Coping: A Starting Guide for Self Help

Some problems seen in a mental health center are not issues that require intensive long term therapy, but rather life adjustment problems that require an enhancement of coping skills.   Without a doubt if the adjustment issue is extremely severe then it is advisable to see a therapist.  However, some adjustment  issues can be solved without the use of a therapist.  Before scheduling a visit to a psychologist or psychiatrist it might be worth your while to investigate some self help techniques for gaining control over these types of problems, such as the use of cognitive therapy techniques.  These techniques are not all that mysterious and are simply the application of behavioral management methods (reinforcement and punishment) over your thinking processes.  Regardless of what method you select the outcome will be highly dependent on your motivation to change how you think.  The bottom line is attempting to develop a positive attitude about yourself.  As an example, if you are attempting to lose weight and maintain a self perception of an ‘over-indulging glutton’ then your efforts towards losing weight are handicapped by the attitude.  Change the attitude (the actual thoughts when you express them to yourself) and the behavior will follow.  Sounds simple enough, but the problem is that most people give themselves mixed messages when attempting to achieve a goal that is seemingly opposite to how they think.  Get the message clear and without equivocation and you will achieve your goal.  What you need to do is exchange the negative thought with something positive.  This means practicing  the new thought constantly with all the energy you can muster.  This can be done for a few minutes standing in front of a mirror or posting the positive message in conspicuous areas of your home.  When devising a positive thought you need to be careful that you are not focusing on a trap door to the negative thought.  If your thought is “I am fat” and you want a replacement, then devise a thought that avoids the negative term “fat”.  One possibility is something like “I am in control of my diet”. 

There are better methods than cognitive therapy for self help one of which is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).  The methods are simple and use a self tapping system on specific meridian points on the body in combination with understanding the relationship between mind and body.  You will read a lot of BS about EFT from professionals attempting to protect their ‘mental health territory’; take it with a grain of salt.  The mental health industry is a multimillion dollar cottage industry that has about as much credibility as a US Congressman.  There is no more evidence for the effectiveness of psychotherapy than there is for any self help methods. 

A good place to start your self help program is by studying web sites devoted to the topic such as psychological self help .  You may find some value in purchasing self help books, but most of them are nothing more than what you can learn simply by researching the net. Web sites that start tossing jargon around should be avoided like the plague.  They are meant to keep you in a state of doubt about your own ability to solve your own problems.  And lastly, the question in your mind should be, “does the author of this article have any credibility”?  Check it out for yourself.