DEFENSE MECHANISMS REPRESSION ‘SUPPRESSION, ‘CONVERSION. DISSOCIATION SYHBOUZATION, IDENTIFICATION. THTRO[ECTION: SUBLIMATION. COMPENSATION RATIONALIZATION, PRO[ECTION DISPLACEMENT TUROOING “SPLITTING, REACTION FORMATION. REGRESSION EXATION TNTELLECTUALIZATION BETNG-ouT ‘DENIAL FANTASY T REPRESSION TivoTuntary recall painful or unpleasant thoughts or feelings cause they are autorvatically involuntarily pushed into one’s unconsciousness. FORGETFULNESS > Blackout (alcoholic intoxication) blocking (Alzhelmer’s/Dementia) > Memory gaps > Cenfabulation = making story to fil in memory gaps also used by Wernicke’s Korsakeff's = 1 Vit. B1-thiamine, > peripheral neuritis (tingling Sensation) > 1 86 Pyridoxine, 89 folic acid, 812 > P. anemia. Ex. Sexually abused as a child blocks the experience from her consciousness and is confused about inability to respond sowuall SUPPRESSION —~ used (moderate anxiety) Willingly or voluntarily putting Unacceptable thought or Teelngs Gut OT ones TInE with the ability to recall te thoughts ar feelings at wil Ex, Voluntary forgetfulness or “I rather not talk about it right now! CONVERSION “Transferring of mental conflict or emotional anxiety info physical symptom to release n bm: Somatic/samatofarm Ex. A soldier experiences sudden blindness after witnessing his best friend dying from a disease lgrenacle blast, Diarrhea before exam: suppress anger > HEN, DISSOCIATION ‘ct of detaching of separating @ strong emotionally charged conic Wom ones #1 pM: Multiple |" personality= destruction of | Ex. A woman raped found wandering » busy highway ~ traumatic amnesia. [eas SYMBOLIZATION [Ri abject Wea, oF act represents another Through some Canon aspect and carves The unconscious ‘emotional feeling associated with the other #1 OM: Phobias x. Engagement ring symbol of loves phobias IDENTIFICATION —— external DM: Preschooler Unconsciously. people use Wr to ently with We personally and Walls of snather Te preserve one's ego or self. Mimics/simulates external behavior, lke fashion & fads x. tmitator, similar to role playin TOW = INTERNAL DM: Depression & counter {ibuting To onesel? the good qualtes of anater Torporate TeaInge E SnaTERE values & beliefs, traits and personality. “ingestion, internalization x. Acting & dressing tke Jesus Christ TOW. TESTERTEITG GT TORETSTSSTETSETE GF SOCTSMY Unacceptable BanavTOrS oT impulses into personally or socially acceptable. Modify the issue, problem is still present Ex. An aggressive person joins debate team (behavior modification) ++ COMPENSATION The act of making up for a real or imagined deficiency with a speci behavior Conscious or unconscious. Problem is nat connected, x. An unattractive girl became a very good tennis player + 5. RATIONALIZATION — object ‘Mast comman ego OM. Unconsciausly used to justly ideas, actens andor Tealngs with (geod acceptable reasons or explanation. Irationalilagical excuses to escape responsibilty, ationalization is justifying one’s actions which are based on otherFI DT ARE SOCRT SEDTSEr WatIvEE. Tee UEUSMy SEEN MONG SICOROTEE Ex. It wasn't worth it; anyway, itis all forthe best. Student fails an exam, blames it on the poor lectures. Temporarily alleviates ante PROJECTION = peor #2.DM: Paranoid S_—BISFLRCEMENT —— higher to lower Person rejects unwanted charaGieriics of Galt and Sevigns ham to others Projection T= attributing to others one’s unconscious wishes/fear. Usually it is observed in paranoid patients. Ex, Blaming others for omn faults “scapegoat ‘aechanism What serves to Wanster feelings Such ss Wastaion, Hestiny oF anciely Wom ‘one idea, person ar object to anather. Ex, Yelling at a subordinate after heing yelled at by the boss UNDOING On RESTITUTION — lower to higher DM: obsessive Compulsive Negation of previous consciously intolerable action or experience te Teguce oF aTe feelings of guik. Ex, Sending flowers after embarrassing her in public 7. SPLITTING Viewing people se al Good, and Shere as I Bad Impulsive = poor seltcontrol Ex. Hx of drug addicts & alcoholics OM: Borderline (female) REACTION FORMATION #2 DM: Passive-aggressive persanality disorder Parson exaggerates of overdavelaps certain actions by daplaying exactly the oppose behavior, attitude, or feeling from what he or she normally would show in a given situation, OVERCOMPENSATION. Conscious intent often altruistic. Procrastinate Ex, Student hating her Cl may