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If you've done anything other than lay under the covers and whimper when you're feeling sad, then you've developed coping skills.

What is a coping skill? It's what you use to do something you don't want to do. It's a process for getting through things that are uncomfortable, painful, abusive, or just plain boring. Since life isn't always a party, coping skills are a vital part of how are get through the day.

They are also our primary tool for not listening to ourselves.

"Just finish doing the taxes, and you can have a scotch."

"Good Lord, what is that moron talking about now? Yeesh. Let's see, I need milk, bread, cheese -- the yellow kind -- orange juice, butter..."

"Damnit, these pants don't fit. Cheap things shrunk. One day, I'm going to get rid of this spare tire and buy myself some really nice pants. Wool. With silk lining."

"He's going to touch me again. If I were a princess, I would live in a high tower, and only the birds would be able to visit me."

"I hate this job. I'm going to spend the whole weekend shopping."

It doesn't really matter too much to us what the distraction is, as long as it works by taking our minds off our responses to our situation. As long as we stop paying attention to how unhappy we are.

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