Question

Define adaptation and maladaptation and coping strategies in the management of stress.

APA format and please do not forget to include references

Answer 1

COPING STRATEGIES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS

We have all encountered a stressful situation at one time or another. The way in which we deal with or manage stress is called coping. Coping is the process of spending mental, conscious energy on dealing with problems in life. Mechanisms used to cope with stress attempt to overcome or diminish the amount of stress experienced.

Coping strategies can be either positive or negative. Positive or adaptive coping strategies are those that increase our functioning while decreasing the level of stress perceived and experienced, while negative or maladaptive strategies diminish symptoms of stress without addressing the real problem or disorder. Maladaptive coping strategies do not increase our functioning,. Rather they temporarily decrease the symptoms while the stressor maintains its strength or becomes more stressful.

Coping Strategies

• Appraisal-focused strategies attempt to modify thought processes associated with stress. People alter the way they think about a problem by approaching it differently or altering their goals and values.
• Problem-focused strategies aim to deal with the cause of the problem or stressor. People try to change or eliminate the source of stress by researching the problem and learning management skills to solve it.
• Emotion-focused strategies address the feelings associated with the stressor. People modify the emotions that accompany stress perception by releasing, distracting, or managing their mental state.
• Positive coping strategies successfully diminish the amount of stress being experienced and provide constructive feedback for the user. Examples of adaptive coping include seeking social support from others (social coping) and attempting to learn from the stressful experience (meaning-focused coping). Maintaining good physical and mental health, practicing relaxation techniques, and employing humor in difficult situations are other types of positive coping strategies. Proactive coping is a specific type of adaptive strategy that attempts to anticipate a problem before it begins and prepare a person to cope with the coming challenge.
• Negative coping strategies provide a quick fix that interferes with the person’s ability to break apart the association between the stressor and the symptoms of anxiety. Therefore, while these strategies provide short-term relief, they actually serve to maintain disorder. Maladaptive strategies include dissociation, sensitization, numbing out, anxious avoidance of a problem, and escape.