No matter how healthy and strong-willed a person is, there will be a time in everybody’s life when they will need to cope with something difficult. Some ways we cope are healthy and build resilience, while others simply help us avoid the real problems or encourage destructive behaviors. Mental health symptoms can begin with stress triggering chemicals in the brain. Coping skills are methods to deal with stressful situations. The goal is to reduce stress and restore the chemical balance in the brain.