Early in life, people may develop methods of managing stress that will hinder the ability to cope with situations appropriately, according to "Psychology Today."Low coping skills may cause a person problems in relationships and work2. A lack of coping skills in may occur during childhood and play out through adulthood or may be a result of a traumatic experience that occurred in the person's past.

Depression

Depression may take over a person’s life, making it hard to cope with anything, according to the Mayo Clinic1. Writing down feelings associated with depression can help in developing coping skills. In most instances of depression, therapy may provide a helpful outlet to start working on coping with problems.

Support System

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Children growing up without a positive support system may never have learned proper coping skills, according to Psychology Today2. Establishing a support system through friendships, therapy or a support group may help a person begin to develop necessary coping skills for everyday life. The people in the support system should understand low coping skills and help the person use support when necessary1.

Emotional Maturity

Many people never develop emotional maturity, according to MentalHelp.net. This may cause problems with practicing appropriate coping skills. If a traumatic experience happened during childhood or young adulthood, this may have halted the ability to become emotionally mature. Only by dealing with the traumatic experience can a person begin to learn appropriate coping skills to aid in his emotional maturity.

Isolation

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If a person spends the majority of time alone, they may not learn positive coping skills.Isolation can lead to bigger problems, such as depression, suicidal thought patterns and lack of relationships. Social activities will help in dealing with problems within the culture and allow the person to consistently associate with other people.

Defense Mechanisms

Due to problems in childhood, many people develop defense mechanisms that hinder coping skills, according to Psychology Today2.Defense mechanisms can cause problems because a denial of reality occurs when defense mechanisms come into play.Since defense mechanisms form an escape from reality, encouraging someone to face reality will allow them to develop appropriate coping skills.