Walls

Everyone has their own way to deal with probs,some will go into denial,some would project their miseries and some would be stuck in their fantasies.

In Freudian psychoanalytic theory, Defence Mechanisms are psychological strategies brought into play by various entities to cope with reality and to maintain self-image. Healthy persons normally use different defences throughout life. An ego defence mechanism 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 the Ego Defence Mechanisms is to protect the mind/self/ego from anxiety, social sanctions or to provide a refuge from a situation with which one cannot currently cope.

In layman's terms, defence mechanisms are the way that ppl handle problems. These defence mechanisms are divided into 4 categories which are:

1) Lvl 1 defence mechanism

The mechanisms on this level, when predominating, almost always are severely pathological. These three defences, 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 crazy to others. These are the "psychotic" defenses, common in overt psychosis. However, they are found in dreams and throughout childhood as healthy mechanisms.

They include:

a) 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.

b) Distortion:A gross reshaping of external reality to meet internal needs.

c) Delusional projection Grossly frank delusions about external reality, usually of a persecutory nature.

2) LVL 2 Defense mechanism

These mechanisms are often present in adults and more commonly present in teens.These mechanisms lessen distress and anxiety provoked by threatening people or by uncomfortable reality. People who excessively use such defenses are 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" defences and overuse almost always leads to serious problems in a person's ability to cope effectively. These defenses are often seen in severe depression and personality disorders. In adolescence, the occurrence of all of these defenses is normal.


This includes:

a) Fantasy: Tendency to retreat into fantasy in order to resolve inner and outer conflicts.

b) Projection: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.

c) Hypochondriasis: The transformation of negative feelings towards others into negative feelings toward self, pain, illness, and anxiety.

d) Passive Aggression: Aggression towards others expressed indirectly or passively.

e) Acting out: Direct expression of an unconscious wish or impulse in action, without conscious awareness of the emotion that drives that expressive behavior.

f) Idealization: Unconsciously choosing to perceive another individual as having more positive qualities than he or she may actually have.

3) LVL 3 defense mechanism

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.

This includes:

a) 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.

b) 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.

c) Isolation: Separation of feelings from ideas and events, for example, describing a murder with graphic details with no emotional response.

d) 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) Converting unconscious wishes or impulses that are perceived to be dangerous 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.

f) Reaction Formation: 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 emotion is conscious, but the idea behind it is absent.

g) Regression:Temporary reversion of the ego to an earlier stage of development rather than handling unacceptable impulses in a more adult way.

h) Rationalization: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.

4)LVL 4 defence mechanism

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 defenses help us integrate conflicting emotions and thoughts, while still remaining effective. Those who use these mechanisms are usually considered virtuous.

This includes:

a) Altruism : Constructive service to others that brings pleasure and personal satisfaction

b) Anticipation: Realistic planning for future discomfort

c) Humor: 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. Humor, which explores the absurdity inherent in any event while Wit refers to the serious or distressing in a humorous way rather than disarming it; the thoughts remain distressing, but they are "skirted round" by witticism.

d) Identification: The unconscious modeling of one's self upon another person's character and behavior.

e) Introjection: Identifying with some idea or object so deeply that it becomes a part of that person.

f) Sublimation: Transformation of negative emotions or instincts into positive actions, behavior, or emotion.

G) 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 while accepting them

I hope this post would help the readers identify their lvl of defence mechanism so that they could learn more about themselves. As for me,I'm a level 3