act very courteously towards her 3. REGRESSION ‘A. temporary retreat to past levels of behavior that reduce anwiety, alow one to foal ‘mare comfortable. Ex. A 27 year old acts like a 17 ¥.0. on her first date with a fellow ‘employee: smoking at parties > chronic regression FIXATION 7 INTELLECTUALIZATION Permanent or persistence into ater life of Interests and behavior patlerne appropriate Ta an early age. Without stressors Ex, Chain smokers, alcoholics = oral fication The act af transferring emotional concerns Tite the Titelecual sphere. Exaggeratan oF Intellect. Person uses reasoning as a means to avold confrontation. Ex. "Dear Jano” Letter ‘ihe graom is trying to figure out with his room mate why his fiancée changed her mind — 0 avoid confronting her RETING OUT Tor BENTAT 20m Alcoholics. PTSD, iinese ‘Unconscious wish fumed Tats FeSTRy Ex, Molested child > wants to be comforted > becomes peychalogist = Oprah The unconscious Tefusal favoldance to face thoughts, feelings, wishes, needs, andler reality factors that are intolerable. Blocking the awareness of reality. Ex. "things will get better, soon 14 y/o girl who is undergoing dialysis says, “What's good abaut this, is that after it | will look good & thin.” This shows that the teen is denying her chronic tines Cancer patient saying, “You might have mixed my result with other patients,” is showing denial FANTASY DM Schizoid Tragined events or mental mages Wental thinking, Temporary Want from really ToT anxiety. Ex. Daydreaming. (permanent flight from reality: autism)Anumber af phenomena are used to aid In the maintenance of repression. These are termed Ego Defense Mechanisms {the terms “Mental Mechanisms” and “Defense Mechanisms” are essentially synonymous with this). The primary functions of these mechanisms are: 1, te minimize anxiety 2) te protect the ege 3. to maintain repression Repression is useful to the individual since 1. itpravants discomfort 2. itleads to some economy of time and effort A. Level 1 Defence Mechanisms ‘The mechanisms on this level, when predominating, almost always are severely pathological. These three defences, in conjunction, permit one to effectively rearrange external reality and eliminate the eed to cope with reality. The pathological users of these mechanisms frequently appear crazy of incana ta athers. These ara the "peychatic" defences, common in overt peyehosie. However, thay are found in dreams and throughout childhood as healthy mechanisms. They include + Deniai: Refusal to accept external reality because it ls too threatening; arguing against an anulety:proveking stimulus by stating it doesn’t axict; racolution af emotional conflict and reduction of anxiety by fefusing to perceive or consciously acknowledge the more unpleasant aspects of external reality.'* Distortion: A gross reshaping of external reality to meat intemal needs. © Delusional Projection: Grossly frank delusions about external reality, usually of a persecutory B. Level 2 Defence Mechanisms ‘These mechanisms are often present In adults and more commonly present in adolescence. These mechanisms lessen distress and anxiety provoked by threatening people or by uncomfortable reality. People who excessively Use such defences are seen as socially undesirable In that they are Immature, difficult to deal with and seriously out of touch with reality, These are the 20-called "immature defences and overuse almost always lead to serious problems in a person's ability to cope effectively These defences are often seen in severe depression and personality disorders. In adolescence, the ‘occurrence of all of these defences is narmal These include: (© Fantasy: Tendency to retreat into fantasy in order to resolve inner and outer conflicts. ‘= Projection: Projection Is a primitive forrn of paranoia, Projection also reduces anxiety by Bllowing the expression of the undesirable impulses or desizes without becoming consciously aware of them: attributing one's own unacknowledged unacceptablelunwanted thoughts and. emotions to another; includes sevare prejudice, severe jealousy. hypervigilance to external danger. and “injustice collecting". It is shifting one's unacceptable thoughts, feelings and Impulsés within oneself onta someone else, such that those same thoughts, feelings, beliefs and motivations are peresived ac being pacseccad by the ather. © Hypochonariasis: The transformation