HUMAN DEFENSE MECHANISMS

Human defense mechanisms refers to psychological behaviors that people use to cope with unpleasant feelings, thoughts, or events. The idea of defense mechanisms comes from the psychoanalytic theory proposed by Sigmund Freud, a psychological perspective of personality that sees a personality as the interaction between the components: id, ego, and super-ego. These psychological strategies help people to distance themselves from threats or unwanted feelings, such as guilt, shame, or embarrassment.

Defense mechanisms are ways you react to certain situations that bring up negative emotions. They are unconscious ways for the mind to deal with stress or difficult experiences. Building self-awareness and acknowledging these mechanisms may help in overcoming them.

Some of these defense mechanisms are

DENIAL

Denial is the most common defense mechanism where a person refuses to accept reality or they may act like a painful event, thought or feeling does not exist. People in denial may want to block external events or circumstances from the mind so that they do not have to deal with the emotional impact. For example, refusing to accept an addiction or refusing to acknowledge that their partner has cheated on them.

REGRESSION

This is a type of defense mechanism where a person adapts a childish behavior or returns to soothing strategies from their younger self to cope with present stress or trauma. This is most obvious in younger children. They may also begin wetting the bed or sucking their digits as a form of regression.

Adults who struggle to cope with events may return to sleeping with a stuffed animal, may start eating comfort food, or get addicted to smoking and drinking or chewing on pencils or pens. They may also avoid daily activities because they feel overwhelmed.

REPRESSION

People who have repression as a defense mechanism may try to suppress painful memories and thoughts. Instead of confronting these thoughts, people unconsciously choose to suppress them in hopes of forgetting them entirely. These memories may not disappear entirely. You may not realize the impact of this defense mechanism on you. For example, not choosing to heal from events like being in a car accident, being abused, or childhood trauma.

PROJECTION

Projection refers to unconsciously attributing one’s own undesirable or unacceptable traits, thoughts, or feelings to others. For example, you may not like your new colleague, but instead of accepting that, you choose to think that they dislike you. And you start to interpret their words and actions towards you in the worst way possible, even though they do not actually dislike you.

DISPLACEMENT

Displacement means directing negative emotions, reactions, or frustration from the original source to other sources that feels less threatening. For example, being angry with your boss and coming home and yelling at your spouse or children to release your anger. Or worried about one thing and losing temper in other situations.

RATIONALIZATION

Rationalization is when someone makes excuses for their uncomfortable or unacceptable actions or behavior. For example, getting fired from a job and saying that they were about to resign anyways or misbehaving and blaming it on their past.

SUBLIMINATION

This is a type of defense mechanism that is considered a mature and positive one. That is because people who rely on it choose to redirect strong feelings like anger into an activity that is appropriate and safe. For example, instead of lashing out at your colleagues during a stressful time, you choose to channel your frustration into kickboxing or playing high-energy sports. You could also try music, art, or journaling. All defense mechanisms may bring consequences except this one because one tries to turn their pain into something creative.

REACTION FORMATION

Reaction formation is when a person chooses to express the opposite of what they truly feel and often in a very exaggerated manner. For example, treating someone you strongly dislike with affection. Or acting like you cannot tolerate someone when you are really attracted to them.