We all have different coping mechanisms that we use in times of distress. While exercise, music, and journaling are beneficial methods to cope, alcohol, drugs, and punching walls are rather destructive.

Life can be hard sometimes: the death of friends and family, finals and other assignments for school, relationship problems (friends and romantic), and so many other stressful events we encounter on a daily basis through our roller coaster ride called life.

Highs and lows come as a set~ one without the other lacks balance. Having highs all the time might be enjoyable for a while but nothing changes and it means there’s no way to learn how to deal with the lows. The lows teach strength and growth which are both extremely important for development. On the opposite end of the spectrum, lows without highs leads to depression and other mental illnesses. Highs create happiness and fun in a world that can be dreary and dull at any given moment.

Even though it can be a bumpy ride, we should appreciate the stress for the lessons it provides. Hardships teach us how to handle ourselves, how to heal and let go while gaining an understanding and preparing for future difficulties. Inevitably, stress comes when it wants without warning or reason and we are forced to accept it.

Although it’s easier to turn to a bottle or another drug in order to escape the stress rather than dealing with the emotions and situations that arise in life, it sets the tone for a dangerous path. Some people never make it off the broken track and fall further into an abyss with no way to reach the surface again.

Once you start down that path, it’s hard to break away but there’s always another path lurking around the corner that could change everything. You just have to keep your eyes open and remember that “happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light” as said by Albus Dumbledore.

Yes, there are plenty of ways to dodge feelings and forget the world but it never lasts. As confirmed by Jake Miller in Steven,

“And maybe for a moment all his problems seem to fade,
But the high fades too after not too long
And that's when it really sinks in and that's when it hits him
That these god damn drugs won't fix him.”

The accuracy of his words is astonishing. Drinking for a night leads to blackouts and hangovers once the sun rises and the problems you so desperately want to get rid of come rushing back in full force, maybe even stronger than they were the night before.

Rather than self-destructing, it’s better to find healthy ways to deal with stress. Exercise is at the top of the list since it releases endorphins which trigger happiness and pain reduction. In my experience, the perfect time to go is late at night when it’s dark and quiet.

Next up would be talking. It’s a cliché but if you find the right person to talk to it’s actually helpful. By reflecting on problems and reactions, you can gain an understanding of the world around you and the feelings that surface. It’s not easy, it’s rather painful actually but sometimes it’s necessary. Feelings are made to be felt.

There’s a whole list of activities to do, ranging from writing in a notebook to going bowling with friends to playing with a cat or dog instead of downing a bottle of alcohol or filling your veins full of chemicals. In the end, you have to find happiness in the darkness. It’s possible, it just takes time and a desire to not destroy yourself.

Remember that the next time you want to pick up a handle of your favorite liquor or take your drug of choice or curl your hand into a fist in order to forget the world and the pain you feel. Ask yourself if the pain of the next day is worth it? More often than not, the answer will be no. Listen to that part of yourself, it’s the right decision.