Defense Mechanisms
Defense mechanisms…
…are unconscious psychological processes that protect the self from anxiety-producing thoughts and feelings related to internal conflicts and external stressors. We automatically use defences to protect ourselves from threats and affectsto maintain psychological balance and homeostasis. Defenses are automatic responses to external stressors or internal conflicts.
Healthy people have a fully developed sense of “object constancy”, knowing that bad and good can exist at the same time in the same person.[4] A defense mechanism can become pathological when its persistent use leads to maladaptive behaviour such that the physical or mental health of the individual is adversely affected. Among the purposes of defense mechanisms is to protect the mind/self/ego from anxiety or to provide a refuge from a situation with which one cannot cope at that moment.[5]
Examples
Examples of defense mechanisms include: repression, the exclusion of unacceptable desires and ideas from consciousness; identification, the incorporation of some aspects of an object into oneself;[6] rationalization, the justification of one’s behavior by using apparently logical reasons that are acceptable to the ego, thereby further suppressing awareness of the unconscious motivations;[7] and sublimation, the process of channeling libido into “socially useful” disciplines, such as artistic, cultural, and intellectual pursuits, which indirectly provide gratification for the original drives.
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About Defense Mechanisms CLOSE
MATURE DEFENSES:
SUBLIMATION…
…is the healthy redirection of a difficult emotion or desire. Can also refer to the process of channeling libido (i.e., a psychological energy that, in common parlance, encompasses all forms of sexual desire, but is sometimes also regarded as the driving force behind other needs, such as a mother’s love for her infant) into “socially useful” disciplines, such as artistic, cultural, and intellectual pursuits, which indirectly provide gratification for the original drives. E.g., when you’re feeling anxious, you do something constructive such as cooking or woodworking. Or, when angry with your boss, you go to the gym.
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SUPPRESSION…
…is when you consciously(!) decide to “forget something,” or “put it aside,” or make the choice to avoid thinking about it. This can be helpful in the short-term…so long as you “get back to it” at a later time.
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HUMOR…
…is (trying) to see the funny side of situations, even (especially!) when they’re stressful or potentially upsetting. It can be unhealthy when it devolves into silliness that’s actually masking avoidance.
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INTERMEDIATE DEFENSES:
AVOIDANCE…
…is making a decision not to face a person or situation that you perceive will make you uncomfortable; so you avoid seeing or being around a person, or don’t attend an event. This may have a short-term benefit; but continued use results in anxiety problems.
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REPRESSION…
…involves the unconscious process of putting painful thoughts and memories “out of of mind” and “forgetting them.” (All defenses do this to some extent.)
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DISPLACEMENT…
…is shifting your anger or annoyance onto someone (or something) less threatening or powerful. E.g., being angry at your boss, you “take it out” on your partner or best friend.
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FANTASY…
…involves creating an inner world when the real world becomes too painful, difficult, or stressful. It’s okay to find temporary refuge there…but “living there” is not a healthy strategy.
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IMMATURE DEFENSES:
RATIONALIZATION…
…is about making excuses. It’s trying to make controversial behaviors or feelings justified and explained in a seemingly rational or logical manner to avoid the true (and likely embarrassing) explanation. E.g., “only heavy smokers are at risk of lung cancer;” or, as the fox said about the grapes he was incapable of getting, “They were probably sour anyway.”
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DENIAL…
…is the refusal to admit or acknowledge the truth about something. E.g., that your wife is cheating on you (in spite of the evidence), or that you drink too much.
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PASSIVE AGGRESSION…
…is when someone bothers you, you deliberately do something subtle or inconspicuous “to get back at them.” E.g., your spouse angers or disagrees with you, so you shrink their favorite shirt in the wash.
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ACTING OUT…
…is presenting with negative behavior rather than confronting an unpleasant feeling directly. E.g., a child’s tantrum is a way for her to express anger toward her parent; in adults, acting out ranges from antisocial behaviors like obviously offensive or outrageous public conduct to self-injury (cutting, skin-ripping, burning).
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