How do I tackle complex mixes and problem audio in sound editing?

You can edit sound competently now. The straightforward work flows. What still defeats you are the dense, complex mixes and the problem audio, recordings that fight you at every turn. Being stopped by those is not a sign you lack the ear. It is the real difficulty of the craft's harder end, where clean solutions run out. Complex mixes overwhelm because you try to fix everything at once and the layers blur together. The way through is to isolate: work one element, one problem, one frequency at a time, and trust that the whole clears up as each piece is handled. Difficult audio rewards patience and a methodical ear more than any single trick. One step: with your next problem mix, solo one troublesome track and fully resolve it before moving to the next. Build the mix in pieces. The complex ones stop defeating you when you stop trying to hear and fix all of it in one pass.