Below, we explore eight defense mechanisms. We also describe mental health conditions that may be associated with the routine use of certain mechanisms. The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud developed the idea of defense mechanisms as a way to understand human behavior.
Freud proposed that people use defense mechanisms unconsciously, as a way to avoid uncomfortable feelings and emotions. This involves a person not recognizing the reality of a stressful situation in order to protect themselves from overwhelming fear or anxiety.
For example, staying optimistic can benefit a person as they try to overcome a serious illness. On the other hand, denial can stop a person from dealing with situations that require their attention. For example, it may be easier to ignore the negative effects of excessive drinking than it is to cut down on alcohol.
In some cases, distortion can protect a person from the uncomfortable reality of a situation. For example, a person may believe that they failed a test because of difficult questions, not because they did not prepare fully. In other cases, distortion can convince a person that a situation is worse than it actually is. For example, a person may only see the negative in a situation and ignore the positive.
Distorted thinking is a common feature of anxiety and depression. It is also common among people with the following disorders:. Projection involves a person accusing someone else of having thoughts or feelings that they themselves are having. It can be a way of avoiding unwanted thoughts or avoiding responsibility for a particular behavior.
For example, a person who realizes that they are being aggressive during an argument may accuse the other person of aggression. This deflects criticism away from themselves and onto the other person. Projection can be harmful, as it may stop someone from accepting and taking responsibility for their own thoughts or behaviors.
Dissociation involves feeling disconnected from a stressful or traumatic event — or feeling that the event is not really happening. It is a way to block out mental trauma and protect the mind from experiencing too much stress. A person who dissociates, often in childhood or adolescence, may go on to develop a dissociative disorder. This is a particularly unhealthy form of dissociation, in which a person dissociates involuntarily and routinely.
Repression involves avoiding thinking about something to block out painful or uncomfortable feelings, emotions, and impulses. Repression is an unconscious process — a person is unaware that they are doing it. Within the hierarchy, defenses are grouped into different levels based on common functions. These levels include the psychotic 0 , action 1 , major image-distorting 2 , disavowal and autistic-fantasy 3 , minor image-distorting 4 , Skip to main content Skip to table of contents.
This service is more advanced with JavaScript available. Contents Search. Rationalization Defense Mechanism. Starrs J. Christopher Perry. Living reference work entry First Online: 19 December How to cite. This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5th ed. His behavior shows all the hallmarks of sadism. What is important to grasp here from the psychological point of view is that his sadism is an end in itself, not a means to an end, but the rationalization helps him cover up awareness of this fact, instilling a higher purpose into his behavior so that he can avoid the crisis of conscience that would ensue from looking at himself honestly.
Related posts: Rationalizing Masochism, Sadism, And Emotional Detachment We have to understand masochism, sadism, and emotional detachment not as isolated, compartmentalized behaviors that arise in certain situations but as global underlying life orientations that exist all the time, regardless of whether the behaviors resulting from them are easily observable and identifiable or not.
People Who Never Apologize People who never apologize are most likely to fall into a world orientation called moving against. These people learn at an early age that the best way for them to get their psychological, emotional, and physical needs met is through the route of domination, the route of control, the route of striking first, the route […] Abandonment And Transformation Those who were abandoned by a primary caregiver in childhood are likely, as adults, to rationalize the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors resulting from this abandonment on some other grounds.
Of course pushing the bad things that happen to us outside of conscious awareness, and with them the true explanations for many of the things we […] Because while some people do develop into healthy, mature adults where external behavior and conscious thoughts and feelings align with deeper life motivations, […] Defense mechanisms are symptoms of neuroses just like smoke is a symptom of fire.
Whether big or small they all serve the same basic psychological purpose, which is to explain away illogical, irrational thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The rationalization puts a logical, rational spin on these irrational thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to justify their […] Defense mechanisms are a normal, natural part of psychological development.
Identifying which type you, your loved ones, even your co-workers use can help you in future conversations and encounters. Dozens of different defense mechanisms have been identified. Some are used more commonly than others. Here are a few common defense mechanisms:. Denial is one of the most common defense mechanisms.
It occurs when you refuse to accept reality or facts. In other words, you avoid the painful feelings or events. This defense mechanism is one of the most widely known, too.
Unsavory thoughts, painful memories, or irrational beliefs can upset you. Instead of facing them, you may unconsciously choose to hide them in hopes of forgetting about them entirely. That does not mean, however, that the memories disappear entirely. They may influence behaviors, and they may impact future relationships. You just may not realize the impact this defense mechanism is having.
Some thoughts or feelings you have about another person may make you uncomfortable. For example, you may dislike your new co-worker, but instead of accepting that, you choose to tell yourself that they dislike you.
You see in their actions the things you wish you could do or say. A good example of this defense mechanism is getting angry at your child or spouse because you had a bad day at work. Neither of these people is the target of your strong emotions, but reacting to them is likely less problematic than reacting to your boss.
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