Yes, and no. You don’t want to only do this with all your problems, all the time, but avoidance is a perfectly valid coping/self-protection mechanism, and we shouldn’t be afraid of using it like any other tool to help us go through hardship. Sometimes, purposefully choosing to face things later, but taking that time to prepare, heal, and be better equipped to face your problems, can absolutely be the better choice.
For example, my wife and I have learned very rough news a couple of weeks back. It has long term implications, and requires a lot of research on our part. It’s however very emotionally taxing to do so. We therefore are taking in the info as piecemeal as I can, and completely avoid the subject the rest of the time. It so far has kept us sane in a situation that triggered my panic attacks for the first time in a decade when I first learned about it.
Agreed. As long as you’re processing/dealing whatever, however slow, it’s fine. Speaking from personal experience, filling every bit of time you can with stimulation to avoid dealing with things will fuck you up in the long term.
Problems you’re distracted from don’t go away, they grow.
Yes, and no. You don’t want to only do this with all your problems, all the time, but avoidance is a perfectly valid coping/self-protection mechanism, and we shouldn’t be afraid of using it like any other tool to help us go through hardship. Sometimes, purposefully choosing to face things later, but taking that time to prepare, heal, and be better equipped to face your problems, can absolutely be the better choice.
For example, my wife and I have learned very rough news a couple of weeks back. It has long term implications, and requires a lot of research on our part. It’s however very emotionally taxing to do so. We therefore are taking in the info as piecemeal as I can, and completely avoid the subject the rest of the time. It so far has kept us sane in a situation that triggered my panic attacks for the first time in a decade when I first learned about it.
Agreed. As long as you’re processing/dealing whatever, however slow, it’s fine. Speaking from personal experience, filling every bit of time you can with stimulation to avoid dealing with things will fuck you up in the long term.