Defense mechanisms protect us from unconscious wants, feelings, desires, and impulses.
They act as a psychological shield against anxiety or discomfort.
Classified into several categories:
Pathological
Immature
Neurotic
Mature
Pathological Defense Mechanisms
Denial: Denying reality to deal with anxiety. E.g., denying a cancer diagnosis.
Immature Defense Mechanisms
Projection: Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others. E.g., a jealous person accusing someone else of being jealous.
Projective Identification: The person being projected onto starts to behave in the manner projected onto them.
Passive Aggression: Indirectly expressing aggression through inaction or slow action.
Neurotic Defense Mechanisms
Intellectualization: Focusing on intellectual aspects to detach from emotions.
Rationalization: Making excuses to avoid self-blame, often with false logic.
Regression: Reverting to behaviors of a younger stage of life, e.g., whining.
Repression: Unconscious process of pushing thoughts to the unconscious.
Displacement: Redirecting emotions from one target to a safer, easier target. E.g., a person angry at their spouse may displace anger onto their child.
Reaction Formation: Behaving in the opposite way to one's true feelings. E.g., an anti-immigration person helping at an immigration center.
Mature Defense Mechanisms
Humor: Using humor to make hidden feelings socially acceptable.
Sublimation: Channeling negative energy into positive activities. E.g., violent urges leading to becoming a boxer.
Suppression: Consciously pushing negative emotions aside for later access.
Altruism: Gaining pleasure and fulfillment from helping others.
Conclusion
Multiple defense mechanisms exist, and this is not an exhaustive list.
Mature defense mechanisms generally lead to greater happiness and satisfaction.