07/29/2026
COPING THROUGH AVOIDANCE OR SUBSTANCE USE – Learn about the impact on your relationship and what to do about it
When stress feels overwhelming, do you find yourself working longer hours, reaching for a drink, endlessly scrolling, or finding other ways to avoid what you are feeling?
Coping behaviours like overworking, drinking, using substances, gaming, or scrolling can provide temporary relief from stress and emotional discomfort. They can help a person disconnect from difficult feelings for a little while. But over time, these patterns can also reduce emotional presence, create distance, and leave a partner feeling alone in the relationship.
In this Facebook Live, Tina and Michael will explore why people turn to avoidance or substance use, how these coping strategies can develop from an attachment perspective, and the impact they can have on trust, communication, intimacy, and emotional connection.
They will also discuss how individual therapy can help someone better understand what they are trying to escape or numb, develop healthier ways of managing difficult emotions, and become more emotionally available in their relationship.
This conversation is especially relevant for individuals who recognize that they may be coping by staying constantly busy, withdrawing, drinking, using substances, or distracting themselves—and for partners who feel increasingly disconnected from someone they care about.
As always, Tina and Michael will draw from their real-life experiences as therapists and their belief that meaningful relationship change often starts with better understanding yourself first.
