Hi Drew. There are probably many ways to explore the origin of our coping mechanisms, with psychology being one. I have been very fortunate to have worked with an excellent psychologist who helped me identify the origins of my self protective maladaptive coping mechanisms. She used a process called schema therapy, schemas being patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that we develop and refine over the years to protect us from emotional harm.

Whatever method is used, it requires us to dig deep into our unconscious crap pile, where we have buried the memories of early emotional traumas. Neuroanatomically speaking, that would be our hippocampus. Most of us don’t want to go there, in fact we won’t even consider it, because that exploration can bring up such painful memories and feelings of shame and inadequacy. The good news is, if we do the difficult work we will be rewarded. I have had decades old emotional blocks released in an instant, their power extinguished in a flash and permanently! I think the key to committing to this psychological excavation is to recognize that the painful feelings that we dredge up are based on a story that is no longer true. Probably never was. It was a damn good story, but simply not true.

I wish you the very best.