Defense Mechanisms
by bradley fodor
1. Projection
1.1. Projection is taking our unwanted emotions, impulses, behaviors in ourselves and projecting them onto others when we see it in them. Seeing a mirror in other people reflecting the behaviors we hate in ourselves can brew anger and resentment. Cheating partner accuses you of cheating in a way to cope with the guilt.
2. Introjection
2.1. Taking on the personality of others
3. Turning against the self
4. Reversal
5. Sublimation
5.1. The healthiest form of defense mechanism as its chanelling unacceptable impulses, behaviors or emotions into socially acceptable forms. Going to gym, running, art. healthy forms to cope.
5.1.1. Going to gym, art, running
6. Social masking
6.1. Pretending to be someone you're not, surpressing true feeling in order to act in an "acceptable" way
7. Displacement
7.1. Not being able to show true emotions, behaviors, or impulses in a moment, storing these, then releasing it on an object or person that didn't deserve it. Boss yells at you at work, you go home and yell at people in your family or roommates
8. Regression
8.1. When we're faced with difficult times in our life, we may revert to early stages of development. When we are sick, we may act helpless as an infant and hope someone takes care of us. Helplessness waiting for someone to save us
9. Repression
9.1. Blocking an impulse from conscious expression. Almost like denial (not really actually as denail is just flat out denying reality) as you don''t realize you're getting angry when talking to a family member. You unconsiously repress unwanted emotions
10. Reaction-Formation
10.1. Surpressing in your mind, unacceptable impulses and adopting the complete opposite behavior in order to cope. Parent hates child but shows love. Someone who is gay but actively hates on gay people. in these examples, these people will actually convice themselves that they love the child and they hate gay people in order to cope with the emotions
11. Isolation
11.1. Not being able to feel the emotions that come with a dramatic event. thinking of a traumatic event without displaying any emotional reaction. it can be helpful for the psyche to get through but can lead to emotinal numbness
12. Undoing
13. Denial
13.1. Flat out refusing to acknowledge reality that is unpleasent. They cannot fathom believing what is going on in their reality so to cope they simpily deny its exsistence. (terminally ill person denies being ill and refuses treatment)
14. Identification
14.1. Modeling our behavior after people we admire, or adjusting the behavior based on people who we fear. This is believed how the superego develops, identify with heros and avoid the villians
15. Rationalization
15.1. The process of finding logical reasons for unacceptable behavior, thoughts or impulses. Stealing something from someone and saying that you deserve it more than them.