Defense Mechanisms

According to Sigmund Freud, who originated the Defense Mechanism theory, Defense
Mechanisms occur when our ego cannot meet the demands of reality. They are
psychological strategies brought into play by the unconscious mind to manipulate, deny or
distort reality so as to maintain a socially acceptable self-image. Healthy people normally
use these mechanisms throughout life. it becomes pathological only when its persistent use
leads to maladaptive behavior such that the physical and/or mental health of the individual
is adversely affected. The purpose of ego defense mechanisms is to protect the
mind/self/ego from anxiety and/or social sanctions and/or to provide a refuge from a
situation with which one cannot currently cope.
Defense mechanisms are unconscious coping mechanisms that reduce anxiety generated by
threats from unacceptable impulses
In 1977, psychologist George Vaillant took Freud’s theory and built upon it by categorizing
them, placing Freud’s mechanisms on a continuum related to their psychoanalytical
developmental level.
Level 1: Pathological Defenses
 The mechanisms on this level, when predominating, almost always are severely
pathological. These six defense’s, in conjunction, permit one to effectively rearrange
external experiences to eliminate the need to cope with reality. The pathological users of
these mechanisms frequently appear irrational or insane to others. These are the
"psychotic" defense’s, common in overt psychosis. However, they are found in dreams and
throughout childhood as well. They include:
 Delusional Projection: Delusions about external reality, usually of a persecutory nature.
 Conversion: the expression of an intra-psychic conflict as a physical symptom; some
examples include blindness, deafness, paralysis, or numbness. This phenomena is
sometimes called hysteria.
 Denial: Refusal to accept external reality because it is too threatening; arguing against an
anxiety-provoking stimulus by stating it doesn't exist; resolution of emotional conflict and
reduction of anxiety by refusing to perceive or consciously acknowledge the more
unpleasant aspects of external reality.
 Distortion: A gross reshaping of external reality to meet internal needs.
 Splitting: A primitive defense. Negative and positive impulses are split off and un-
integrated.
 Extreme projection: The blatant denial of a moral or psychological deficiency, which is
perceived as a deficiency in another individual or group.
Level 2: Immature Defenses
 These mechanisms are often present in adults. These mechanisms lessen distress and
anxiety provoked by threatening people or by uncomfortable reality. Excessive use of such
defenses is seen as socially undesirable in that they are immature, difficult to deal with and
seriously out of touch with reality. These are the so-called "immature" defenses and
overuse almost always leads to serious problems in a person's ability to cope effectively.
These defenses are often seen in major depression and personality disorders. They include:
 Acting out: Direct expression of an unconscious wish or impulse in action, without
conscious awareness of the emotion that drives that expressive behavior.
 Fantasy: Tendency to retreat into fantasy in order to resolve inner and outer conflicts.
 Idealization: Unconsciously choosing to perceive another individual as having more
positive qualities than he or she may actually have.[21]
 Passive aggression: Aggression towards others expressed indirectly or passively such as
using procrastination.
 Projection: Projection is a primitive form of paranoia. Projection also reduces anxiety by
allowing the expression of the undesirable impulses or desires without becoming
consciously aware of them; attributing one's own unacknowledged unacceptable/unwanted
thoughts and emotions to another; includes severe prejudice, severe jealousy,
hypervigilance to external danger, and "injustice collecting". It is shifting one's unacceptable
thoughts, feelings and impulses within oneself onto someone else, such that those same
thoughts, feelings, beliefs and motivations are perceived as being possessed by the other.
 Projective identification: The object of projection invokes in that person precisely the
thoughts, feelings or behaviors projected.
 Somatization: The transformation of negative feelings towards others into negative
feelings toward self, pain, illness, and anxiety.
Level 3: Neurotic Defenses
 These mechanisms are considered neurotic, but fairly common in adults. Such defenses
have short-term advantages in coping, but can often cause long-term problems in
relationships, work and in enjoying life when used as one's primary style of coping with the
world. They include:  Displacement: Defense mechanism that shifts sexual or aggressive
impulses to a more acceptable or less threatening target; redirecting emotion to a safer
outlet; separation of emotion from its real object and redirection of the intense emotion
toward someone or something that is less offensive or threatening in order to avoid dealing
directly with what is frightening or threatening. For example, a mother 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 or thought.
 Hypochondriasis: An excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness.
 Intellectualization: A form of isolation; concentrating on the intellectual components of a
situation so as to distance oneself from the associated anxiety-provoking emotions;
separation of emotion from ideas; thinking about wishes in formal, affectively bland terms
and not acting on them; avoiding unacceptable emotions by focusing on the intellectual
aspects (e.g. isolation, rationalization, ritual, undoing, compensation, magical thinking).
 Isolation: Separation of feelings from ideas and events, for example, describing a murder
with graphic details with no emotional response.
 Rationalization (making excuses): Where a person convinces him or herself that no wrong
was done and that all is or was all right through faulty and false reasoning. An indicator of
this defense mechanism can be seen socially as the formulation of convenient excuses -
making excuses.
 Reaction formation: Converting unconscious wishes or impulses that are perceived to be
dangerous or unacceptable into their opposites; behavior that is completely the opposite of
what one really wants or feels; taking the opposite belief because the true belief causes
anxiety. This defense can work effectively for coping in the short term, but will eventually
break down.
 Regression: Temporary reversion of the ego to an earlier stage of development rather
than handling unacceptable impulses in a more adult way. (ex. Using whining as a method
of communicating despite already having acquired the ability to speak with appropriate
grammar)
 Repression: The process of attempting to repel desires towards pleasurable instincts,
caused by a threat of suffering if the desire is satisfied; the desire is moved to the
unconscious in the attempt to prevent it from entering consciousness; seemingly
unexplainable naivety, memory lapse or lack of awareness of one's own situation and
condition; the emotion is conscious, but the idea behind it is absent.
 Undoing: A person tries to 'undo' an unhealthy, destructive or otherwise threatening
thought by acting out the reverse of unacceptable. Involves symbolically nullifying an
unacceptable or guilt provoking thought, idea, or feeling by confession or atonement.
 Withdrawal: Withdrawal is a more severe form of defense. It entails removing oneself
from events, stimuli, interactions, etc. under the fear of being reminded of painful thoughts
and feelings.
Level 4: Mature Defenses
 These are commonly found among emotionally healthy adults and are considered mature,
even though many have their origins in an immature stage of development. They have been
adapted through the years in order to optimize success in life and relationships. The use of
these defenses enhances pleasure and feelings of control. These defense’s help us to
integrate conflicting emotions and thoughts, whilst still remaining effective. Those who use
these mechanisms are usually considered virtuous. They include:
 Altruism: Constructive service to others that brings pleasure and personal satisfaction.
 Anticipation: Realistic planning for future discomfort.
 Humour: Overt expression of ideas and feelings (especially those that are unpleasant to
focus on or too terrible to talk about) that gives pleasure to others. The thoughts retain a
portion of their innate distress, but they are "skirted round" by witticism, for example Self-
deprecation.
 Identification: The unconscious modeling of one's self upon another person's character
and behavior.
 Introjection: Identifying with some idea or object so deeply that it becomes a part of that
person.
 Sublimation: Transformation of negative emotions or instincts into positive actions,
behavior, or emotion. (ex. Playing a heavy contact sport such as football or rugby can
transform aggression into a game)
 Thought 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; making it possible to later access uncomfortable or distressing
emotions whilst accepting them.