Recently, my friend sent me this blog post about nostalgia as a coping mechanism. The blog post stated that, obviously, as we get older we encounter more experiences that result in a loss of innocence. Then, once we encounter some emotionally troubling experiences, some people turn to dugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. But that maybe by returning to our good ol' memories, they can cope in a much healthier fashion.
I looked at this option of coping and realized that this method is purely conditional.
Condition Example 1: A family member passes away
In this condition, nostalgia seems almost perfect. Families commonly sit around at a meal and tell many funny, heart-warming stories about the deceased family member. To look back on the good of that person can help people remember them in a good light and have a bonding experience with the rest of the extended family. To fall back into the innocence of the times may help lighten the mood of such a serious event in people's lives.
Condition Example 2: A boyfriend/girlfriend breaks up with you
In this condition, looking back at the good times in a relationship may be harmful to your recovery from such a chain of events. My sister had a serious boyfriend for over a year and when the relationship ended, there was a good couple weeks when she would think back to certain moments they had and would analyze everything or just simply miss him in her life. With this situation, one usually needs to just move forward from the situation and looking back would only harm the progress.
Lastly, I thought about the idea that it might be unhealthy to always be thinking about your past and maybe never moving forward. I commonly look back to some great memories, but always feel sad when I realize that I have to snap out of it and still deal with some present situations. But that might just be me, who knows? Regardless, this idea is much better than turing to other coping mechanisms that won't progress the situation either.
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