Coping Systems

Religions are perhaps the original coping mechanism for dealing with the vicissitudes of life. I hold this statement to be self evident once we make this realization, just like many religions claim. Looking back provides a different perspective from going through the problem.

We see this in the Buddhist four noble truths; life (is) contains suffering, the cause is internal delusions, desires, aversions, expectations, there is a solution in changing our thinking to the right thinking and following the eight step path plan for a good life.

We see this also in the Stoic system, but not as obviously in the impermanence of life and conditions, in the external causes are always external, and we are effected by only our reaction to the external; it is not the event, but our thinking about the event; some things are up to us and some are not (lists), and similar statements. The "view from far above" concept, once we learn it and use it, makes this clear.

When we get old and start to reflect on life, it is obvious that life is about getting through life, coping, as best we can, and anyway we can in the tight parts. Just getting through is all we can do sometimes. It is about coping with the issues, internally or externally, often the unknown with no practical choice and/or no clear choice. Those of us who get off the path that religion provided need to find a new path, a new coping system, to help us through, to guide us through.

For some of us it was the escape of alcohol, or other drug... until that was doing damage, and then we looked for others. AA, NA, and along came SMART. Understanding the problem provides a better way, a more obvious way. Addressing the vicissitude, or our reaction to the vicissitude provides a real solution in order to not need the coping mechanism. That is what appears to be the real solution.

I think that it is imperative anyone studying the problem should understand that we can trade coping mechanism, or deal with the real problem that caused us to need the coping system in the first place. And if we trade coping systems, we may need to upgrade far above AA, SMART, to understanding the real causes, and finally to deal with reality.