Everyone has coping habits; they are some of the deepest, most ingrained routines we have. They make us feel better, at least for the time being, by reducing amygdala activity and the body’s stress response. Good coping habits can pull you out of an impending downward spiral, because the dorsal striatum takes over and sets your life back on course. But bad coping habits don’t stabilize your mood in the long term, so acting them out just creates more stress later on, and down the rabbit hole you go.