of negative feelings towards others into negative feelings toward Self, pal, illness, and anxlety © Passive agaression: Aggression towards others expressed indirectly or passively (© Acting aut: Direct expression of an unconscious wish or impulse withaut conscious awareness fof the emotion that drives that expressive behavior. (© Wdealization: Subconsclously choosing to perceive another individual as having more positive qualities than he ar she may actually have, Level 3 Defence Mechanisms ‘These mechanisms are cansidered meurotic, but fairly common in adults. Such defences have short: term advantages in coping, but can often cause long-term problems in relationships, work and in ‘enjoying life when used az one’s primary style of coping with the world. These include: © Displacement: Defence mechanism that shifts sexual or aggressive impulses to a more acceptable oF less threatening target; redirecting emotion to a safer outlet; separation of emotion from its real object and redirection of the intense emotion toward someone of Something that is lass offensive or threatening in order to avoid dealing directly with what le frightening or threatening. For example, a mather may yell at her child because she Is angry with her husband. '* Dissociation: Temporary drastic modification of one’s personal identity or character to avoid emotional distress; separation or postponement of a feeling that normally would accompany a situation of thought. '© Isolation: Separation of feelings from ideas and events, for example, describing a murder with ‘Graphic details with no emotional response. Intellactualization: A form of icolation: concentrating on the intellectual components of a situation so as to distance oneself from the associated anxiety-provokina emotions: separation of emotion from ideas; thinking about wishes in formal, affectively bland terms and not acting fn them; avoiding unacceptable emotions by focusing on the intellectual aspects (e.g ‘© Reaction Formation: Converting unconscious wishes or impulses that are perceived to be ‘dangerous into their opposites; behavior that is completely the apposite of what one reallywants or feels: taking the opposite belief because the true bellef causes anxiety. This defence can work effectively for coping in the short term, but will eventually break down, aprescion: Process of pulling thoughts into the unconscious and preventing painful or dangerous thoughts from entering consciousness: seemingly unexplainable naivety, memory lapse or lack of awareness of one’s own situation and condition; the emotian is conscious, but the idea behind itis absent, D. Level 4 Defence Mechanisms These are commonly found among emotionally healthy adults and are considered the most mature, even though many have their origins in the immature level. However, these have been adapted through the years so as to optimize success in fe and relationships, The use of these detences enhances user pleasure and feelings of mastery. These defences heip the users to integrate conflicting ‘emations and thouahts while still remaining effective. Persons who use these mechanisms are viewed as having virtues. These include: Altruism: Constructive service to others that brings pleasure and personal satisfaction Anticipation: Realistic planning for future aiscomtort Humor: Overt expression of ideas and feelings (especially those that are unpleasant to focus fn oF tao terrible to talk about) that gives pleasure to others. Humor, which explores the absurdity inherent in any event, enables someone to call a spade a spade, while "wit" Is a form of displacement (sae above under Category 3). Wit refers to the serlous oF distressing in a humorous way. rather than disarming it: the thoughts remain distressing. but they are ‘skirted round’ by the witticism. Identification: The unconscious modeling of ane’s self upon another person's character and behavior Inteojection: Identifying with some idea or abject co deeply that it becomes a part of that person Sublimation: Transformation of negative emotions or Instincts into positive actions, behavior, or emotion Suppression: The conscious process of pushing thoughts into the preconscious; the conscious decision to delay paying attention to an emotion or need in order to cope with the present reality; able to later accese uncomfortable er distressing emotions and accept them