What is avoidant-style coping?
Life’s challenges can be overwhelming; everyone deserves a space to feel heard and supported. At Roamers Therapy, we provide trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and evidence-based environments to help you heal, grow, and navigate your mental well-being journey. As your psychotherapist, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Avoidant-style coping or avoidance coping is a maladaptive coping skill. It is the act of minimizing, denying, or avoiding the trigger causing stress. Avoidance coping stems from an escapist mentality in which the individual feels they can “run away” from their problems. For example, someone who engages in avoidance coping might call in sick the day they are supposed to have a challenging conversation at work. Other forms of avoidance coping include rumination, procrastination, and passive aggressiveness.
How does avoidant-style coping affect people?
Avoidant-style coping is a maladaptive coping skill because it does not solve anything. Many people engage in avoidant-style coping because they help them feel better and even safer in the moment; others engage in these behaviors because they might not know of another way to deal with stress. It is important to understand when we engage in avoidance coping because it can cause more issues for us in the long run. This form of coping can cause people to have increased anxiety and depression, irritability, and even emotional dysregulation.
Find the Best Therapist in Chicago to Deal with Avoidant-style Coping
The best way to overcome avoidant-style coping is to learn healthier and active coping skills. Active coping skills are ways to deal with or confront the issue instead of avoiding it. There are two types of active coping skills: cognitive and behavioral. Cognitive active coping involves challenging and changing your cognitions (i.e., changing how you think about the problem). Behavioral active coping means directly addressing the issue (e.g., having a tough conversation with your loved one). Working together with your therapist can help you develop coping skills that will help you overcome stressors.
At Roamers Therapy, our psychotherapists are here to support you through anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship issues, race-ethnicity issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, ADHD, Autism, or any challenges you encounter. Our psychotherapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance, and Commitment Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Gottman Therapy.
Whether you’re seeking guidance on a specific issue or need help navigating difficult emotions, we’re ready to assist you every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule a session with our mental health professionals to begin your healing journey. To get started with therapy, visit our booking page.
First, decide if you’ll be paying out-of-pocket or using insurance. If you’re a self-pay client, you can book directly through the “Book Now” page or fill out the “Self-Pay/Out-of-network Inquiry Form.” If you’re using insurance, fill out the “Insurance Verification Form” to receive details about your costs and availability. Please let us know your preferred therapist. If your preferred therapist isn’t available, you can join the waitlist by emailing us. Once your appointment is confirmed, you’ll receive intake documents to complete before your first session.
This page is also part of the Roamers Therapy Glossary; a collection of mental-health related definitions that are written by our therapists.
While our offices are currently located at the South Loop neighborhood of Downtown Chicago, Illinois, we also welcome and serve clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Rogers Park, Logan Square, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Little Village, Bronzeville, South Shore, Hyde Park, Back of the Yards, Wicker Park, Bucktown and many more. You can visit our contact page to access detailed information on our office location.