<P> While adaptive coping methods improve functioning, a maladaptive coping technique will just reduce symptoms while maintaining and strengthening the disorder . Maladaptive techniques are more effective in the short term rather than long term coping process . Examples of maladaptive behavior strategies include dissociation, sensitization, safety behaviors, anxious avoidance, and escape (including self - medication). These coping strategies interfere with the person's ability to unlearn, or break apart, the paired association between the situation and the associated anxiety symptoms . These are maladaptive strategies as they serve to maintain the disorder . Dissociation is the ability of the mind to separate and compartmentalize thoughts, memories, and emotions . This is often associated with post traumatic stress syndrome . Sensitization is when a person seeks to learn about, rehearse, and / or anticipate fearful events in a protective effort to prevent these events from occurring in the first place . Safety behaviors are demonstrated when individuals with anxiety disorders come to rely on something, or someone, as a means of coping with their excessive anxiety . Anxious avoidance is when a person avoids anxiety provoking situations by all means . This is the most common strategy . Escape is closely related to avoidance . This technique is often demonstrated by people who experience panic attacks or have phobias . These people want to flee the situation at the first sign of anxiety . </P> <P> People using problem - focused strategies try to deal with the cause of their problem . They do this by finding out information on the problem and learning new skills to manage the problem . Problem - focused coping is aimed at changing or eliminating the source of the stress . The three problem - focused coping strategies identified by Folkman and Lazarus are: taking control, information seeking, and evaluating the pros and cons . </P> <P> Emotion - focused strategies may involve: releasing pent - up emotions, distracting oneself, managing hostile feelings, meditating, and using systematic relaxation techniques . Emotion - focused coping "is oriented toward managing the emotions that accompany the perception of stress". The five emotion - focused coping strategies identified by Folkman and Lazarus are: disclaiming, escape - avoidance, accepting responsibility or blame, exercising self - control, and positive reappraisal . Emotion - focused coping is a mechanism to alleviate distress by minimizing, reducing, or preventing, the emotional components of a stressor . This mechanism can be applied through a variety of ways, such as: seeking social support, reappraising the stressor in a positive light, accepting responsibility, using avoidance, exercising self - control, and distancing . The focus of this coping mechanism is to change the meaning of the stressor or transfer attention away from it . For example, reappraising tries to find a more positive meaning of the cause of the stress in order to reduce the emotional component of the stressor . Avoidance of the emotional distress will distract from the negative feelings associated with the stressor . </P> <P> Emotion - focused coping is well suited for stressors that seem uncontrollable (ex. a terminal illness diagnosis, or the loss of a loved one). Some mechanisms of emotion focused coping, such as distancing or avoidance, can have alleviating outcomes for a short period of time, however they can be detrimental when used over an extended period . Positive emotion - focused mechanisms, such as seeking social support, and positive re-appraisal, are associated with beneficial outcomes . Emotional approach coping is one form of emotion - focused coping in which emotional expression and processing is used to adaptively manage a response to a stressor . Typically, people use a mixture of several types of coping strategies, which may change over time . All these methods can prove useful, but some claim that those using problem - focused coping strategies will adjust better to life . Problem - focused coping mechanisms may allow an individual greater perceived control over their problem, whereas emotion - focused coping may sometimes lead to a reduction in perceived control (maladaptive coping). Lazarus "notes the connection between his idea of' defensive reappraisals' or cognitive coping and Freud's concept of' ego - defenses"', coping strategies thus overlapping with a person's defense mechanisms . </P>

When is denial most likely to be an adaptive and positive coping mechanism