treatments and coping mechanisms. But why is this so hard for society to understand? 

Being a person who has been dealing with mental health problems for a long time now, I can vouch for the criticisms I face for my coping mechanisms or for not following the 'standard' coping mechanisms. It took a long time for me to narrow down one coping mechanism that was indeed helpful during my anxieties. It mainly includes long sleep, aroma therapy, soft, classic and often sad music in seclusion, writing, and drinking something cold (sometimes eating too). No matter how wrong, right, or irrational my mechanisms might be, I stand by them because they help me. At the end of the day, healing is all that matters to me. 

Here's A List Of Some Standard Coping Mechanisms That Don't Work For Me 

1. Meditation: Before you raise an eyebrow, allow me to delve into why what is often considered the most effective coping mechanism fails to resonate with me. Meditation, touted as a remedy for many, has been a practice I've earnestly attempted, both with and without soothing background music. However, instead of finding solace, it only serves to heighten my anxiety. Each time I close my eyes and attempt to clear my mind, I find myself transported back to the origins of my traumas. What should be a moment of serene self-reflection becomes akin to the isolation of a pitch-black night. Rather than finding clarity within myself, I inadvertently amplify the confusion and emotions tied to my past traumas. Hence, I consciously steer clear of meditation as a coping mechanism.

5. Exercising: Again, a head-scratcher, right? Exercise has been proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms for mental health.  To be exact, I even saw a therapist who told me to lose weight right away after observing me. First of all, working out for weight loss and mental wellness are two separate things. I'm not helped by this either. Not because I didn't try. At the same time, on a regular basis, my fears returned. Now, it's evolved into hatred since my loved ones constantly make fun of me for not working out, whether it's because of my weight or mental health.

6. Socialising: Being an introvert by nature, I found that having a mental health diagnosis was a disadvantage. These conditions increase your feelings of loneliness. Additionally, because I am an introvert, I find it difficult to socialise. Despite the fact that I do, I am at a loss for words. I sit by myself, cry, listen to music, and go to sleep. That's why I find socialising to be ineffective. Actually, I try to stay out of the crowd since it makes me feel claustrophobic and uneasy. 
   

7. Dancing:  Known as the best way to release stress, did work for me before I was diagnosed with a mental health disorder. As a front-line dancer, I used to dance a lot. But after a severe blow to my confidence, I lost interest in dance. I stopped dancing forever, and now it's just something I see on YouTube videos. "Can anything be done without confidence?" is all I say to individuals who ask me to dance as a stress reliever. It is quite hard to regain the confidence that has been lost. And because I was dealing with more issues in my life, I lost the courage to dance.

8. Being religious: Being religious is the most complicated 'standard' coping mechanism. Many people who have faced mental health issues talk about how being religious helped them. In reality, those who have never experienced these problems often discuss religion and worship as remedies. However, I have no belief in worship, tradition, or religion. They seem hypocritical and hollow to me. So how may my religious beliefs benefit me? Honestly, how am I supposed to be religious and defy myself? But does religion promote uniformity or act as a cure?

Views expressed are the author's own.