Escapism
Why We Avoid Reality and How Counselling Can Help
Life can feel heavy. Work stress, relationship struggles, loneliness, and burnout can make daily life feel overwhelming. When that happens, it is easy to turn to distractions. Scrolling, binge-watching, gaming, daydreaming, or imagining a completely different life can become a way of coping.
These things are not bad on their own. But when they are used to avoid feelings, responsibilities, or reality, they become something deeper: escapism.
At Orchard Valley Counselling in Kelowna, we help people understand not just what they are avoiding, but why they feel the need to avoid at all. Escapism is not weakness. It is protection.
What Is Escapism?
Escapism is the habit of distracting yourself from stress, pain, or uncomfortable emotions by focusing on something that feels easier or safer.
Common forms of escapism include:
- Scrolling social media for hours
- Drinking, smoking, or using substances to numb emotions
- Gaming or binge-watching to avoid responsibilities
- Working excessively to avoid feelings
- Daydreaming or fantasizing about a different life
- Sleeping more than needed to avoid thinking or feeling
Escapism can bring temporary relief, but it does not solve the root problem.
Why Do We Escape?
People turn to escapism for many valid reasons:
- Reality feels overwhelming
- They never learned healthy emotional coping skills
- Avoidance once helped them survive difficult situations
- They fear rejection, failure, or disappointment
- Stillness brings up emotions they do not know how to process
Escapism is often a form of self-protection. Your mind and body are trying to keep you safe from emotional pain.
Healthy Rest vs. Escapism
Escaping is not always harmful. Resting, watching a show, reading a book, or taking time alone can be healthy and necessary. The difference is in intention and outcome.
| Healthy Rest | Escapism (Avoidance) |
|---|---|
| “I need a break to recharge.” | “I cannot deal with life right now.” |
| You return feeling calmer or more focused. | You return feeling guilty or more stressed. |
| Helps you move forward. | Keeps you stuck or falling behind. |
Signs Escapism Is Becoming Unhealthy
- Avoiding responsibilities at work, school, or home
- Feeling disconnected, numb, or emotionally distant
- Using substances, screens, or fantasy to cope daily
- Feeling guilty or ashamed after avoiding life
- Problems keep growing rather than improving
How Escapism Counselling Helps
Therapy is not about forcing you to face everything at once. It is about helping you feel safe enough to stop running from your life.
Counselling can help you:
- Understand why you escape rather than just how
- Learn healthy emotional coping strategies
- Process feelings like grief, shame, burnout, and anxiety
- Build self-compassion instead of self-criticism
- Reconnect with your relationships, goals, and values
You Do Not Have to Keep Escaping
Escapism Counselling does not mean you are broken. It means you have been trying to survive in the best way you know how. But healing becomes possible when you do not have to do it alone.
At Orchard Valley Counselling in Kelowna, we provide a gentle, non-judgmental space to help you reconnect with yourself and your life.
In-person Escapism Counselling in Kelowna and West Kelowna
Online sessions available for BC residents
If you are ready to feel more present, calm, and in control, we are here to help.