Certain life events, transitions, or longstanding struggles can cause our usual ways of coping to break down, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and extremely distressed. To continue to function, drugs, alcohol, food, self harm, sex, social media, a depressive state or abusive behaviour can be used to numb the distress or stand in for what feels missing. But this often leads to feelings of guilt, shame, anger or blame – whether of oneself or others. It can feel like being trapped in a loop of unsatisfactory or harmful relationships, or like reaching a dead-end, with confusion about finding a meaningful path ahead.